FROM PASTURE TO PRESERVATION : CATTLE AND CATALYZING AGRICULTURE AND REFORESTATION

Abstract

Terceira Island, part of the Azores archipelago, is known for being home to more cows than people, its dairy industry, and its booming tourism. However, overgrazing and the influx of visitors threaten the island's agricultural economy and cultural heritage. To address these challenges, dairy farming is integrated with reforestation using Richard Foreman's 'Patch-Corridor-Matrix' theory. Corridors of degraded soil from cow movement are reforested with endemic Juniperus brevifolia, connecting patched woody ecosystems. The matrix of the stone lava walls across the island frame these new wildlife corridors and supports rotational grazing. The increased biodiversity and forested areas offer new streams of income for dairy farmers who can also provide spaces for tourists to interact with cows and stay in the pastures. This integrated approach promotes sustainable agriculture and tourism, while preserving the island's cultural heritage and opportunities for tourists to interact with and sample products from the island’s “happy cows.”