Over grazing on common land

[Curly green fingers]

Hi everyone I've been a farmer and gardener all my short life. And ever since I've taken up bee keeping my views on grazing common land has changed. I noticed common land round me that hadn't been grazed in the spring suddenly had hundreds of Shep on it distroying all the wild flowers in the grass. I think some common land should be left alone not grazed and left to go back to nature. Shep also strip bark of wild trees. What are others thoughts on this cheers mark.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Shep also strip bark of wild trees. What are others thoughts on this cheers mark.

From what I see the sheep, red deer, ponies and some cattle grazing do more good than harm here, there is certainly no shortage of trees or wild flowers, an abundance of them in fact.

 

[Curly green fingers]

Hi hivemaker I suppose Exmoor is a huge area to compared to titterstone cleehill and perhaps the conservation of where I live isn't enough . cheers mark

 

[Finman]

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In my country field farming lands do not have wild flowers, except weeds. EU do not allow that farming land is in waste usage. Waste lands have mostly hay, and not much bee plants.

Cut forest areas have wild flowers abundant for bees. If we have poor soil fields, they have planted to trees long time ago.

Bees forage on average 2 km radius. Small plots of wild flowers do not mean much.

It is rare that some cultivation is just for bees.

PS: Farmers have continuous fight against wild flowers, like against thistles.
.

 

[Curly green fingers]

.
In my country field farming lands do not have wild flowers, except weeds. EU do not allow that farming land is in waste usage. Waste lands have mostly hay, and not much bee plants.

Cut forest areas have wild flowers abundant for bees. If we have poor soil fields, they have planted to trees long time ago.

Bees forage on average 2 km radius. Small plots of wild flowers do not mean much.

It is rare that some cultivation is just for bees.

PS: Farmers have continuous fight against wild flowers, like against thistles.
.

Its a lot like that over here . there is the odd persentedge of farmers that leave the headlands the out side of the fields to go wild or even plant wild flowers but its not enough . our wild flower meadows equit to about 2% of the land in this country if I remember rightly after watching countryfile on the BBC cheers mark

 

[Fatbee]

It's always potentially a problem if the grazers don't work together. Same as the seas. Tragedy of the commons - nothing new I'm afraid.

 

[Finman]

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I do not cry for pastures. I move my hives inside 20 km radius every summer. It depends on me how good places I find. Sometimes even rape field gives zero result. But such is beekeeping.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Hi everyone I've been a farmer and gardener all my short life. And ever since I've taken up bee keeping my views on grazing common land has changed. I noticed common land round me that hadn't been grazed in the spring suddenly had hundreds of Shep on it distroying all the wild flowers in the grass. I think some common land should be left alone not grazed and left to go back to nature. Shep also strip bark of wild trees. What are others thoughts on this cheers mark.

You should read George Monbiot’s stuff on rewilding Britain and there’s always this to enjoy
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ysa5OBhXz-Q

 

[oxnatbees]

Over-exploitation of a common resource has been commented on for a long time, it even has a name in economics: The Tragedy of the Commons.

 

[For want of a better word]

Over-exploitation of a common resource has been commented on for a long time, it even has a name in economics: The Tragedy of the Commons.

If something is "free" it will be over exploited by the few !

ie NHS..... as a modern example.... bit more than grazing a couple more cows than the land can support... the tragedy is its eventual loss.

Yeghes da

 

[Curly green fingers]

If something is "free" it will be over exploited by the few !

ie NHS..... as a modern example.... bit more than grazing a couple more cows than the land can support... the tragedy is its eventual loss.

Yeghes da

the tragedy is its eventual loss. Due to man and our greed ! Thankyou for the link it opens your eyes to how many things are exploited by not just the few.
Cheers mark.