Reduce grazing intensity on pastures

Overall effectiveness category Awaiting assessment
Number of studies: 1
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Study locations

Key messages

One replicated trial has shown that reducing the intensity of summer cattle grazing can increase the abundance, but not the species richness of cavity-nesting bees and wasps.

About key messages

Key messages provide a descriptive index to studies we have found that test this intervention.

Studies are not directly comparable or of equal value. When making decisions based on this evidence, you should consider factors such as study size, study design, reported metrics and relevance of the study to your situation, rather than simply counting the number of studies that support a particular interpretation.

Supporting evidence from individual studies

In a comparison of six intensively (5.5 cattle/ha) and six lightly (1.5 cattle/ha) cattle-grazed meadows with six ungrazed meadows in Germany, meadows with light grazing had a greater number of individual cavity-nesting bees, wasps and their brood parasites than meadows with intensive grazing (Kruess & Tscharntke 2002). There was an average of 47 emerging individuals/lightly grazed site, compared to 27 emerging individuals/intensively grazed site. Reduced intensity of grazing did not significantly increase the number of bee and wasp species.
Study and other actions tested
Referenced paper
Kruess A. & Tscharntke T. (2002) Grazing intensity and the diversity of grasshoppers, butterflies, and trap-nesting bees and wasps. Conservation Biology, 16, 1570-1580.

Please cite as:

Dicks, L.V., Showler, D.A. & Sutherland, W.J. (2010) Bee conservation: evidence for the effects of interventions. Pelagic Publishing, Exeter, UK

Where has this evidence come from?

List of journals searched by synopsis

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This Action forms part of the Action Synopsis:

Bee Conservation

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