Management of open land habitats on steep slopes that are difficult to maintain through goat grazing in the Untere Saaletal
For centuries, many slopes in the Unteren Saaletal between Halle (Saale) and Könnern were grazed by sheep and goats. This traditional form of land use, combined with the specific climatic and edaphic conditions, resulted in areas rich in flowers and low in shrubs and trees, which once characterized our cultural landscape.
Some of the typical plant communities of these open landscapes are protected as habitat types (LRT) under the European Fauna-Flora-Habitat Directive (FFH Directive). The conservation status of these habitats must be protected and their positive development (improvement of conservation status) ensured (Art. 3 FFH Directive).
However, due to socio-economic changes, many areas have been taken out of use in the recent and distant past. This has resulted in grass encroachment and a rapid increase in woody vegetation cover in the abandoned sites.
Project priorities
- Conservation and promotion of FFH habitat types and endangered plant and animal species,
- Reduction of the degree of scrub encroachment (tolerance of up to 20% woody growth),
- Reduction of litter layers and grass dominance,
- Initiation of grazing by searching for suitable land managers and providing financial support for land preparation and management (with the aim of ensuring continued maintenance after the end of the project).
- Derivation of a suitable care management system for different locations based on performance reviews.
Project region
Unteres Saaletal
Further project details
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In order to preserve nutrient-poor grasslands, maintenance must be adapted to the original use. Extremely steep slopes, which are often isolated by wooded areas, are only suitable for grazing sheep to a limited extent, meaning that many of these locations cannot be integrated into existing grazing concepts. Organizationally complex and costly manual scrub clearance measures (costing up to €8,500/ha, and in some cases significantly more) can be used as an initial measure to reduce scrub cover. However, without integrating the areas into subsequent utilization concepts, a high level of aftercare is required due to the need for repeated maintenance cutting in subsequent years.
The tendency of goats to cover a large part of their feed requirements with woody material has long been viewed negatively. In recent years, however, goats have gained importance in biotope management due to their grazing behavior and suitability for rough terrain.
Against this backdrop, the goat project was initiated with funding from the EAFRD (European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development), the state of Saxony-Anhalt, and the Heidehof Foundation. The first grazing areas in the Lower Saale Valley were established in 2007. Currently, 16 areas in the Unteren Saaletal are grazed by goats, sometimes together with sheep.
The areas are characterized by sections of heavily scrubby structures, some of which are on extremely steep slopes. The areas are located in Natura 2000 sites and still have a species-rich dry grassland flora and fauna, but this is acutely threatened by grass encroachment and scrubification.
Key tasks in the current project phase as part of the subproject to improve the conservation status of open land habitat types are:
- Nature conservation performance reviews (especially vegetation)
- Studies on the spatial and feeding behavior as well as the condition of grazing animals,
- Support for farmers and integration of additional grazing areas,
- Public relations work.
Dobis grazing area in summer 2009. [Photo: Daniel Elias] 
From left to right: Minuartia verna, Alyssum montanum, Astragalus danicus, Carex humilis [Photo: Daniel Elias] -
Evaluation of ongoing management measures (goat and mixed grazing) on small areas with species-rich xerothermic grasslands using the example of the Lower Saale Valley and knowledge transfer into statewide practice (including the realization of a book project on practical guidelines for goat grazing and the implementation of a supraregional workshop).
As part of the subproject, performance monitoring will continue on existing goat grazing areas in the Lower Saale Valley. Due to many years of abandonment, these areas were characterized by considerable maintenance deficits (overgrowth with grass, matting, and especially scrub encroachment) before grazing began, which had already significantly degraded the existing LRT areas and posed a risk of local extinction of rare species populations. Although there have been positive developments in terms of reducing woody vegetation on goat pastures in the Lower Saale Valley, many woody plants still have a high potential for regeneration (especially via root suckers). Monitoring is also necessary because rotational goat grazing is increasingly being used to graze scrubby xerothermic sites, but there are still doubts as to whether the typical species, and in particular those of high conservation value, will benefit in the long term. Furthermore, there are still considerable gaps in our knowledge regarding the suitability of other robust livestock breeds (e.g., Fjord horses, Highland cattle) that can be used in combination with goat grazing on deeper and less steeply sloping sites. To this end, a subproject is analyzing and evaluating ongoing management measures (goat and mixed grazing) on species-rich micro-areas following on from previous projects.
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After four years of grazing, woody plants were reduced by an average of 23.8% on heavily scrubby areas and by 8.4% on lightly scrubby areas. In contrast, significant increases in woody plants were recorded on ungrazed control areas.
Animal observations showed that goats graze on almost all types of woody plants, although the respective proportions fluctuate from year to year and can vary depending on the timing and duration of grazing. The goats eat both the leaves and the fruits and flowers of the woody plants. The grazing animals also browse on woody plant species with thorns or spines (e.g., Berberis vulgaris, young Robinia pseudoacacia, Rosa species). In addition, the young bark of many woody plants is stripped.
The animals can reach heights of approx. 1.8 m by standing on their hind legs while eating in order to reach higher parts of the plants. In some cases, the grazing horizon is even higher, as the goats are very successful at pushing down branches with their front legs or their entire body, which enables them to graze on parts of the shrubs together.
However, goats do not only eat woody plants, they also effectively graze on grasses and herbs. On the Nelbener Grund goat pasture, woody plants and grasses/herbs accounted for 90% (woody plants) and 10% (grasses/herbs) of the diet in early summer 2009. In fall 2009, 35% of the diet consisted of woody plants and 65% of grasses and herbs. The grazing animals therefore specifically targeted the freshly sprouting woody plants in early summer, while in fall they more frequently accepted the fresh grasses and herbs that grow back several times during a growing season.
In general, grazing has led to a decline in grass/herb cover, which can be explained primarily by the decline of previously dominant grasses such as Bromus erectus. In particular, in the slope areas that are very intensively grazed by goats, there has been a continuous decline in the previously very dense litter cover. At the same time, an increase in populations of rare species (e.g., Astragalus exscapus) and an increase in the number of short-lived species typical of this habitat type can be observed in these areas, which are colonizing the newly created bare soil sites.
Difference in the total coverage of trees between the initial stock and the fourth year (per variant n=5). 
Herds of Boer goats. [Photo: Daniel Elias] 
Boer goats at work in the Nelbener Grund project area. [Photo: Daniel Elias] -
Electric fences with four to five wires have proven effective for securing pasture areas. Power is supplied by a solar module with at least 40 watts, including theft protection.
Boer goats are particularly well suited for grazing. This breed, which originates from South Africa, is very well adapted to dry, warm climates. It is also a good climber and can move effortlessly on steep terrain. The Boer goat is a meat goat, which means it has comparatively small udders (only larger during young rearing), resulting in a lower risk of injury on steep terrain and thorny bushes. Due to its calm nature, the Boer goat is less prone to jumping and escaping than, for example, the Thuringian (Forest) goat.
In principle, grazing is possible from spring, as soon as the first green shoots appear, until late autumn, when frost and wet, cold weather set in. Grazing times and stocking rates should be adapted to the respective soil conditions and weather conditions during the respective grazing period. A higher stocking rate is necessary during the scrub clearance phase, while the number of grazing animals should be gradually reduced during the maintenance phase. The stocking rate on goat pastures in the area of scrubby dry and semi-dry grasslands in the lower Saale valley is 0.2 to 1.0 LU/ha/year, although this may vary in other regions.
As with scrub clearance measures, not all woody structures should be removed during goat grazing. To preserve habitat types, a proportion of up to 20% of individual trees and/or groups of shrubs is acceptable, also taking into account the habitat requirements of different animal species groups. Woody plants that are particularly characteristic of the landscape and bird breeding sites should be protected.
A rotating grazing system between different areas is recommended. This reduces parasite infestation in grazing animals and promotes target species. Grazing breaks allow target species (e.g., early summer aspect with typical species inventory) to reach fruit maturity on individual grazing areas without disturbance.
Astragalus exscapus, a globally rare species found in continental dry and semi-dry grasslands, benefits from grazing. In the Nelbener Grund project area, the species still has a very large population. On May 19, 2005 (before grazing), approximately 680 plants were counted here, of which only about one-third had inflorescences. On May 12, 2009, one year after grazing began, the number of predominantly flowering and fruiting individuals was 1,192. On May 13, 2013, 2,436 adult specimens were counted. [Photo: Daniel Elias] 
Another species that benefits from goat grazing is Gagea bohemica. In the Mücheln project area, the species grows on shallow porphyry weathered soils. Although some locations are among the grazing animals’ preferred resting places, and there are sometimes large concentrations of manure in these areas, and although bulbs of G. bohemica were found in late summer 2009 that had been exposed by the goats’ trampling, the population developed very positively in 2010. [Photo: Daniel Elias] -
Praxisleitfaden Ziegenbeweidung, Stand 2019