Seasonal grazing of goats and sheep on Mediterranean mountain rangelands of northeast Portugal

Castro, Marina; Fernández-Núñez, Esther

Publication

Seasonal grazing of goats and sheep on Mediterranean mountain rangelands of northeast Portugal

2016Journal article

dc.contributor.author	Castro, Marina
dc.contributor.author	Fernández-Núñez, Esther
dc.date.accessioned	2016-05-05T13:57:24Z
dc.date.available	2016-05-05T13:57:24Z
dc.date.issued	2016
dc.description.abstract	The objective of this study was to compare the feeding strategies between sheep and goat rearing by shepherds in the Mediterranean mountain area of northeast Portugal. For this purpose, grazing itineraries, diet selection, diet overlap and the diet diversity of different flocks of sheep and goats were studied. The flocks were monitored along specific grazing circuits every three months. Grazing itineraries were recorded by means of a hand global positioning system (GPS). Diet composition was determined by direct observation method in pre-set intervals of 15 minutes during the day. For each observation point, herbaceous communities, shrubs and tree species consumed were recorded. Diet selection was estimated by Krueger’s preference index and the degree of overlap between diets was estimated using the Kulczynskis similarity index. The diet of goats had a significantly higher content of shrubs (27%) and trees species (24%) than sheep (6% and 10% respectively). Sheep diet comprised 84 % of herbaceous plants, whereas this group only represented 49 % in goat diet. Erica sp. and Rubus sp. were the shrubs with the highest preference index for goats. Both animals avoided Cytisus multiflorus in winter and spring, and Cistus ladanifer in summer. Goats showed a higher preference for Fraxinus excelsior and Quercus rotundifolia. Goat diversity of forage on offer and animal diet was significantly higher than on the sheep diet. Plant species diversity in sheep and goat diets significantly increased in autumn compared to spring. The average of diets’ overlap was higher during the winter and lower in summer. The length of grazing itineraries and diet diversity reflects the level of dependence on natural resources and consequently it´s level of extensification.	pt_PT
dc.identifier.citation	Castro, Marina; Fernández-Núñez, E. (2016). Seasonal grazing of goats and sheep on Mediterranean mountain rangelands of northeast Portugal. Livestock Research for Rural Development. ISSN 0121-3784. 28:5, p. 1-13	pt_PT
dc.identifier.issn	0121-3784
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10198/12923
dc.language.iso	eng	pt_PT
dc.peerreviewed	yes	pt_PT
dc.publisher	Centro para la Investigación en Sistemas Sostenibles de Producción Agropecuaria	pt_PT
dc.relation.publisherversion	http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd28/5/cast28091.html	pt_PT
dc.rights.uri	http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/	pt_PT
dc.subject	Diet diversity	pt_PT
dc.subject	Diet overlap	pt_PT
dc.subject	Diet selection	pt_PT
dc.subject	Small ruminants	pt_PT
dc.title	Seasonal grazing of goats and sheep on Mediterranean mountain rangelands of northeast Portugal	pt_PT
dc.type	journal article
dspace.entity.type	Publication
oaire.citation.title	Livestock Research for Rural Development	pt_PT
oaire.citation.volume	28 (5)	pt_PT
person.familyName	Castro
person.givenName	Marina
person.identifier	2303569
person.identifier.ciencia-id	6417-7D8D-FD7E
person.identifier.orcid	0000-0002-6368-8098
person.identifier.rid	B-5197-2016
person.identifier.scopus-author-id	56612728000
rcaap.rights	openAccess	pt_PT
rcaap.type	article	pt_PT
relation.isAuthorOfPublication	a7a3b08e-9d22-4faf-9224-36924d8ce7c8
relation.isAuthorOfPublication.latestForDiscovery	a7a3b08e-9d22-4faf-9224-36924d8ce7c8