<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p> Grazing animals explore different forage resources to satisfy their daily nutrient needs, following specific spatial and temporal patterns throughout the year. In this study four different flocks of sheep and goats (two of each species) were selected to record their spatial location with a handheld GPS during spring, summer and winter. At the same time, three animals in each flock were followed to study their grazing activities by direct observation. These data with the time information and a detailed land use map were manipulated in a GIS to assign animal activities to different forage resources. Sheep and goats were travelling long distances (7.5 km and 9.0 km, respectively) to satisfy their nutritional needs throughout the year. They were found to graze in two main forage resources, rangelands (grasslands, shrublands and forest ranges) and agricultural land (fallow land, stubble fields and temporary pastures). Both grazer species spent significantly less time (P≤ 0.05) feeding in rangelands (38.9% &amp; 18.1%) than in agricultural land (63.6% &amp; 53.4%) during spring and summer. It appears that a heterogeneous landscape is necessary for supporting extensive farming systems of small ruminants since rangelands and agricultural land complement each other in providing forage throughout the year.</p></abstract>

Grazing animals explore different forage resources to satisfy their daily nutrient needs, following specific spatial and temporal patterns throughout the year. In this study four different flocks of sheep and goats (two of each species) were selected to record their spatial location with a handheld GPS during spring, summer and winter. At the same time, three animals in each flock were followed to study their grazing activities by direct observation. These data with the time information and a detailed land use map were manipulated in a GIS to assign animal activities to different forage resources. Sheep and goats were travelling long distances (7.5 km and 9.0 km, respectively) to satisfy their nutritional needs throughout the year. They were found to graze in two main forage resources, rangelands (grasslands, shrublands and forest ranges) and agricultural land (fallow land, stubble fields and temporary pastures). Both grazer species spent significantly less time (P≤ 0.05) feeding in rangelands (38.9% & 18.1%) than in agricultural land (63.6% & 53.4%) during spring and summer. It appears that a heterogeneous landscape is necessary for supporting extensive farming systems of small ruminants since rangelands and agricultural land complement each other in providing forage throughout the year.

Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Sheep and Goats Grazing in Different Forage Resources of Northern Greece

Department of Range Science, Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki,Greece.

Department of Range Science, Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece.

Hacquetia

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Grazing animals explore different forage resources to satisfy their daily nutrient needs, following specific spatial and temporal patterns throughout the year....

Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Sheep and Goats Grazing in Different Forage Resources of Northern Greece

Published Online: Jun 17, 2014

Page range: 205 - 213

Received: Oct 03, 2013

Accepted: Oct 17, 2013

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/hacq-2014-0001

© by Christakis Evangelou

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.