Sheep in Species-Rich Temperate Grassland: Combining Behavioral Observations with Vegetation Characterization

Abstract

Foraging behavior of livestock in species-rich, less intensively managed grassland communities will require different methodologies from those appropriate in floristically simple environments. In this pilot study on sheep in species-rich grassland in northern Estonia, foraging behavior and the plant species of the immediate area grazed by the sheep were registered by continually-recording Go-Pro cameras. From three days of observation of five sheep (706 animal-minutes), foraging behavior was documented. Five hundred and thirty-six still images were sampled, and a plant species list was compiled for each. Each plant species was assigned a score indicating its location, in the ecophysiological sense, on the main environmental gradient. The scores of the plant species present were averaged for each image. Thus, the fine structure of foraging behavior could be studied in parallel with the vegetation of the precise area being grazed. As expected, there was considerable individual variation, and we characterized foraging behavior by quantifying the patterns of interspersion of grazing and non-grazing behaviors. This combination of behavior recording and vegetation classification could enable a numerical analysis of the responses of grazing livestock to vegetation conditions.

Video recording and vegetation classification elucidate sheep foraging ecology in species‐rich grassland

“…Sheep grazing behavior is the result of the interaction of many factors, including individual variation, the behavior of other sheep, and the vegetation. Implying a prioritization of social behavior over vegetation type, Sibbald et al (2008) Hall et al, 2020).…”

“…The study took place on semi-natural species-rich neutral Agrostis capillaris-Festuca rubra pasture with spatially variable hydrology and unfenced adjoining woodland, on a farm within Lahemaa National Park, in northern Estonia (59 o 30'N, 25 o 40'E), previously described by Hall et al (2020). Most plant species present are not uncommon in Estonia, but the grass Holcus mollis, which was fairly abundant,…”

The use of photos to investigate ecological change

“…Furthermore, there are examples of the use of time‐lapse photography to assess pest predation in agricultural fields (Zou et al, 2017), browsing of specific plant species (Ecroyd, 1996) and foraging on plants by hummingbirds (Biella et al, 2019). Hall et al (2020) monitored foraging behaviour of sheep in species‐rich grasslands through installing time‐lapse cameras on the sheep themselves.…”