6 minute read
Cambrian camelids
from Alpaca Yearbook 2022
by KELSEY Media
Exploring the environmental benefits of alpaca grazing.
When it comes to livestock, Wales is generally best known for its sheep. However, the longer necks and legs of some of the woolly inhabitants at our research centre is a giveaway that times could be changing, writes Mariecia Fraser, Professor of Upland Agroecology at Aberystwyth University.
The Pwllpeiran Upland Research Centre, which is part of Aberystwyth University, is located 15 miles inland from Cardigan Bay, in the heart of the Cambrian Mountains. It is a centre for the study of all aspects of upland farmed ecosystems, and the 550 hectares of land at the site consists of a combination of improved pasture, rough grazing and heather moorland. The very first research at Pwllpeiran began in 1933 and the site has had a long and unrivalled record of involvement with change and development in the uplands.
Arrival of the alpacas
Just over two years ago we successfully secured funding from the Joy Welch Trust to start a research herd of alpacas, as part of new initiatives, as we looked to the future for upland farming.
A combination of altitude, poor soil and harsher climatic conditions restricts most farms within upland areas to grassland-based sheep and beef production, and farm business surveys show that for decades these have been heavily reliant upon support payments to be economically viable. With new post-Brexit support schemes across the UK expected to focus on delivery of public goods rather than production, the addition of alternative species such as alpacas offers opportunities to develop innovative livestock systems that capitalize on the stock and grassland management expertise already available on upland farms while delivering wider environmental benefits. Adaptations to Andean conditions mean that camelids are also well suited to the poorer quality vegetation found in UK upland areas.
Grazing preferences
A key benefit of camelids within mixed livestock systems is that their grazing habits are distinctly different to conventional livestock. Previous research at Pwllpeiran with guanacos showed they will happily consume invasive hill grass species (including purple moorgrass/molinia) rejected by sheep, while avoiding plant species of conservation concern (e.g. heather). Consequently, they could deliver substantial environmental benefits in terms of habitat management, making them attractive to future payment schemes supporting biodiversity and carbon storage from upland areas.
Our grazing research over the next few years will focus on whether the dietary preferences of alpacas are similar to those recorded for the guanacos, and the related impacts of their grazing. We will be targeting environmental damage caused by both over-grazing, as was common when subsidies rewarded farmers for every animal kept, and under-grazing, which is becoming a serious threat to biodiversity in certain areas as stocking levels on the hills decline. In many situations this lack of grazing has led to conservation groups mechanically cutting problem species such as purple moorgrass to try and reverse declines in habitats for endangered butterflies
Mixed grazing with alpacas could also lead to better pasture utilisation and overall animal performance on sown grasslands. Research with the guanacos on improved pastures found that, unlike sheep, they do not heavily select out highly nutritious clovers from a sward. Instead, they are happy to graze on older, stemmy material that sheep reject. These grazing habits are similar to those recorded for cattle, and there is lots of evidence to show that lambs grazing alongside, or following on from cattle get a performance boost as a result. And improved performance and pasture use efficiency is great for reducing the relative amount of methane produced – another environmental win.
Other research
Our alpaca herd will also be used as a resource for other, more lab-based research, looking at poo samples for example. As you know, camelids are pseudo-ruminants rather than true ruminants; their digestive system has three rather than four chambers within the ‘stomach’ and a different pattern of motility. There are currently global research efforts underway exploring whether microbial populations in ruminants, which still contain organisms new to science, could be a source of novel anti-microbials to address the pressing problem of antibiotic resistance.
Our experimental herd will provide a resource for research work by staff and students exploring this and other topics where differences in comparative physiology could offer valuable new insights into biological systems. This type of research could also support the development of new feeding systems and products aimed at minimising and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from livestock.
We have also developed a close collaborative link with the Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina, the largest agricultural university in Peru, which
Fizz posing for a selfie with Pauline Smith from the BBC Wales programme Country Focus has experimental programmes and facilities for alpacas, sheep, cattle, and guinea pigs. For now, our joint research has focussed on farming systems in the highland regions of Peru. These are generally based on a combination of land where there has been some pasture improvement plus extensive rangelands, and so there are strong parallels with the hills and uplands of the UK. Once again we are exploring ways in which livestock production can be made simultaneously more efficient and nature-friendly by making the most of differences in dietary preferences.
Star turn
Not surprisingly, our alpacas have been a huge hit with all the staff and students that have met them so far. And it’s not just biology, agricultural and veterinary students that have sessions with them, groups from arts and humanities courses have also enjoyed meeting and learning more about the herd during away days at the Centre.
Thankfully all our alpacas like meeting new people – especially Fizz (a.k.a. Peiran Champagne). Fizz was the second cria born at Pwllpeiran and it became apparent very early on that she thrives on being the centre of attention; she’ll literally come running if she spots a camera. So far, we’ve had four cria born on site, taking us up to a total of 10 alpacas. Our immediate goal is to keep expanding the herd so that within the next two-three years we will have the numbers necessary to allow us to start some of the larger grazing experiments planned. We look forward to updating members on our progress in the future.
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Cosmo (aka Peiran Cosmopolitan), the first cria to be born at Pwllpeiran
Guanacos on the hill at Pwllpeiran in 1996
