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Grasslands are important carbon sinks, but the underlying processes for their soil carbon sequestration potential are still not well understood, despite much attention given to this topic. In Europe, grasslands, especially semi-natural grasslands, are also important for promoting biodiversity. Moreover, recent global reports have highlighted the importance of biodiversity in supporting climate actions. In boreal and alpine regions in the Nordic countries, grasslands also play an important role in milk and meat production and food security. Certain grassland features and management practices may enhance their soil carbon sequestration potential. Semi-natural grasslands maintained by optimized livestock grazing are vital for aboveground biodiversity and show promise for belowground biodiversity and carbon sequestration potential. It is essential to assess the multiple functions of grasslands, particularly semi-natural grasslands, to facilitate the optimization of policy measures across policy areas. Climate and biodiversity policies should not counteract each other, as some do today. This essay addresses the multiple functions of grasslands and calls for more knowledge about carbon sequestration in Nordic grasslands. This will enable the management of these ecosystems to align with climate mitigation, maintain biodiversity, and satisfy the global need for increased food supply.

The Icelandic goat is an indigenous breed, descendant of goats brought to Iceland by Nordic and Celtic settlers in the 9th century (Adalsteinsson 1981). The population is estimated to have been below 1000 individuals for centuries and critically threatened at least twice. Today about 900 goats are found all over the country, mostly in small groups with one large herd located in west Iceland. Very few studies have been conducted on the Icelandic goat. Previously, only one study (on population genetics) has been published (Baldursdottir et al. 2012). The aim of the present study was to shed light on the plant selection and foraging behaviour of the largest goat herd in Iceland.

Sheep grazing is an important part of agriculture in the North Atlantic region, defined here as the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland, Norway and Scotland. This process has played a key role in shaping the landscape and biodiversity of the region, sometimes with major environmental consequences, and has also been instrumental in the development of its rural economy and culture. In this review, we present results of the first interdisciplinary study taking a long-term perspective on sheep management, resource economy and the ecological impacts of sheep grazing, showing that sustainability boundaries are most likely to be exceeded in fragile environments where financial support is linked to the number of sheep produced. The sustainability of sheep grazing can be enhanced by a management regime that promotes grazing densities appropriate to the site and supported by area-based subsidy systems, thus minimizing environmental degradation, encouraging biodiversity and preserving the integrity of ecosystem processes.

Group dynamics and the social behaviour of mares were investigated in the periods before and after foaling during two non-consecutive years, in a herd of Icelandic horses consisting of adult mares and geldings and juvenile fillies, geldings and colts. The horses were observed 24 h a day for 5–6 weeks; i.e. a total of 1483 h. There were significant changes in the social behaviour and interactions of mares after foaling, compared both to their own behaviour pre-partum and to that of barren control mares. While the frequency of allogrooming dropped during the study period in all mares, it dropped significantly more in foaling than in control barren mares. However, while the absolute allogrooming frequency was strongly correlated with reproductive state, it was still remarkably consistent within an individual adult mare between the study years. After foaling, mares with foals separated off into a distinct subgroup, whereas barren control mares increased interaction with the rest of the herd; it is presumed that separation served to keep the foals at a safe distance from the more boisterous geldings and sub-adults; alternatively, it could have been the result of mutual attraction between the foals. In general, the linear dominance order was correlated strongly with age, and the top-ranking mares were older mares that had not yet begun a senescent loss of physical condition which resulted in a later slight drop down the hierarchy. There was no consistent relationship between dominance rank and the pattern of preferred recipients of affiliative interactions, while familiarity was a more important determining factor than kinship in the selection of a preferred partner for affiliative interactions. The preferred partner for proximity was often the same individual as that for allogrooming, suggesting that proximity was a result of an active process rather than of passive acceptance. The presence of adult geldings in the herd did not seem to change the social behaviour of mares as compared to that described for feral horses, and did not appear to negatively affect behaviour during parturition, mare-foal bonding or subsequent maternal care. In short, maintenance of breeding mares in a herd of mixed age and sex did not interfere with normal species-specific behaviour or with the development of the stable, long-lasting mare–mare bonds that are central to maintaining a stable herd. It is concluded that such a system could be a welfare-friendly alternative to typical modern husbandry systems, as long as adequate space is available.