Impact of Agro-Horticultural Vegetation Buffers on Microclimate Regulation and Welfare in Livestock Environments

Abstract

Agro-horticultural vegetation buffers have been discovered to be a promising nature-based intervention in moderating thermal stress, and livestock production systems to improve livestock welfare. This paper has discussed the microclimatic and welfare advantages of planned multi-species tree-shrub buffers with fruits created strategically around open sided dairy cattle sheds in a sub-tropical environment. The critical environmental parameters were monitored during a 12-month monitoring period in sheds with vegetation buffers (VB) and with control sheds without them (CT) measuring the air temperature, relative humidity, black globe temperature, wind, and temperature humidity index (THI). At the same time physiological indicators (rectal temperature, respiration rate, skin temperature) was considered, behavioural time budgets (lying, feeding, ruminating, shade-seeking, agonistic interactions) as well as simple performance characteristics were assessed in 60 crossbred dairy cows. The findings indicated that VB sheds offered superior and steady microclimate atmosphere with a lower afternoon air temperature of 1.52.8 C and THI of 36 without a sharp difference in radiation burden and a controlled wind speed in comparison to CT. In hot climates, cows in VB were much less affected by heat stress as shown by a reduction in respiration rate and skin temperature, increased lying and ruminating time, and lesser discomfort behaviour. There was also the presence of slight gains in milk production and feed consumption in hot months of summer. In general, the results show that agro-horticultural vegetation buffer is indeed efficient to control near-animal microclimate, alleviate heat stress, and enhance superior behavioural welfare as well as provide ecological co-benefits, such as fruit and biomass production. Such results oppose the reason why vegetation buffers are an effective, inexpensive, and climatically sustainable approach to enhancing livestock housing conditions in subtropical areas.