In this article, you can find:

• an overview of the role of grazing in shaping Mediterranean ecosystems,

• key scientific insights into how grazing affects soil, vegetation, and microbial activity,

• an explanation of the thin balance between sustainable grazing and overgrazing,

• evidence of how excessive grazing drives land degradation and accelerates desertification, and

• proposed strategies for sustainable grazing management that protect biodiversity and soil health.

This article highlights how responsible grazing practices can serve as a tool for ecosystem conservation, while uncontrolled grazing becomes a driver of land degradation and desertification.