Hacking the heft: impacts of virtual fencing for grazing practices on upland commons

Enticott, Gareth, Alzate, Tamayo, Morgan, Hywel, Maye, Damian ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4459-6630, Short, Christopher J ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0429-1143, Chopra, Kareemah and Codling, Edward (2026) Hacking the heft: impacts of virtual fencing for grazing practices on upland commons. People and Nature. (In Press)

Text (Peer-reviewed version) 16576 Maye (2026) Hacking the heft.pdf - Accepted Version Restricted to Repository staff only Available under License Publisher's Licence Non-Commercial Use. Download (4MB)

Abstract

1. Context and Problem. Hefting - the traditional system of grazing that binds sheep to specific areas - has shaped the ecology and culture of UK upland commons for centuries. Yet, socio-economic precarity and ecological pressures threaten its viability, raising questions about how these landscapes can adapt to meet ambitious nature recovery goals. 2. Innovation and Aim. Digital agriculture offers potential solutions, with Virtual Fencing (VF) emerging as a tool to manage grazing remotely. This paper examines the consequences of “hacking the heft” through VF: can technology reconfigure sheep-land relationships without eroding cultural practices of care? 3. Methods. We report on the largest known VF deployment with sheep in the UK: a 192-day co-designed experiment on an upland common involving over 100 collared animals. Through analysis of animal space-use data and reflexive farmer interviews, we explored whether VF could re-heft sheep, alter grazing patterns, and reshape farmer-land interactions. 4. Findings. In general, re-hefting was successful with VF remotely constraining grazing within a new restricted “virtual heft”. This new heft was generally maintained even after the VF was removed. For the farmer, VF introduced new practices of “constant mapping” and strategic care, while provoking ambivalence about cultural identity and techno-optimisation. 5. Implications. Our findings highlight how VF could support grazing management and nature restoration in upland commons, but caution that digital agriculture intersects deeply with cultural values of belonging. Adoption will depend on balancing ecological benefits with social practices of care. Future research should examine collective VF use across upland commons for landscape-scale conservation. Cymraeg: Crynodeb 1. Cyd-destun a Phroblem. Defaid cynefin – Mae’r system bori draddodiadol sy'n rhwymo defaid i ardaloedd penodol wedi llunio ecoleg a diwylliant tiroedd comin ucheldir y DU ers canrifoedd. Ac eto, mae ansicrwydd economaidd-gymdeithasol a phwysau ecolegol yn bygwth ei hyfywedd, gan godi cwestiynau ynghylch sut y gall y tirweddau hyn addasu i gyflawni nodau uchelgeisiol i adfer natur. 2. Arloesedd a Nod. Mae amaethyddiaeth ddigidol yn cynnig atebion posibl, gyda Ffensio Rhithwir yn dod i'r amlwg fel offeryn i reoli pori o bell. Mae'r papur hwn yn trin a thrafod canlyniadau “hacio’r cynefin” trwy Ffensio Rhithwir: a all technoleg ailgyflunio perthnasoedd defaid-tir heb erydu arferion gofal diwylliannol? 3. Dulliau. Rydyn ni’n adrodd ar y defnydd Ffensio Rhithwir mwyaf sy’n hysbys gyda defaid yn y DU: arbrawf a gynlluniwyd ar y cyd dros 192 diwrnod ar dir comin ucheldir yn cynnwys dros 100 o anifeiliaid â choler. Drwy ddadansoddi data defnydd o leoedd anifeiliaid a chyfweliadau atblygol â ffermwyr, buon ni’n archwilio a allai Ffensio Rhithwir ail-gynefino defaid, newid patrymau pori, ac ail-lunio rhyngweithiadau rhwng ffermwyr a thir. 4. Canfyddiadau. Yn gyffredinol, roedd ail-gynefino yn llwyddiannus gyda Ffensio Rhithwir yn cyfyngu pori o bell o fewn “cynefin rhithwir” cyfyngedig newydd. Yn gyffredinol, cynhaliwyd y cynefin newydd hwn hyd yn oed ar ôl i'r Ffensio Rhithwir gael ei dynnu. I'r ffermwr, cyflwynodd Ffensio Rhithwir arferion newydd o “mapio cyson” a gofal strategol, gan ysgogi amwysedd ynghylch hunaniaeth ddiwylliannol ac optimeiddio technegol. 5. Goblygiadau. Mae ein canfyddiadau'n tynnu sylw at sut y gallai Ffensio Rhithwir gefnogi rheoli pori ac adfer natur mewn tiroedd comin uchel, ond rydyn ni’n rhybuddio bod amaethyddiaeth ddigidol yn croestorri'n ddwfn â gwerthoedd diwylliannol perthyn. Bydd mabwysiadu hwn yn dibynnu ar gydbwyso manteision ecolegol ag arferion gofal cymdeithasol. Dylai ymchwil yn y dyfodol archwilio defnydd Ffensio Rhithwir ar y cyd ar draws tiroedd comin ucheldir ar gyfer cadwraeth ar raddfa tirwedd.

Item Type:	Article
Article Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Animal space-use; Belonging; Digital agriculture; Farming culture; Movement ecology; Sheep; Uplands; Virtual fencing; Defnydd gwagle anifeiliaid; Cynefin; Amaethyddiaeth ddigidol; Diwylliant ffermio; Symudiadau ecoleg; Defaid; Ucheldir; Ffensio rhithwir
Subjects:	S Agriculture > S Agriculture (General) > S589.75 Agriculture and the environment S Agriculture > S Agriculture (General) > S900 Conservation of natural resources including land conservation S Agriculture > SF Animal culture S Agriculture > SF Animal culture > SF 191 Cattle S Agriculture > SF Animal culture > SF 371 Sheep. Wool
Divisions:	Schools and Research Institutes > Countryside and Community Research Institute
Depositing User:	Nick Lewis
Date Deposited:	08 Oct 2026 08:18
Last Modified:	08 Oct 2026 08:30
URI:	https://eprints.glos.ac.uk/id/eprint/16576

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