Frequency of defoliation of native and naturalized species of the Flooding Pampas (Argentina)

Agnusdei, M. G.; Mazzanti, A.

doi:10.1046/j.1365-2494.2001.00283.x

Cited by 13 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…The abundance (i.e. specific contribution) of species has sometimes been reported to be the main factor explaining their selection by cattle (Agnusdei and Mazzanti, 2001;Carpino et al, 2003). However, present results indicate that in a species-rich grassland, characterized by a low structure of dominance and therefore a high evenness, the abundance of species is not obviously linked to its selection.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 75%

Foraging behaviour and occupation pattern of beef cows on a heterogeneous pasture in the Swiss Alps

Meisser¹,

Deléglise²,

Freléchoux³

et al. 2014

Czech J. Anim. Sci.

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ABSTRACT:In the Alps, many summer pastures are under-used due to the decreasing number of livestock. Optimizing the grazing management of heterogeneous pastures implies a better understanding of foraging habits of cattle. The aim of this study was to precise the relationships between cattle behaviour and the characteristics of the vegetation. The experiment was carried out on a pasture encroached by shrubs (mainly Alnus viridis) and composed of four contrasted vegetation units at 1800 m a.s.l. Four beef cows were monitored in a paddock of 2.9 ha by Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) during three rotations, in order to analyze the spatial and temporal occupation pattern. The open grasslands and, to a lesser extent, the tall herb community were significantly more visited than expected if cattle had foraged at random. The shrubby areas were far less visited than expected at random. The monitoring also revealed differences across rotations. Vegetation surveys were also performed to determine the specific contribution and the grazing frequency of the encountered plant species. The most eaten herbaceous plants were not necessarily those known to be the most palatable, even if graminoids were more selected than other plants. Leontodon hispidus, Agrostis capillaris, Festuca rubra, and Luzula sylvatica were the most selected species, whereas Veratrum album and Trollius europaeus were completely avoided. The consumed forage was of better quality than the forage collected at random and its nutrient content showed less variability and remained more constant over the three rotations. The results highlight that the selection processes exerted by cattle are important. They occur at different levels (species, vegetation type, in time) and confirm that an integrative approach is necessary for improving the understanding of cattle foraging behaviour in heterogeneous mountain pastures.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 75%

Foraging behaviour and occupation pattern of beef cows on a heterogeneous pasture in the Swiss Alps

Meisser¹,

Deléglise²,

Freléchoux³

et al. 2014

Czech J. Anim. Sci.

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“…(Table 1). Although the palatable Lotus tenuis and the unpalatable Ambrosia tenuifolia do not show the expected response to grazing (Table 1), the former has been widely described as a valuable forage species (Sevilla et al 1996;Agnusdei and Mazzanti 2001), and the latter as a widespread and problematic weed (Sala et al 1981;León and Burkart 1998).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 97%

Grazing-induced changes in plant species composition affect plant and soil properties of grassland mesocosms

2009

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Grazing-induced floristic changes in plant communities may accelerate or reduce plant and soil processes through changes in litter quality. Here, we intended to elucidate if the joint action of live and senescing plant tissue of palatable and non-palatable species differentially influences soil processes and properties. We conducted a 1-year experiment with mesocosms from a subhumid grassland. Mesocosms were monocultures of palatable or non-palatable species and a multispecific control. Palatable species included a legume and annual and perennial grasses, whereas non-palatable species included a perennial grass and annual and perennial forbs. Palatable monocultures showed greater soil mineral nitrogen, soil bacterial diversity, and lower soil pH than nonpalatable monocultures. These differences were not accounted for by differences in plant biomass. The multispecific control treatment only exhibited greater shoot biomass than the monocultures, and lower root biomass than the palatable monocultures. Our results suggest that the whole (live + dead plant tissue) had a specific imprint on soil system even when variation was not very apparent in terms of plant biomass, and that this effect was associated with plant palatability to domestic large herbivores.

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“…That possibility has not yet been seriously considered for tropical grasses. C4 plants have a wide functional and morphological diversity (e.g., stoloniferous, prostrate, tall-tufted plants), a condition that allows for species combinations and coexistence between them (as corroborated by several experiments on native multi-specific pastures, e.g., [147,148]). For example, Cynodon species (stoloniferous/rhizomatous plants) are functionally different from Pennisetum species (tall-tufted, tussock forming plants).…”

Section: Future Perspectives and Challengesmentioning

confidence: 93%

Ecophysiology of C4 Forage Grasses—Understanding Plant Growth for Optimising Their Use and Management

2015

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Grazing management has been the focus of the research with forage plants in Brazil for many years. Only in the last two decades, however, significant changes and advances have occurred regarding the understanding of the key factors and processes that determine adequate use of tropical forage plants in pastures. The objective of this review is to provide an historical overview of the research with forage plants and grasslands in Brazil, highlighting advances, trends, and results, as well as to describe the current state of the art and identify future perspectives and challenges. The information is presented in a systematic manner, favoring an integrated view of the different trends and research philosophies. A critical appraisal is given of the need for revision and change of paradigms as a means of improving and consolidating the knowledge on animal production from pastures. Such analysis idealizes efficient, sound and sustainable grazing management practices necessary to realize the existing potential for animal production in the tropics.

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Frequency of defoliation of native and naturalized species of the Flooding Pampas (Argentina)

Cited by 13 publications

References 15 publications

Foraging behaviour and occupation pattern of beef cows on a heterogeneous pasture in the Swiss Alps

Foraging behaviour and occupation pattern of beef cows on a heterogeneous pasture in the Swiss Alps

Grazing-induced changes in plant species composition affect plant and soil properties of grassland mesocosms

Ecophysiology of C4 Forage Grasses—Understanding Plant Growth for Optimising Their Use and Management

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