| Summary: | International audience The loss of semi-natural grasslands and the fragmentation of remaining habitats is seen as a major problem for biodiversity across Europe. Many European countries use livestock grazing as a nature conservation tool, but national differences in ecological conditions and agricultural history have led to contrasting views on the opportunities and threats posed by livestock grazing. Here, we review conceptual frameworks, the underlying ecological mechanisms, and experimental evidence from different biogeographical areas across Europe in order to discuss the consequences of cattle, sheep or horse grazing on grassland biodiversity (i.e. plant species richness, vegetation and insect communities). In the process, we see how grazing livestock, if appropriately managed, can play a positive role for biodiversity conservation and more generally for the ecosystem services provided by grassland-based livestock farming systems.
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