Role of grasslands in closing nutrient cycles

Grasslands play a key role in closing nutrient cycles, supporting crop rotations, providing low-cost animal feed, and recycling manure. They enhance soil organic matter, support on-farm protein production, and reduce nutrient losses. Challenges include biodiversity loss, variable water availability, bird foraging, and land-use competition. Opportunities exist for holistic management to improve business models, local marketing, and ecosystem services like carbon sequestration and biodiversity conservation. Research and societal engagement are essential for resilient grassland systems.