Effect of supplementation with barley and activated charcoal on intake of biochemically diverse Mediterranean shrubs

Abstract

The Mediterranean maquis ecosystem is regionally the most important habitat for domestic sheep and goats as well as wild animals. Many grasses and forbs are valuable livestock foods, but the forage value of the Mediterranean shrubs varies considerably. We experimentally determined the effect of supplementing goats with activated charcoal (Ach) and barley and barley alone, on the intake of five dominant shrubs ( Quercus ilex, Arbutus unedo, Juniperus phoenicea, Viburnum tinus, Pistacia lentiscus) from the Mediterranean maquis community. Generally, supplementing goats with Ach + barley or barley alone increased intake of all the five species of shrubs substantially compared with un-supplemented animals. The combination of Ach and barely increased intake more than barley alone for A. unedo, J. phoenicea and P. lentiscus, while for Q. ilex and V. tinus barley alone increased the goat intake to the same level as for the Ach + barley treatment. The overall consumption of the different shrub species varied and goats preferred Q. ilex and A. unedo over V. tinus, P. lentiscus and J. phoenicea. This study shows that barley alone or in combination with Ach enhances the use of secondary compounds-rich Mediterranean shrubs. Goats supplemented with barley and Ach can be used as an environmentally safe and economically viable method to reduce the abundance of secondary compound-rich shrubs and increase the production of nutritionally important grasses and forbs with subsequent creation of a more diverse Mediterranean maquis plant community.