“”Natural selection has favored that mix,” says Johan du Toit, an ecologist at Utah State University in Logan. Natural selection, maybe, but not people. Convinced that other grass-chomping animals will drive their herds to starvation, ranchers in Kenya and elsewhere tend to keep their cattle separate from wildlife. But a new study suggests that thinking may be wrong. Wildlife, particularly zebras, can actually help a ranch thrive.”
Another strike against mono-cultures, in this case, cattle. I think this study is a good example of why folks need to take ecological views of plant and animal farming. For example, my son has been experimenting with the old Native American technique of growing corn (tall straight stalks), beans (that climb up the corn stalk), and squash or cucumbers (which spread low below these other two plants). True, our mechanized farming isn’t set up for mixed farming techniques, but the benefits might drive the financials and the change.
