Food habits and preferences of barbary sheep (Ammotragus lervia) in the Eastern High Atlas national park, Morocco
1996
Hafidi, M.E.M
The present study was undertaken in the Eastern High Atlas National Park, in Morocco. The food habits and preferences of Barbary sheep (Ammotragus lervia) in fall and winter were determined using the feeding trials method based on a cafeteria style. Browse class was found to be its major diet component during the two seasons with 52.7 per cent and 56.6 per cent respectively. Although the proportions of this forage class remained approximately the same in the diet during both seasons, the proportions of individual species consumed varied greatly between the two seasons. Grasses and forbs were relatively important making up 27.4 per cent and 19.9 per cent in the fall diet, and 21.0 per cent and 23.4 per cent in the winter diet respectively. Quercus rotundifolia acorns and Fraxinus dimorpha were the species the most preferred by Barbary sheep during the fall season. Quercus rotundifolia and Astragalus turolensis were the species the most preferred during the winter season. An analysis was performed for specific nutrients (Crude proteins, minerals, gross energy and acid detergent fiber) for the most important plant species in the fall Barbary sheep diet. Dry matter intake of these species has significant positive correlation (R = 0.46; P 0.04) with crude proteins and negative correlation with gross energy (-0.36; P 0.09), minerals (-0.41; P 0.07) and ADF (-0.40; P 0.07). These nutrients together, account for almost 54 per cent (adjusted R2) of the experimental Barbary sheep ration selectivity, while the remaining 46 per cent is related to other factors
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