Adaptive multi-paddock grazing management reduces diet quality of yearling cattle in shortgrass steppe

IF 1.2 4区 环境科学与生态学 Q4 ECOLOGY
Rangeland Journal Pub Date : 2024-02-06 DOI:10.1071/rj23047
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Abstract

Adaptive multi-paddock (AMP) grazing is hypothesised to improve livestock diet quality by allowing managers to move livestock among paddocks in a manner that tracks phenological variation in forage growth related to variation in plant community composition. We compared yearling steer (Bos taurus) dietary crude protein (CP), digestible organic matter (DOM), and diet composition on a ranch-scale (2600 ha, 10 pairs of 130 ha paddocks) experiment in shortgrass steppe for 6 years (2014–2019) in contrasting grazing treatments: Collaborative Adaptive Rangeland Management (CARM, a type of AMP with a stakeholder group making science-informed management decisions within the grazing season) and season-long, continuous grazing (TRM, traditional rangeland management). These grazing treatments had the same system-level stocking rate annually but differed in stocking density, with CARM being 10-fold higher than TRM because of all steers in the CARM treatment being in a single herd. Mean grazing-season dietary CP was consistently 13–28% higher in TRM than CARM; in contrast, DOM in TRM was similar to CARM or only slightly higher (2.5%). Differences in diet quality between CARM and TRM grazing strategies were largest early in the grazing season, with CP being 14–36% higher for TRM compared to CARM steers during the first 4 weeks; these diet-quality differences between treatments disappeared towards the end of the grazing season. Implementing AMP on the basis of a diverse stakeholder group’s experiential knowledge about plant communities, soils, and ecological sites did alter within-grazing season plant functional group contributions to steer diets. Although we implemented adaptive decision-making within the grazing season, which allowed CARM steers to track the seasonal phenology of C3 versus C4 grasses as steers rotated among paddocks varying in plant community composition, these adaptive movements did not offset the detrimental effects on diet quality associated with grazing in a herd with 10-fold higher stocking density. Managers applying AMP in semiarid rangelands should be cognisant that high stocking density can be associated with lower diet quality early in the growing season, which can compromise livestock gain responses.

适应性多牧场放牧管理降低了矮草草原上一岁牛的饮食质量
适应性多围场放牧(AMP)被认为可以提高牲畜的日粮质量,因为管理者可以通过跟踪与植物群落组成变化相关的牧草生长物候变化的方式在围场间移动牲畜。我们在一个牧场规模(2600 公顷,10 对 130 公顷的围场)的短草草原上进行了为期 6 年(2014-2019 年)的试验,在对比放牧处理中比较了一岁犊牛(Bos taurus)的日粮粗蛋白(CP)、可消化有机物(DOM)和日粮组成:协作式适应性牧场管理(CARM,一种由利益相关者团体在放牧季节内做出科学管理决策的 AMP)和季节性连续放牧(TRM,传统牧场管理)。这些放牧处理的系统年放养率相同,但放养密度不同,其中CARM的放养密度是TRM的10倍,因为CARM处理中的所有母牛都在一个牧群中。TRM的放牧季节平均日粮CP始终比CARM高13-28%;相比之下,TRM的DOM与CARM相似,或仅略高于CARM(2.5%)。CARM和TRM放牧策略之间的日粮质量差异在放牧季节的早期最大,在最初的4周内,TRM的CP比CARM高14-36%;在放牧季节的末期,处理之间的这些日粮质量差异消失了。根据不同利益相关者对植物群落、土壤和生态地点的经验知识实施 AMP,确实改变了放牧季节内植物功能群对母牛日粮的贡献。虽然我们在放牧季节内实施了适应性决策,使 CARM 牛群在植物群落组成不同的围场之间轮牧时,能够追踪 C3 与 C4 草的季节物候,但这些适应性运动并不能抵消放牧密度高出 10 倍的牛群放牧对日粮质量的不利影响。在半干旱牧场应用AMP的管理者应该认识到,高放牧密度可能会导致生长季节早期日粮质量下降,从而影响牲畜的增重反应。
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来源期刊
Rangeland Journal
Rangeland Journal 环境科学-生态学
CiteScore
2.90
自引率
8.30%
发文量
14
审稿时长
>36 weeks
期刊介绍: The Rangeland Journal publishes original work that makes a significant contribution to understanding the biophysical, social, cultural, economic, and policy influences affecting rangeland use and management throughout the world. Rangelands are defined broadly and include all those environments where natural ecological processes predominate, and where values and benefits are based primarily on natural resources. Articles may present the results of original research, contributions to theory or new conclusions reached from the review of a topic. Their structure need not conform to that of standard scientific articles but writing style must be clear and concise. All material presented must be well documented, critically analysed and objectively presented. All papers are peer-reviewed. The Rangeland Journal is published on behalf of the Australian Rangeland Society.
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