Final answer:
Proper grazing management during a drought can improve biodiversity and soil health, and potentially mitigate climate change, while poor management may result in overgrazing and reduced biodiversity. Grazing affects plant structure and nutrient content, influencing wildlife food resources, and grazing patterns can modulate fire regimes in grassland ecosystems.
Step-by-step explanation:
Grazing management during drought conditions can have significant effects on wildlife. When grazing management is not carried out correctly, it can lead to overgrazed lands which damage soil health and reduce biodiversity. On the other hand, research from UC Davis suggests that proper grazing management may help in mitigating climate change and contribute to improving soil fertility and ecological function. During drought, the availability of food resources for wildlife, like insects for birds, may be altered due to grazing practices. If poorly managed, grazing can reduce plant structure and nutrients, making it more difficult for wildlife to find food. However, controlled grazing can benefit an ecosystem, for example, by increasing food availability like insects for birds.
Moreover, grazing can influence fire regimes. Intense grazing by mammals can create less flammable areas, reducing the likelihood of large fires, which in turn supports a diverse large mammal population. Conversely, without proper grazing management, frequent large fires can decrease mammal diversity by changing the structure of grasslands, as proposed by researchers Bond and Archibald. Pastoral communities that depend on grazing for their livelihoods are particularly sensitive to the impacts of climate change and drought. Changes in rainfall patterns, higher temperatures, and prolonged drought periods affect grazing quality and quantity, with direct consequences on the health and productivity of livestock, and ultimately on local economies and food security.