Paris (AFP) - In arid regions , grazing can be "beneficial in relatively cold climates locally rich in biodiversity" but "largely detrimental in hotter regions with poor biodiversity", according to a study conducted on five continents. calling for local solutions.

One of the most important aspects of this study, which was jointly conducted by the National Institute for Agricultural and Environmental Research, the French Center for Scientific Research and the University of Alicante in Spain, is that it provides a global view of the impact of pet grazing in arid regions, where more than a billion people depend directly on raising livestock for their livelihood.

The findings of the study, published in the journal Science, could contribute to "the development of more sustainable grazing management" aimed at "mitigating the effects of climate change and desertification," as stated in a statement by the National Institute for Agricultural Research and the Environment.

This work provides a picture of the impact of grazing in arid regions (where there is little rain) in 26 countries.

"We selected about 100 sites divided into three or four plots, which led to the identification of 326 areas in total, where grazing pressure was different (from low to high)," Nicola Gross, one of the study participants from the National Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Research, told AFP. .

"We have developed standardized protocols to assess the effects of grazing pressure on soil fertility, carbon storage, erosion protection and forage production," he added.

The results of the study showed that grazing is "generally beneficial in arid regions with relatively cool climates, such as the steppes of Mongolia or Patagonia, and in ecosystems that show high animal and plant biodiversity, such as the African savannah and the Mediterranean thicket," according to the statement.

The diversity of plants and herbivorous mammals in these areas enhances the provision of basic tasks such as the production of fodder for livestock or the storage of carbon and soil fertility, while limiting soil erosion.

Otherwise, the institute pointed out, "the effects of grazing become detrimental to a large extent in the more arid, hot and biodiversity-poor regions, as is the case in some semi-desert regions near the coast, such as Namibia, Australia or Mexico."

"In these hot, arid regions, where there is less vegetation, the fertilization effect of grazing (associated with herd droppings) is less because it evaporates faster. It does not enhance biodiversity and may exacerbate erosion," Gross explained.

"The way we manage ecosystems locally will help make them more or less resilient to climate change," the researcher explained.

It is therefore necessary to favor "local solutions that take into account the entire ecosystem, agricultural practice, soil nature, warming and biodiversity".