Pasture diversity and regenerative management shape ruminant gut microbiome dynamics

The gut microbiome plays a key role in ruminant health and nutrient metabolism. However, the influence of pasture diversity and management on gut microbiome dynamics remains poorly studied. A multi-year study (2022–2025) was conducted to investigate gut microbial dynamics in cattle and sheep grazing under standard or diverse pastures managed under contemporary or regenerative practices. Faecal DNA was extracted, and 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing was utilised to characterise the gut microbiome, with taxonomic assignment based on the Greengenes 16S database. Overall, microbial relative abundance remained broadly stable, with notable seasonal fluctuations. Diverse pastures promoted greater gut microbial abundance, dominated by Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, which showed both positive and negative associations with other co-occurring taxa. Regenerative management consistently supported higher alpha diversity, and pairwise beta-diversity comparisons revealed significant divergence in microbial community composition between standard-contemporary and diverse-regenerative pasture management systems. These findings highlight that increased pasture diversity and regenerative management drive shifts in the ruminant gut microbiome that may foster improved animal health, productivity, and the long-term sustainability of grazing-based farming systems.