Daily feeding site selection of cattle and sheep co-grazing a heterogeneous subtropical grassland

Effective management of livestock grazing on heterogeneous subtropical grasslands requires understanding the relative role played by factors that determine spatial distribution patterns of animals. We conducted a 2 year study at a site in Corrientes, Argentina, to characterize seasonal patterns of f...

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Autores principales: Díaz Falú, Estanislao Martín, Brizuela, Miguel Angel, Cid, María Silvia, Cibils, Andrés Francisco, Cendoya, María Gabriela, Bendersky, Diego
Formato: info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: Elsevier 2018
Materias:
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/2325
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1871141313005039
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2013.11.010
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author Díaz Falú, Estanislao Martín
Brizuela, Miguel Angel
Cid, María Silvia
Cibils, Andrés Francisco
Cendoya, María Gabriela
Bendersky, Diego
author_browse Bendersky, Diego
Brizuela, Miguel Angel
Cendoya, María Gabriela
Cibils, Andrés Francisco
Cid, María Silvia
Díaz Falú, Estanislao Martín
author_facet Díaz Falú, Estanislao Martín
Brizuela, Miguel Angel
Cid, María Silvia
Cibils, Andrés Francisco
Cendoya, María Gabriela
Bendersky, Diego
author_sort Díaz Falú, Estanislao Martín
collection INTA Digital
description Effective management of livestock grazing on heterogeneous subtropical grasslands requires understanding the relative role played by factors that determine spatial distribution patterns of animals. We conducted a 2 year study at a site in Corrientes, Argentina, to characterize seasonal patterns of feeding site selection of cattle and sheep co-grazing the same pastures. Livestock were fitted with GPS collars and monitored for 2 weeks in fall, winter, spring, and summer of two consecutive years beginning in 2009. Maps of vegetation units, topography, and facilities were included as layers in a GIS of our study site which, in addition to livestock location data, were used to analyze daily feeding site selection patterns of both livestock species. The k-select multivariate method used for this analysis suggested that 21% of the variation in daily feeding site selection of both cattle and sheep could be explained by vegetation-related variables. Lesser amounts of variation were explained by weather-related variables, topography, and distance to drinking water and shade. In general, cattle tended to select lower elevation sites dominated by taller grasses, whereas sheep tended to select higher elevation sites with steeper slopes dominated by short grasses. Both cattle and sheep appeared to adapt to year-to-year changes in vegetation and rainfall by adjusting their feeding site selection and either expanding or contracting the area explored while grazing in a day. Spatial overlap between species remained low throughout the study. Cattle and sheep appeared to exhibit complementary adaptive feeding strategies at this site. Subtropical grassland areas with heterogeneous vegetation cover could be utilized more efficiently with co-grazing of livestock species with contrasting body size and dietary habits.
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institution Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA -Argentina)
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spelling INTA23252025-10-15T13:19:27Z Daily feeding site selection of cattle and sheep co-grazing a heterogeneous subtropical grassland Díaz Falú, Estanislao Martín Brizuela, Miguel Angel Cid, María Silvia Cibils, Andrés Francisco Cendoya, María Gabriela Bendersky, Diego Alimentación de los Animales Ganado Bovino Ovinos Pastoreo Praderas Zona Subtropical Animal Feeding Cattle Sheep Grazing Grasslands Subtropical Zones Effective management of livestock grazing on heterogeneous subtropical grasslands requires understanding the relative role played by factors that determine spatial distribution patterns of animals. We conducted a 2 year study at a site in Corrientes, Argentina, to characterize seasonal patterns of feeding site selection of cattle and sheep co-grazing the same pastures. Livestock were fitted with GPS collars and monitored for 2 weeks in fall, winter, spring, and summer of two consecutive years beginning in 2009. Maps of vegetation units, topography, and facilities were included as layers in a GIS of our study site which, in addition to livestock location data, were used to analyze daily feeding site selection patterns of both livestock species. The k-select multivariate method used for this analysis suggested that 21% of the variation in daily feeding site selection of both cattle and sheep could be explained by vegetation-related variables. Lesser amounts of variation were explained by weather-related variables, topography, and distance to drinking water and shade. In general, cattle tended to select lower elevation sites dominated by taller grasses, whereas sheep tended to select higher elevation sites with steeper slopes dominated by short grasses. Both cattle and sheep appeared to adapt to year-to-year changes in vegetation and rainfall by adjusting their feeding site selection and either expanding or contracting the area explored while grazing in a day. Spatial overlap between species remained low throughout the study. Cattle and sheep appeared to exhibit complementary adaptive feeding strategies at this site. Subtropical grassland areas with heterogeneous vegetation cover could be utilized more efficiently with co-grazing of livestock species with contrasting body size and dietary habits. EEA Mercedes Fil: Díaz Falú, Estanislao Martín. University of Hohenheim. Institute of Animal Production in the Tropics and Subtropics; Alemania. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; Argentina Fil: Brizuela, Miguel Angel. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; Argentina. Buenos Aires (Provincia). Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas; Argentina Fil: Cid, María Silvia. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; Argentina Fil: Cibils, Andrés Francisco. New Mexico State University. Department of Animal and Range Sciences; Estados Unidos Fil: Cendoya, María Gabriela. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; Argentina Fil: Bendersky, Diego. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Mercedes; Argentina 2018-05-04T15:25:35Z 2018-05-04T15:25:35Z 2014-03 info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/2325 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1871141313005039 1871-1413 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2013.11.010 eng info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess application/pdf Elsevier Livestock science 161 : 147-157. (March 2014)
spellingShingle Alimentación de los Animales
Ganado Bovino
Ovinos
Pastoreo
Praderas
Zona Subtropical
Animal Feeding
Cattle
Sheep
Grazing
Grasslands
Subtropical Zones
Díaz Falú, Estanislao Martín
Brizuela, Miguel Angel
Cid, María Silvia
Cibils, Andrés Francisco
Cendoya, María Gabriela
Bendersky, Diego
Daily feeding site selection of cattle and sheep co-grazing a heterogeneous subtropical grassland
title Daily feeding site selection of cattle and sheep co-grazing a heterogeneous subtropical grassland
title_full Daily feeding site selection of cattle and sheep co-grazing a heterogeneous subtropical grassland
title_fullStr Daily feeding site selection of cattle and sheep co-grazing a heterogeneous subtropical grassland
title_full_unstemmed Daily feeding site selection of cattle and sheep co-grazing a heterogeneous subtropical grassland
title_short Daily feeding site selection of cattle and sheep co-grazing a heterogeneous subtropical grassland
title_sort daily feeding site selection of cattle and sheep co grazing a heterogeneous subtropical grassland
topic Alimentación de los Animales
Ganado Bovino
Ovinos
Pastoreo
Praderas
Zona Subtropical
Animal Feeding
Cattle
Sheep
Grazing
Grasslands
Subtropical Zones
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/2325
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1871141313005039
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2013.11.010
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