Scientists complain that overgrazing does not give the grasslands a chance to recover. Consequently, perennial grasses are replaced by seasonal varieties that have a low nutritional value. "Overgrazed rangelands also get infested by a variety of exotic weeds, many of which have spread at a really alarming rate over the past 3-4 decades,' says S S Parihar, scientist at igfri. Exotic weeds are known to release chemicals that inhibit the germination of native grasses.

But it is not just the livestock that is destroying grasslands, says L N Modi of the Bharatiya Cattle Research and Development Foundation, a New Delhi-based non-governmental organisation (ngo). He feels that land grabbing