Grassland and Pasture Science

The importance of grasslands for livestock systems is underlined by the large area of agricultural land they cover worldwide, the high number of people who depend on them for income and food security, the high levels of biomass production and biodiversity, as well as their high carbon sequestration potential and limited nitrogen losses. However, these systems are under threat, as grassland surfaces are progressively lost or degraded worldwide, with major consequences for their sustainability and continued provision of services to society. Socio-economic constraints also often hinder the adoption of sustainable grassland improvement, especially in developing countries.

This section aims to contribute to the advancement of grassland and pasture science by exploring the challenges of sustainable grassland management and proposing tangible solutions. In particular, it highlights the role of grasslands in supporting the agro-ecological transition in a changing world, notably because of their rich biodiversity, which can become a lever for action against the current environmental and agricultural crises.

The “Grassland and Pasture Science” section hosts original research articles and reviews on sustainable grassland management and its current and future challenges with respect to global change and landscape features. Methodological contributions, case studies, and advances in modelling on both fundamental and applied studies are welcome, with emphasis on (i) the role of plant functional diversity in regulating carbon and nitrogen cycling processes; (ii) the complementarity and interrelations between grasslands and other agricultural lands and landscape elements; and (iii) grassland-based agro-ecological farming systems.