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Foraging Strategies

Foraging Strategies. K.Launchbaugh. K.Launchbaugh. BLM Photo. K.Launchbaugh. Plants Stationary Abundant Lo energy & time Hi success 10,000 bites/day Hi Intake. Animals Mobile Rare Hi energy & time Lo success Few prey/day Lo intake. Herbivore Carnivore. Food Source.

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Foraging Strategies

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  1. Foraging Strategies K.Launchbaugh K.Launchbaugh BLM Photo K.Launchbaugh

  2. Plants Stationary Abundant Lo energy & time Hi success 10,000 bites/day Hi Intake Animals Mobile Rare Hi energy & time Lo success Few prey/day Lo intake Herbivore Carnivore Food Source Food Capture

  3. Lo & variable in protein & energy High fiber in cell wall Hi & uniform in protein & energy No fiber or cell wall Herbivore Carnivore Food Quality

  4. Much chewing Complex digestive tract Energy & protein from microbial fermentation Little chewing Simple digestive tract Energy & protein from catabolism Herbivore Carnivore Digesting food

  5. Mammalian Digestive Systems Carnivore No Omnivore Some Herbivore Yes Can Animal Digest Cellulose?

  6. Omnivore Herbivore Carnivore

  7. Ruminant Feeding Types From: Hofmann, R. R. 1989. Evolutionary steps of ecophysical adaptation and diversification of ruminants: A comparative view of their digestive system. Oecologia 78:443-457.

  8. Diet Preferences • How animals meet nutrient needs Concentrate Feeder (browse) Intermediate Feeder (forbs) Roughage Feeder (grass)

  9. Example 1 - Grassy Pasture • Similarity between pasture and cattle diet = 94% • Similarity between pasture and sheep diet = 83%

  10. Example 2 – Shrubby Pasture • Similarity between pasture and cattle diet = 69% • Similarity between pasture and goat diet = 80%

  11. Multi Species Grazing

  12. Multi Species Grazing Multi-species grazing is when more than one kind of livestock (i.e. sheep, goats, cattle, or horses) graze a unit of land. The grazing can occur at the same time or at different times and still be considered multispecies grazing. Multi-species grazing is the norm for naturally regulated ecosystems grazed by a variety of herbivores.

  13. Advantages of multi-species livestock grazing over single-species grazing include? Increased carrying capacity. Improved botanical composition of pastures Suppression of undesirable plants Increased individual animal performance of one or more species in the mix. Improved animal health --parasite problems are often reduced.

  14. Advantages of multi-species livestock grazing over single-species grazing include? Reduced predation of sheep or goats grazing among or bonded to cattle. Greater net return for the ranch. Improved cash flow -- marketing different products at different times of the year. Reduced financial risk --increased enterprise diversity.

  15. Major challenges to multi-species grazing: Increased fencing requirements – if sheep and goats are added to cattle or horse pastures. Lack of knowledge of animal husbandry for a variety of species. Increased complexity because of enterprise diversity. Potential disease transmission from sheep to cattle. (Sheep are the unaffected carrier and cattle are affected.)

  16. Domestic GrazersDiets of Grass , Forb & Browse

  17. Wild GrazersDiets of Grass , Forb & Browse

  18. Domestic & Wild Grazers

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