Plant and animal responses to beef cattle grazing in a Mediterranean oak scrub forest in Israel
1995
Gutman, M. | Seligman, N.G. (Agricultural Research Organization, Bet Dagan (Israel). The Volcani Center. Dept. of Natural Resources) | Henkin, Z. (Galilee Technological Center, Kiriat-Shmona (Israel)) | Holzer, Z. (Agricultural Research Organization, Neve Yaar (Israel). Dept. of Beef Cattle)
A cattle trial was conducted during eleven years in a Mediterranean oak scrub forest in Israel. The herbaceous cover increased steadily under both heavy and moderate grazing, this increase was accompanied by a decrease in the prunings and leaf litter that were almost eliminated over time. The herbaceous cover was higher and the woody cover was lower in the heavily grazed paddock. There was a steady increase in herbaceous biomass throughout the study period, particularly in the heavily grazed paddock where the biomass at the end was nearly ten times greater than at the beginning. The mean grazing pressure was about 50 per cent higher in the heavily grazed paddock. Nevertheless, there was almost no difference in mean weaning weight between the stocking rates, and as a consequence, the production of weaned calf weight per unit area was 50 per cent higher in the heavily grazed paddock. This was partially balanced by heavier supplementation per cow so that the feeding investment was about 13 per cent higher per weaned kg
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