Conservation grazing with Koniks
The British landscape has been shaped over millennia by the presence of keystone species. Woodlands, meadows, heathlands, and grasslands evolved alongside the grazing patterns of large herbivores such as red deer and native ponies.
These ecosystems maintained their balance through natural predators, which regulated herbivore populations and allowed plant species to flourish as grazing patterns shifted across the landscape.
With increasing human influence, wild grazers were gradually replaced by domestic livestock such as sheep, cattle, and pigs. As herd sizes grew and management practices changed, grasslands became more intensively grazed, while woodlands and other habitats were increasingly neglected. These shifts led to issues like overgrazing, soil compaction, and reduced diversity in grasslands and uplands, as well as a decline in woodland diversity. This transformation has culminated in significant habitat loss and a reduction in species richness.
Conservation grazing aims to restore balance to these degraded habitats.
Wildwood has provided Konik ponies to a number of nature reserves throughout the UK as part of conservation grazing and habitat restoration projects.
What is conservation grazing?
By carefully selecting and managing grazing animals, natural regeneration is encouraged through their specific grazing behaviours. Grazing at appropriate densities and times helps control vigorous plants that outcompete delicate species, creates microclimates and bare ground through trampling, and boosts biodiversity.
Additionally, herbivore dung provides a vital resource for invertebrates, supporting a wider ecological network.
Increased plant diversity and habitat niches benefit a variety of wildlife, including butterflies, bees, bats, and birds.
What are Konik ponies?
Konik ponies (Equus caballus) are a breed of pony that have been bred for their close resemblance of the extinct wild horse, the Tarpan.
The use of ponies as conservation grazers fills a different ecological niche, to that of cattle grazers, in a number of ways.
These ponies have top and bottom incisors. This means they can graze closer to the ground, creating bare patches of ground. In addition, they are selective grazers, meaning some areas within the reserves may be left untouched. This mosaic of habitats encourages a wider variety of plants and invertebrates.
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