Foraging Behavior of Goats Browsing in Southern Mediterranean Forest Rangeland

[en] Mediterranean forest rangelands offer an important feed source for goats. Concerns about grazing strategies and management schemes in order to ensure the rangeland sustainability of Southern Mediterranean forest have revived interest in the foraging behavior of goats. This study was conducted to investigate the seasonal changes of feeding behavior of grazing goats in the Southern Mediterranean forest rangeland of Northern Morocco during two consecutive years beginning in 2016. The direct observation method was used to compare diet composition, intake rate, and diet selectivity of goats during three seasons (spring, summer, and fall). Bite mass of each plant species selected by goats was estimated using hand-plucked simulation. The optimal foraging theory was used as a tool to explain the goats foraging decisions. Bite mass range was extremely wide and varied seasonally. The goats’ diet was largely composed of Cistus spp., Lavandula stoechas, Quercus spp., and Myrtus communis. The result shows that the smaller the bite mass, the higher the biting rate, leading to increased short term intake rates. The selection of various plant species during fall and summer enlarged the diet diversity of goats. As expected, goats preferred trees and some shrubs despite their low availability. Consequently, the most available species is not necessarily the most positively selected. Particular high and positive selection of Quercus suber was observed over seasons. The outcomes confirm the high adaptability and ability of goats to select a woody species across seasons. Knowledge about forage availability and the feeding behavior of goats could be used as the first guide for rangeland managers to ensure herd and forest sustainability.

Disciplines :

Animal production & animal husbandry

Author, co-author :

Chebli, Youssef ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Doct. sc. vété. (paysage)

El Otmani, Samira ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Doct. sc. vété. (paysage)

Chentouf, Mouad

Hornick, Jean-Luc ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Dpt. de gestion vétérinaire des Ressources Animales (DRA) > Nutrition animale en milieu tropical

Bindelle, Jérôme ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département GxABT > Ingénierie des productions animales et nutrition

Cabaraux, Jean-François ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Dpt. de gestion vétérinaire des Ressources Animales (DRA) > Ecologie de la santé et des productions animales

Language :

English

Title :

Foraging Behavior of Goats Browsing in Southern Mediterranean Forest Rangeland

Publication date :

2020

Journal title :

Animals

eISSN :

2076-2615

Publisher :

MDPI AG, Switzerland

Volume :

Issue :

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Additional URL :

https://res.mdpi.com/d_attachment/animals/animals-10-00196/article_deploy/animals-10-00196.pdf

Available on ORBi :

since 28 January 2020

Statistics

Number of views

89 (14 by ULiège)

Number of downloads

36 (2 by ULiège)

More statistics

Scopus citations^®

Scopus citations^®
without self-citations

OpenCitations

Bibliography

Nomura, K.; Yonezawa, T.; Mano, S.; Kawakami, S.; Shedlock, A.M.; Hasegawa, M.; Amano, T. Domestication process of the goat revealed by an analysis of the nearly complete mitochondrial protein-encoding genes. PLoS ONE 2013, 8, e67775.
Ethier, J.; Bánffy, E.; Vuković J.; Leshtakov, K.; Bacvarov, K.; Roffet-Salque, M.; Evershed, R.; Ivanova, M. Earliest expansion of animal husbandry beyond the Mediterranean zone in the sixth millennium BC. Sci. Rep. 2017, 7, 7146.
Torrano, L.; Valderrábano, J. Grazing ability of European black pine understorey vegetation by goats. Small Ruminant Res. 2005, 58, 253–263.
Harris, S.E. Cyprus as a degraded landscape or resilient environment in the wake of colonial intrusion. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 2012, 109, 3670–3675.
Lovreglio, R.; Meddour-Sahar, O.; Leone, V. Goat grazing as a wildfire prevention tool: A basic review. IForest 2014, 7, 260–268.
Dziba, L.E.; Scogings, P.F.; Gordon, I.J.; Raats, J.G. Effects of season and breed on browse species intake rates and diet selection by goats in the False Thornveld of the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Small Ruminant Res. 2003, 47, 17–30.
FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations). FAOSTAT. 2017. Available online: http://www.fao.org/faostat/fr/#home (accessed on 08 July 2019).
Chentouf, M.; Zantar, S.; Doukkali, M.R.; Farahat, L.B.; Jouamaa, A.; Aden, H. Performances techniques et économiques des élevages caprins dans le nord du Maroc. Options Mediterr. 2011, 100, 151–156.
Chebli, Y.; Chentouf, M.; Ozer, P.; Hornick, J.L.; Cabaraux, J.F. Forest and silvopastoral cover changes and its drivers in northern Morocco. Appl. Geogr. 2018, 101, 23–35.
DRATT (Direction Régionale de l'Agriculture de Tanger-Tétouan). Monographie de la région du nord du Maroc. Rapports et Données statistiques sur l'agriculture et l'élevage, 2017. Available online: http://www. http://www.dratt.ma/(accessed on 08 July 2019).
Chebli, Y.; Chentouf, M.; Mrabet, R.; Keli, A. Production et utilisation des parcours dans les montagnes rifaines du nord du Maroc. In Technology creation and transfer in small ruminants: Roles of research, development services and farmer association. Chentouf, M., López-Francos, A., Bengoumi, M., Gabiña, D. Eds.; CIHEAM Press: Zaragoza, Spain, 2014; pp. 109–113
Meuret, M.; Bartiaux-Thill, N.; Bourbouze, A. Evaluation de la consommation d’un troupeau de chèvre laitière sur parcours forestier-Méthode d’observation directe des coups de dents-Méthode du marqueur oxyde de chrome. Ann. Zootech. 1985, 34, 159–180.
Mancilla-Leytón, J.M.; Pino Mejías, R.; Martín Vicente, A. Shrub vegetation consumption by goats in the southwestern Iberian Peninsula. Livest. Sci. 2013, 153, 108–115.
Manousidis, T.; Kyriazopoulos, A.P.; Parissi, Z.M.; Abraham, E.M.; Korakis, G.; Abas, Z. Grazing behavior, forage selection and diet composition of goats in a Mediterranean woody rangeland. Small Ruminant Res. 2016, 145, 142–153.
Kababya, D.; Perevolotsky, A.; Bruckental, I.; Landau, S. Selection of diets by dual-purpose Mamber goats in Mediterranean woodland. J. Agric. Sci. 1998, 131, 221–228.
Aharon, H.; Henkin, Z.; Ungar, E.D.; Kababya, D.; Baram, H.; Perevolotsky, A. Foraging behaviour of the newly introduced Boer goat breed in a Mediterranean woodland: A research observation. Small Ruminant Res. 2007, 69, 144–153.
Glasser, T.A.; Landau, S.Y.; Ungar, E.D.; Perevolotsky, A.; Dvash, L.; Muklada, H.; Kababya, D.; Walker, J.W. Foraging selectivity of three goat breeds in a Mediterranean shrubland. Small Ruminant Res. 2012, 102, 7–12.
Koluman, N.; Boga, M.; Silanikove, N.; Gorgulu, M. Performance and eating behaviour of crossbred goats in Mediterranean climate of Turkey. R. Bras. Zootec. 2016, 45, 768–772.
El Aich, A.; El Assouli, N.; Fathi, A.; Morand-Fehr, P.; Bourbouze, A. Ingestive behavior of goats grazing in the Southwestern Argan (Argania spinosa) forest of Morocco. Small Ruminant Res. 2007, 70, 248–256.
Mharzi Alaoui, H.; Assali, F.; Rouchdi, M.; Tahiri, D.; Lahssini, S.; Aafi, A.; Oukrim, S. Cartographie de l’intensité du feu et de la sensibilité aux feux de cime en forêt méditerranéenne. Cas de la province de Chefchaouen au nord du Maroc. Rev. Ecologie (Terre Vie) 2017, 72, 387–409.
Chebli, Y.; Mrabet, R. Les ressources pastorales dans le domaine rifain. In L'élevage caprin au nord du Maroc. Chentouf, M., Boulanouar, B., Bister, J.L. Eds.; INRA-Editions Press: Rabat, Morocco 2014; pp. 64–79.
Barroso, F.G.; Alados, C.L.; Boza, J. Food selection by domestic goats in Mediterranean arid shrublands. J. Arid Environ. 1995, 31, 205–217.
Pontes, L. da S.; Agreil, C.; Magda, D.; Gleizes, B.; Fritz, H. Feeding behaviour of sheep on shrubs in response to contrasting herbaceous cover in rangelands dominated by Cytisus scoparius L. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 2010, 124, 35–44.
Chebli, Y.; Chentouf, M.; Hornick, J.L.; Cabaraux, J.F. Extensive goat production systems in northern Morocco: production and use of pastoral resources. In Grassland resources for extensive farming systems in marginal lands: major drivers and future scenarios. Porqueddu, A., Franca, C., Lombardi, A.; Molle, G., Peratoner, G., Hopkins, G., Eds.; Wageningen Academic Publishers Press: Wageningen, Netherlands, 2017; pp. 131–133.
Bonnet Olivier, J.F.; Meuret, M.; Tischler Marcelo, R.; Cezimbra Ian, M.; Azambuja Julio, C.R.; Carvalho Paulo, C.F. Continuous bite monitoring: a method to assess the foraging dynamics of herbivores in natural grazing conditions. Anim. Prod. Sci. 2015, 55, 339–349.
Meuret, M.; Provenza, F. How French shepherds create meal sequences to stimulate intake and optimise use of forage diversity on rangeland. Anim. Prod. Sci. 2015, 55, 309–318.
Agreil, C.; Meuret, M. An improved method for quantifying intake rate and ingestive behaviour of ruminants in diverse and variable habitats using direct observation. Small Ruminant Res. 2004, 54(1–2), 99– 113.
Braghieri, A.; Pacelli, C.; Girolami, A.; Napolitano, F. Time budget, social and ingestive behaviours expressed by native beef cows in Mediterranean conditions. Livest. Sci. 2011, 141, 47–52.
González-Pech, P.G.; Torres-Acosta, J.F.D.J.; Sandoval-Castro, C.A.; Tun-Garrido, J.; De Jesús Torres-Acosta, J.F.; Sandoval-Castro, C.A.; Tun-Garrido, J. Feeding behavior of sheep and goats in a deciduous tropical forest during the dry season: The same menu consumed differently. Small Ruminant Res. 2015, 133, 128–134.
Perevolotsky, A.; Landau, S.; Kababia, D.; Ungar, E.D. Diet selection in dairy goats grazing woody Mediterranean rangeland. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 1998, 57(1–2), 117–131.
Cook, C.W. Symposium on nutrition of forages and pastures: collecting forage samples representative of ingested material of grazing animals for nutritional studies. J. Anim. Sci. 1964, 23, 265–270.
Charnov, E.L. Optimal foraging: the marginal value theorem. Theor. Popul. Biol. 1976, 9, 129–136.
Levins, R. Evolution in changing environments. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, USA, 1968; pp.120.
Hurlbert, S.H. The measurement of niche overlap and some relatives. Ecology 1978, 59, 67–77.
Ivlev, V.S. Experimental ecology of the feeding of fishes. Yale University Press: New Haven, CT, USA, 1961; pp. 302.
Horn, H.S. Measurement of ‘overlap’ in comparative ecological studies. Am. Nat. 1966, 100, 414–419.
Krebs, C.J. Niche measures and resource preferences. In: Ecological methodology, Krebs, C.J., Eds.; Addison-Welsey Longman Press: San Francisco, CA, USA, 2014; pp. 597–653.
Steel, R.G.; Torrie, J.H. Principles and Procedures of Statistics, 2nd ed. McGraw-Hill Press: New York, NY, USA, 1980, pp. 633.
SAS. SAS User’s Guide Eds.; Statistics, Version 9.4. SAS Institute Inc.: Cary, NC, USA, 2017.
Schlecht, E.; Hiernaux, P.; Kadaouré, I.; Hülsebusch, C.; Mahler, F.A. Spatio-temporal analysis of forage availability and grazing and excretion behaviour of herded and free grazing cattle, sheep and goats in Western Niger. Agr. Ecosyst. Environ. 2006, 113(1–4), 226–242.
Rigueiro-Rodriguez, A.; McAdam, J.; Mosquera-Losada, M.R. Agroforestry in Europe: Current status and future prospects, Springer Science & Business Press: Media, UK, 2009, pp. 449.
Salt, C.A.; Mayes, R.W.; Elston, D.A. Effects of season, grazing intensity and diet composition on the radiocaesium intake by sheep on re-seeded hill pasture. J. Appl. Ecol. 1992, 29, 378–387.
Butt, B.; Shortridge, A.; Winkler Prins, A.M.G.A. Pastoral herd management, drought coping strategies, and cattle mobility in Southern Kenya. Ann. Am. Assoc. Geogr. 2009, 99, 309–334.
Papachristou, T.G.; Platis, P.D.; Nastis, A.S. Foraging behaviour of cattle and goats in oak forest stands of varying coppicing age in Northern Greece. Small Ruminant Res. 2005, 59, 181–189.
Fomum, S.W.; Scogings, P.F.; Dziba, L.; Nsahlai, I.V. Seasonal variations in diet selection of Nguni goats: effects of physical and chemical traits of browse. Afr. J. Range For. Sci. 2015, 32, 193–201.
Egea, A.V.; Allegretti, L.; Paez Lama, S.; Grilli, D.; Sartor, C.; Fucili, M.; Guevara, J.C.; Passera, C. Selective behavior of Creole goats in response to the functional heterogeneity of native forage species in the central Monte desert, Argentina. Small Ruminant Res. 2014, 120, 90–99.
Manousidis, T.; Parissi, Z.M.; Kyriazopoulos, A.P.; Malesios, C.; Koutroubas, S.D.; Abas, Z. Relationships among nutritive value of selected forages, diet composition and milk quality in goats grazing in a Mediterranean woody rangeland. Livest. Sci. 2018, 218, 8–19.
Meuret, M. Préhensibilité des aliments chez les petits ruminants sur parcours en landes et sous-bois. INRA Prod. Anim. 1997, 10, 391–401.
Ungar, E.D.; Noy-Meir; I. Herbage intake in relation to availability and sward structure: Grazing processes and optimal foraging. J. Appl. Ecol. 1988, 25, 1045–1062.
Fortin, D.; Merkle, J.A.; Sigaud, M.; Cherry, S.G.; Plante, S.; Drolet, A.; Labrecque, M. Temporal dynamics in the foraging decisions of large herbivores. Anim. Prod. Sci. 2015. 55, 376–383.
Pyke, G.H. Optimal foraging theory: An introduction. In: Encyclopedia of animal behavior, 2nd ed., Choe, J.C. Ed.; Academic Press: Oxford, UK, 2019; pp. 111–117.
Utsumi, S.A.; Cangiano, C.A.; Galli, J.R.; McEachern, M.B; Demment, M.W.; Laca, E.A. Resource heterogeneity and foraging behaviour of cattle across spatial scales. BMC Ecol. 2009, 9, 1–10.
Owen-Smith, N.; Cooper, S.M. Palatability of woody plants to browsing ruminants in a South African Savanna. Ecology 1987, 68, 319–331.
Meuret, M. Organizing a grazing route to motivate intake on coarse resources. Ann. Zootech. 1996, 45, 87-88.
Correia, O.A.; Martins, A.C.; Catarino, F.M. Comparative phenology and seasonal foliar nitrogen variation in Mediterranean species of Portugal. Ecol. Mediterr. 1992. 18, 7–18.
Bruno-Soares, A.M.; Matos, T.J.; Cadima, J. Nutritive value of Cistus salvifolius shrubs for small ruminants. Anim. Feed Sci. Technol. 2011, 165(3-4), 167–175.
Minson, D.M. Protein in ruminant nutrition. In Forage in Ruminant Nutrition. Academic Press: Queensland, Australia 1990; p. 162.
Mancilla-Leytón, J.M.; Vicente, A.M.; Parejo-Farnés, C.; Fernández-Ales, R.; Leiva, M.J. A vegetation management experiment: Goats grazing shrublands in Doñana Natural Park. Russ. J. Ecol. 2014, 45, 384– 390.
Barroso, F.G.; Martı́nez, T.F.; Paz, T.; Parra, A.; Alarcón, F.J. Tannin content of grazing plants of southern Spanish arid lands. J. Arid Environ. 2001, 49, 301–314.
Robles, A.B.; Passera, C.B. Native forage shrub species in south-eastern Spain: forage species, forage phytomass, nutritive value and carrying capacity. J. Arid Environ. 1995, 30, 191–196.
Ammar, H.; Dallali, S.; Dhaouadi, K.; Hajri, R.; Ben Younes, M.; Lopez, S. Seasonal variation of nutritional characteristics of some Mediterranean shrub species. In Grassland resources for extensive farming systems in marginal lands: major drivers and future scenarios. Porqueddu, A., Franca, C., Lombardi, A., Molle, G., Peratoner, G., Hopkins, G. Eds.; Wageningen Academic Publishers Press: Wageningen, Netherlands 2017; pp. 503–505.
Gasmi-Boubaker, A.; Kayouli, C.; Buldgen, A. In vitro gas production and its relationship to in situ disappearance and chemical composition of some Mediterranean browse species. Anim. Feed Sci. Technol. 2005, 123, 303–311.
Frutos, P.; Hervás, G.; Ramos, G.; Giráldez, F.J.; Mantecón, A.R. Condensed tannin content of several shrub species from a mountain area in northern Spain, and its relationship to various indicators of nutritive value. Anim. Feed Sci. Technol. 2002, 95, 215–226.
Palacio, S.; Maestro, M.; Montserrat-Martí, G. Seasonal dynamics of non-structural carbohydrates in two species of Mediterranean sub-shrubs with different leaf phenology. Environ. Exp. Bot. 2007, 59, 34–42.
Ne’eman, G.; Goubitz, S. Phenology of east Mediterranean vegetation. In Life and Environment in the Mediterranean. Trabaud, L. Ed.; WIT Press: Ashurst Lodge, United Kingdom, 2000; pp. 155–202.
Oliveira, G.; Correia, O.; Martins-Loução, M.A.; Catarino, F.M. Phenological and growth patterns of the Mediterranean oak Quercus suber L. Trees, 1994, 9, 41–46.
Cabiddu, A.; Decandia, M.; Sitzia, M.; Molle, G. A note on the chemical composition and tannin content of some Mediterranean shrubs browsed by Sarda goats. Options Mediterr. 2000, 52, 175–178.
Gasmi-Boubaker, A.; Kayouli, C. Chemical composition of several species of the maquis in the northwest of Tunisia. In Agroforestry systems as a technique for sustainable land management. Mosquera-Losada, M.R., Fernández-Lorenzo, J.L., Rigueiro-Rodríguez, A., Eds.; Unicopia ediciones: Galicia, Spain, 2009; pp. 383– 393.
Oliveira, G.; Martins-Loução, M.A.; Correia, O.; Catarino, F. Nutrient dynamics in crown tissues of cork-oak (Quercus suber L.). Trees 1996, 10, 247–254.
Wallis De Vries, M.F.; Laca, E.A.; Demment, M.W. The importance of scale of patchiness for selectivity in grazing herbivores. Oecologia 1999, 121, 355–363.
Baumont, R.; Prache, S.; Meuret, M.; Morand-Fehr, P. How forage characteristics influence behavior and intake in small ruminants: review. Livest. Prod. Sci. 2000, 64, 15–28.
Stephens, D.W; Krebs, J.R. Foraging theory. Princeton University Press: Princeton, New Jersy, United Kingdom, 1986; pp. 239.
Fryxell, J.M.; Lundberg, P. Individual behavior and community dynamics. Chapman and Hall Press: New York, USA 1997; pp. 202.
Karmiris, I.E.; Nastis, A.S. Diet overlap between small ruminants and the European hare in a Mediterranean shrubland. Cent. Eur. J. Biol. 2010, 5, 729–737.