The ecological influence of large herbivores – behavior and habitat utilization of cattle and horses

Abstract

Heck cattle (Bos taurus primigenius, 23 individuals) and Exmoor ponies (Equus ferus caballus,11 individuals) were introduced in a 171 ha tract of forest and pasture. Time budgets of behavior and habitat preferences were calculated. Horses showed significantly more grazing (p < 0.001), standing (p < 0.01) and comfort behavior (p < 0.05) and more lying (p < 0.001) and relocation (p < 0.001) than cattle. The overall preference indices (Chesson index) had positive values at both species in open pastures (cattle 0,42 and horses 0.33) and for the edges of the wood (0.16, 0.13). The closed wood was avoided by the cattle with -0.51 and horses with -0.57. The highest preference values based on feces dispersion were +0.84 for the cattle in open pasture and +0.64 for the horses in the alder marsh. Both species showed the highest habitat preferences for feeding in open pastures (0.81, 0.77) and for moving in edges of the wooded areas (0.75, 0.69). Horses preferred the closed wooded area for resting (0.17). The median of the daily distances walked was larger for cattle than for horses (p<0.001) but horses reached the larger maximal distance per day (7018 m ) compared to cattle (6762 m).