Summer feeding strategy of Spanish ibex Capra pyrenaica and domestic sheep Ovis aries in South-Eastern Spain

• Autorzy: Martinez T.
• Języki publikacji: EN

Abstrakty

EN

The feeding strategies of the Spanish ibex Capra pyrenaica Schinz, 1838 and sheep Ovis aries Linnaeus, 1758 during summer in the alpine area of Sierra Nevada in south-eastern Spain were compared. The degree of vegetation use by the two ungulates, food availability, diet composition, species selection indices and the effect of plant availability and chemical composition on diet selection were analysed. The available biomass of herbaceous and woody resources was 87 and 13%, respectively. The degree of use was 15% for herbaceous vegetation and 10.3% for woody vegetation. The most used species were those with moderate amounts in diet composition of both ruminants. The main plant groups consumed by Spanish ibex were graminoids (57.5%), shrubs (20.5%) and chamaephytes (14.3%). Sheep consumed graminoids (41.6%), forbs (32.3%) and chamaephytes (20.9%). There was a significant correlation between the two diets, with an overlap of 56.3%. The highest indices of selection were found in items with moderate-low availability and which comprised moderate levels in the diet composition of the two species. Spanish ibex mainly selected diet according to availability, while sheep selection depended on protein content. The ibex consumed cell wall-rich resources such as grasses and shrubs, while the sheep consumed higher quality feed and includes more forbs in its diet.

Słowa kluczowe

EN

Ovis aries; domestic sheep; sheep; ibex; chemical composition; Spanish ibex; plant availability; Spain; diet; summer; diet selection; Capra pyrenaica; feeding strategy

• Wydawca: -
• Czasopismo: Acta Theriologica
• Rocznik: 2002
• Tom: 47
• Numer: 4
• Opis fizyczny: p.479-490,fig.,ref.

Twórcy

autor

Martinez T.

• Instituto Madrileno de Investigacion Agraria, Apdo 127, 28800 Alcala de Henares, Madrid, Spain

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