Pronghorn Dietary Quality Relative to Forage Availability and Other Ruminants in Colorado

Schwartz, Charles C.; Nagy, Julius G.; Rice, Robert C.

doi:10.2307/3800589

Cited by 27 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…These all decline to deficient levels at about the same time, and CP serves as a reliable measure of overall nutritional value (Sullivan 1962). Also, we adopted a 7.5% CP level as an adequate forage quality threshold because it falls within the range of values suggested for maintenance of many wild and domestic herbivores (French et al 1955, Thorne et al 1976, Schwartz et al 1977, NRC 1978, 1981, 1984.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nutritional dynamics of 7 northern Great Basin grasses

Ganskopp¹,

Bohnert²

2001

REM

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Land, livestock, and wildlife managers need to understand the nutritional dynamics of forages to sustain adequate growth and reproduction of their animals and/or assure equitable payment for forages. Despite a long history of livestock grazing in the northern Great Basin, seasonal and annual nutritional dynamics of many of the region's prominent grasses have not been described. We addressed this issue via monthly sampling of 7 cool-season grasses at 6 sites during 1992, a drier than average year having 86% of mean precipitation, and 1993, when above average precipitation (167% of average) occurred. With high yields predicted in 1993 (1,257 kg ha -1 ), the period of adequate forage quality [crude protein (CP) ≥ 7.5%] was 83 days. In addition grasses did not respond to 97 mm of July-August rain with renewed growth. During 1992, a growing season beginning with less than average moisture, grasses responded to midsummer (49 mm) and fall (69 mm) rains by maintaining greater than 7.5% CP for 185 days. A diversity of grasses expanded the period of adequate forage quality especially during the lower than average moisture year. Giant wildrye (Elymus cinereus Scribn. & Merr.), a deeply rooted grass, supported high quality forage until mid August, but did not respond to late-season moisture. In contrast, shallow rooted grasses like bottlebrush squirreltail (Sitanion hystrix (Nutt.) Smith), Sandberg's bluegrass (Poa sandbergii Vasey), and the winter-annual cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.) responded to summer or fall moisture with herbage ranging from 10 to 16% CP, thereby supplying high quality late-season forage. With most precipitation occurring in the northern Great Basin during colder months, livestock or habitat managers can, with a fair degree of certainty, predict yields from their pastures before turnout. With abundant moisture, managers will see the rapid deterioration of forage quality that occurs when grasses advance through their reproductive stages of phenology and generate a wealth of reproductive stems. The quandary arrives, however, when moisture accumulations are less than optimum. Fewer reproductive tillers develop, and our results show that timely precipitation may elevate desirable nutrient characteristics and expand the duration of adequate livestock/wildlife nutrition in the region. More long-term research is needed to decipher the mechanisms governing growth and development of rangeland grasses and to assess risks of various stocking alternatives when managers face uncertain yield and forage quality issues. ResumenLos manejadores de tierras, ganado y fauna silvestre necesitan entender las dinámicas nutricionales de los forrajes para mantener un crecimiento y una reproducción adecuados de sus animales y/o asegurar el pago equitativo de sus forrajes. A pesar del largo historial de apacentamiento de ganado en la Gran Cuenca del norte, las dinámicas nutricionales estacionales y anuales de muchos de los zacates prominentes de la región no se han sido descritas. Nosotros abordamos este problema a tra...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nutritional dynamics of 7 northern Great Basin grasses

Ganskopp¹,

Bohnert²

2001

REM

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“…Pronghorn, which are sensitive to diet quality (Martinka 1967, Schwartz et al 1977, relied most heavily on forbs (81.1% of the diet on town centers), whereas center-dwelling prairie dogs were proportionally much less dependent on this resource (27.2% of the diet). This may have translated into a decreased availability of forbs, which, in tum, affected the interactions among consumers sharing this resource.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…On dog town centers, both pronghorn and prairie dogs consumed mixed diets but relied on forbs to various degrees. Pronghorn, which are sensitive to diet quality (Martinka 1967, Schwartz et al 1977, relied most heavily on forbs (81.1% of the diet on town centers), whereas center-dwelling prairie dogs were proportionally much less dependent on this resource (27.2% of the diet). Thus, the dry conditions prevailing in 1983 might have affected pronghorn most, because of their heavy dependency on forbs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Feeding Relationships Among Bison, Pronghorn, and Prairie Dogs: An Experimental Analysis

Krueger¹

1986

Ecology

116

102

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Bison (Bison bison), pronghorn (Antilocapra americana), and prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) form a grazing association on the northern United States mixed-grass prairie. Marked similarities in diet and spatial use between bison and prairie dogs on dog town edges and between pronghorn and prairie dogs on town centers create a high potential for interspecific interactions. Observational data were deemed insufficient to detect and properly characterize such interactions, and an experimental analysis was undertaken for this purpose. Two sets of exclosures, built on centers and edges of active and poisoned prairie dog towns, and on uncolonized prairie sites, were used to evaluate foraging relationships among bison, pronghorn, and prairie dogs feeding within and adjacent to exclosures and in control areas.Bison foraging groups were largest, nearest neighbor distances least, and foraging efficiency (bite : step ratios) highest among bison foraging in town edge control areas of the active towns, suggesting that these were the best areas for bison foraging. Prairie dogs showed smaller nearest neighbor distances and higher bite : step ratios when foraging in these areas than when foraging within adjacent exclosures, suggesting that bison foraging on town edges improved prairie dog foraging there. These results indicate a mutually positive relationship between bison and prairie dogs on town edges. Nearest neighbor distances and bite: step ratios of prairie dogs on town centers (within and adjacent to exclosures) suggested that pronghorn foraging did not appreciably affect prairie dog foraging. However, comparisons of pronghorn foraging between active and poisoned town centers showed nearest neighbor distances always smaller and bite : step ratios often higher on the poisoned town centers, suggesting that the presence of prairie dogs on town centers may have slightly degraded pronghorn foraging there. This indicates a complex relationship on town centers between pronghorn and prairie dogs, which was neutral for prairie dogs but slightly negative for pronghorn under the conditions of the study. Results of vegetation analyses within ex closures and in control areas showed significant enhancement of shoot nitrogen in plants growing on areas subject to heavy grazing pressure, such as active dog towns and control areas on dog towns, and may partially explain improvements in prairie dog and bison foraging there.

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“…The effect of higher metabolic rates of small animals is that they require more protein and energy per unit weight than larger animals (Bell 1971, Schwartz andEllis 1981). Schwartz et al (1977) observed consumption of less fibrous diets by pronghorn than cattle, bison or sheep. This trend may reflect differences in feeding strategies of these herbivores.…”

Section: Within Shrub-steppe Communities Horses and Cattle Consumedmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…Although nutritional requirements of pronghorn are largely unknown, Schwartz et al (1977) speculated the CP requirement for deer (Ocodoileus spp.) may be comparable (6-7%o for maintenance and 13-16% for growth).…”

Section: Within Shrub-steppe Communities Horses and Cattle Consumedmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dietary Relationships among Feral Horses, Cattle, and Pronghorn in Southeastern Oregon

McInnis¹,

Vávra²

1987

Journal of Range Management

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show abstract

Pronghorn Dietary Quality Relative to Forage Availability and Other Ruminants in Colorado

Cited by 27 publications

References 15 publications

Nutritional dynamics of 7 northern Great Basin grasses

Nutritional dynamics of 7 northern Great Basin grasses

Feeding Relationships Among Bison, Pronghorn, and Prairie Dogs: An Experimental Analysis

Dietary Relationships among Feral Horses, Cattle, and Pronghorn in Southeastern Oregon

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