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Dictionary Definition

pastureland n : a field covered with grass or herbage and suitable for grazing by livestock [syn: pasture, grazing land, lea, ley]

User Contributed Dictionary

English

Etymology

From pasture + land.

Noun

land used for grazing animals

Extensive Definition

Pasture is land with herbaceous vegetation cover used for grazing of ungulate livestock as part of a farm or ranch. Prior to the advent of mechanized farming, pasture was the primary source of food for grazing animals such as cattle and horses. It is still used extensively, particularly in arid regions where pasture land is unsuitable for any other agricultural production. In more humid regions, pasture grazing is exploited extensively for free range and organic farming.

Pasture growth can consist of grasses, legumes, other forbs, shrubs or a mixture. Soil type, minimum annual temperature, and rainfall are important factors in pasture management.

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