Pasture diversity and regenerative management shape ruminant gut microbiome dynamics

Background The gut microbiome plays a key role in ruminant health, nutrient metabolism and performance. However, the influence of pasture diversity and management on gut microbiome dynamics remains poorly studied. Methods A multi-year study (2022–2025) was conducted to investigate gut microbial dynamics in cattle and sheep grazing on standard and diverse pastures managed under contemporary and regenerative practices. Faecal DNA was extracted, and 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) gene amplicon sequencing was utilised to characterise the gut microbiome, with taxonomic assignment based on the Greengenes 16S database. Results 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. Conclusions 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.