The Effect of Grazing on the Production of Grasslands in Hilly Areas Zorica VOȘGAN 1* , Roxana VIDICAN 2 , Lucia MIHALESCU 1 , Oana MARE ROŞCA 1 , Monica MARIAN 1 , Beatrice SZILAGYI 2 1 Department of Biology, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, North University Center of Baia Mare, no.76, Victoriei Street, Baia Mare, Romania; 2 University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca * corresponding author: zori_v13@yahoo.com Bulletin USAMV series Agriculture 71(2)/2014 DOI 10.15835/buasvmcn-agr: 10544 Abstract The fodder production and the exploitation of pastures by grazing is an important activity in the livestock economy of the hilly regions of the Maramures County. Thus, the surfaces of the areas of the Surdesti village are alternatively used both by grazing and mowing, depending on the feed requirements. The production monitoring, following this mixed use by mowing and grazing is performed in order to observe the efϐiciency of this type of grazing. In the hilly areas near the settlements, grasslands are grazed during spring and autumn, as during summertime when the transhumance of livestock towards the mountain areas takes place the pastures are mowed for obtaining the feeding hay required in the winter. The global production is 13.10 (t/ha) on the surveyed pasture, resulting the coefϐicient of utilization of grass K = 87.6%. The pastoral mean value of the meadow is 1.9, and it is sustaining a load of 0.81 to 1.00 LU/ha, equivalent to 5.7 to 7.1 sheep/ha. The analyzed lawn is of medium category which requires proper maintenance to increase its economic value. Thus, lack of basic maintenance works will lead to long-term unfavourable effects of the sheep and goat farms. Sustainable use of grasslands will be possible by practicing an organized grazing. Keywords: grazing, meadow production, pastoral value INTRODUCTION The lately occurred economic and social changes affected the potential of Romania’s pastoral heritage. Thus it is necessary to develop scientiϐic research in the ϐield in order to improve the agronomic function and harmonize the relationship of meadows - animal-human. The irrational exploitation of grasslands leads to serious damages or even result in removal from the circuit of some inseminated areas of grassland. This occurs due to the abandonment or improper recovery mode by under-grazing or over-grazing. The effects of these actions are found today in low productivity grasslands. The dramatic changes towards intensiϐication and abandonment that occuring in the grassland and agro-silvo-pastoral systems of many less-favoured area in the world (Caballero, 2007) can result in a general decline of grassland plant diversity and productivity (Bagella et al., 2013). In the hilly regions of the Maramures County there are permanent pastures, consisting of plant species mainly belonging to two large families: Poaceae and Fabaceae. In most grassland ecosystems that are exploited by grazing, modiϐications in terms of ϐloristic composition appear, their areas being invaded by plant species that deplete their economic value both quantitatively and qualitatively. When the grassland is rich in diverse species of ϐlora, animals tend to choose plants which meet best their nutritional requirements and when diversity is smaller, animals start to graze less selective (Metera et al., 2010). Generally, sheep and goats need more energy and they are likely selecting parts of plants (ϐlowers, pods, buds) with Print ISSN 1843-5246; Electronic ISSN 1843-5386