Factors affecting site use preference of grazing cattle studied from 2000 to 2020 through GPS tracking - A review

A - Papers appearing in refereed journals

Rivero, M. J., Grau, P., Mullan, S., Held, S. D. E., Stokes, J., Lee, M. R. F. and Cardenas, L. M. 2021. Factors affecting site use preference of grazing cattle studied from 2000 to 2020 through GPS tracking - A review. Sensors. 21 (8), p. 2696. https://doi.org/10.3390/s21082696

AuthorsRivero, M. J., Grau, P., Mullan, S., Held, S. D. E., Stokes, J., Lee, M. R. F. and Cardenas, L. M.
Abstract

Understanding the behaviour of grazing animals at pasture is crucial in order to develop management strategies that will increase the potential productivity of grazing systems and simultaneously decrease the negative impact on the environment. The objective of this review is to summarize and analyse the scientific literature that has addressed the site use preference of grazing cattle using global positioning systems (GPS) collars in the past 21 years (2000-2020) to aid the development of more sustainable grazing livestock systems. The 84 studies identified were undertaken in several regions of the world, in diverse production systems, under different climate conditions and with varied methodologies and animal types. This work presents the information in categories according to the main findings reviewed, covering management, external and animal factors driving animal movement patterns. The results show that some variables such as stocking rate, water and shade location, weather conditions and pasture (terrain and vegetation) characteristics have a significant impact on the behaviour of grazing cattle. Other types of bio-loggers can be deployed in grazing ruminants to gain insights into their metabolism and its relationship with the landscape they utilise. Changing management practices based on these findings could improve the use of grasslands towards more sustainable and productive livestock systems.

KeywordsCattle distribution; Grazing patterns; Landscape use; Sustainable grazing; Site selection; Grazing livestock
Year of Publication2021
JournalSensors
Journal citation21 (8), p. 2696
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.3390/s21082696
Open accessPublished as ‘gold’ (paid) open access
FunderBiotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
European Union
BBSRC Industrial Strategy Challenge
Funder project or codeS2N - Soil to Nutrition - Work package 2 (WP2) - Adaptive management systems for improved efficiency and nutritional quality
Agritech Cornwall
The use of GPS tracking and the LoRaWAN network to improve productivity of grazing dairy cows
Publisher's version
Supplemental file
Output statusPublished
Publication dates
Online11 Apr 2021
Publication process dates
Accepted07 Apr 2021
PublisherMDPI
ISSN1424-8220

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