Mechanisms of Grazing Management in Heterogeneous Swards
| Autor: | Paulo César de Faccio Carvalho, Arthur Pontes-Prates, Emilio A. Laca |
|---|---|
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2020 |
| Předmět: |
Intake rate
Geography Planning and Development Population TJ807-830 Management Monitoring Policy and Law TD194-195 Renewable energy sources Animal science Ecosystem model Grazing GE1-350 education grazing management education.field_of_study Environmental effects of industries and plants Renewable Energy Sustainability and the Environment 0402 animal and dairy science spatial heterogeneity integral projection matrix 04 agricultural and veterinary sciences 040201 dairy & animal science sward height distribution Spatial heterogeneity Environmental sciences resource heterogeneity 040103 agronomy & agriculture ecological modeling 0401 agriculture forestry and fisheries Environmental science Trampling grazing behavior |
| Zdroj: | Sustainability, Vol 12, Iss 8676, p 8676 (2020) Sustainability Volume 12 Issue 20 |
| ISSN: | 2071-1050 |
| Popis: | We explored the effects of heterogeneity of sward height on the functioning of grazing systems through a spatially implicit mechanistic model of grazing and sward growth. The model uses a population dynamic approach where a sward is spatially structured by height, which changes as a function of defoliation, trampling, and growth. The grazing component incorporates mechanisms of bite formation, intake, and digestion rates, but excludes sward quality effects. Sward height selection is determined by maximization of the instantaneous intake rate of forage dry mass. For any given average sward height, intake rate increased with increasing spatial heterogeneity. Spatio-temporal distribution of animal density over paddocks did not markedly affect animal performance but it modified the balance of vegetation heterogeneity within and between paddocks. Herbage allowance was a weak predictor of animal performance because the same value can result from multiples combinations of herbage mass per unit area, number of animals, animal liveweight, and paddock area, which are the proximate determinants of intake rate. Our results differ from models that assume homogeneity and provide strong evidence of how heterogeneity influences the dynamic of grazing systems. Thus, we argue that grazing management and research need to incorporate the concept of heterogeneity into the design of future grazing systems. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
|