Forage Availability Research Articles

PSII-20 Virtual Fencing of Rangeland Cows During Late Lactation and Following Weaning

Abstract Virtual fencing is a promising alternative to contain livestock dispersal without using physical barriers. This technology uses smart-wearable collars that deliver predictable warning tones to animals when they approach virtual boundaries paired with mild electric pulses. Virtual fencing allows for dynamic management of livestock grazing, based on site-specific variations in the quality and quantity of forages. However, several factors can affect the efficacy of virtual fencing, including the length of prior experience with virtual fencing, climatic conditions, forage availability inside and outside virtual fencing paddocks and collar configuration schedules. Lactation requirements and social interactions between collared cows and uncollared calves can also influence the efficacy of the technology. Virtual fencing trials were conducted at the New Mexico State University’s Chihuahuan Desert Rangeland Research Center from August 27 to December 21 of 2022 to evaluate the efficacy of virtual fencing to manage rangeland cows during late lactation and following weaning. Twenty-six Brangus cows previously trained to use NoFence C2 collars (NoFence, Batnfjordsøra, Norway), were monitored for 30 days during late lactation and 28 days after weaning. Collared cows and uncollared calf pairs were allocated to four virtual fence pastures in late lactation and after weaning, with pasture duration (4.2 ± 0.6 d), size (72 ± 19 ha) and perimeter (4,523 ± 352 m) varying according to forage availability and access to fresh drinking water. Audio cues, electric pulses and ratio of electric pulses to audio cues before and after weaning were compared by ANOVA in a Completely Randomized Design replicated across pre-weaning and post-weaning pastures (n = 8). The average number of electric pulses per cow was greater (P < 0.0004) for pre-weaning (3.7 ± 0.2) than for post-weaning post-weaning (1.6 ± 0.3) pastures. The number of audio warnings per cow was also greater (P < 0.0001) for pre-weaning (52 ± 3.3) than post-weaning (34 ± 3.3) pastures. Conversely, cows had decreased (P < 0.0001) ratios of electric pulses relative to audio tones on post-weaning (4.8 ± 0.5%) than pre-weaning (7.0 ± 0.8%) pastures. These results suggest that cows responded better to virtual fencing after weaning, likely because weaned cows were no longer affected by social interactions with uncollared calves. Furthermore, cows after weaning apparently relied on warning tones and fewer electric pulses to interact safely with virtual fences. However, it is important to note that sources of variation not accounted for or controlled by the present experimental design may have also affected the recorded interactions with virtual fences in the present study.

PSIV-12 Monitoring Ewe Forage Selectivity and Consumption of Tall Larkspur (Delphinium Spp.) in Southern Utah Via Visual Observation and Fecal Metabarcoding

Abstract In Southern Utah, sheep are utilized to a greater extent to graze rangeland due to the presence of Tall Larkspur (Delphinium spp.), which is known to be toxic to cattle. The objectives of this study are to quantify to what degree sheep consume Tall Larkspur and identify forage preferences on a diverse rangeland. We hypothesize that ewes consume tall larkspur based off preferences applied to other forages across range. In this study, ewes (n = 400) were grazed across four summer pastures on Cedar Mountain near Cedar City, Utah. Ewe breed types consisted of Suffolk, Targhee, Rambouillet, and their crosses. During the 116-day trial plant consumption type, time of day, forage availability, weather, range utilization, and apparent weight of sheep were monitored and recorded. Data were collected via a 5-minute bite count procedure, noting all variables above, for each observed ewe. Fecal samples were collected and used for fecal metabarcoding (fDNA) at approximately 30% pasture utilization, which measures the proportion of plant DNA in the feces to determine forage species consumed. Plant species were sorted into functional groups (forbs, grass likes, grasses, shrubs, and trees). Data were evaluated through a CART analysis in R v4.1.2 and stratified using the GLM procedure in SAS v9.4. There was an increase in consumption of forbs, shrubs, and grasses over time, (P < 0.001), (P = 0.01), and (P < 0.001), respectively. For the grass-like and lichen plant types, there is little evidence of forage preference, (P = 0.7) and (P = 1.00) respectively. Fecal metabarcoding analysis indicates that protein content of diet originated from forbs, grass likes, grasses, shrubs, and trees by approximately 57%, 1%, 5%, 6%, and 31%, respectively. Tall Larkspur appeared in fDNA samples, but did not represent a significant portion of the diet. Our findings indicate that sheep in Southern Utah utilize tall larkspur on range to a small extent in their diet, but do not preferentially graze it over other forb species.

PSI-19 Neonatal Lamb Growth and Thermoregulation After Nutrient Specific Restriction in Gestation

Abstract Depending on seasonal availability and quality of range forage, extensively managed ewes can experience nutrient restriction during any point of gestation. Neonatal lamb performance after severe experimental nutrient restriction during gestation has been well studied; however, there is a gap in understanding of how practical nutrient restriction experienced over the course of a production cycle impacts lamb success. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the first week fetal growth and development, and thermoregulation biomarkers in neonatal lambs from ewes fed a diet that simulates winter forage. Time-mated and confirmed pregnant Rambouillet x Merino ewes were blocked by body weight and allocated to one of two dietary treatments. Treatments consisted of 1) Control diet (CONT) formulated to meet or exceed the National Research Council (NRC) nutrient requirements for gestating ewes fed throughout gestation; 2) Nutrient restricted diet (NR) formulated to meet 70% of total digestible nutrient (TDN) and 50% of protein requirements from 30 to 125 d of gestation (dGA) and then re-alimented with the CONT diet for the remainder of gestation. Ewes were individually fed from 25 dGA to 137 dGA, then group fed through lambing. From 30 dGA to lambing, weekly body weights, bimonthly body condition scores (BCS), and monthly blood glucose concentrations were recorded for all ewes. A treatment by time interaction was observed where NR ewes weighed less (P < 0.05) starting at week 8 of the treatment period through lambing. There were effects of treatment and time on BCS, as ewes receiving the NR diet had lesser (P < 0.05) BCS compared with CONT ewes regardless of time in gestation. There were no observed differences in blood glucose concentrations between groups. At lambing, rectal temperature, birth weight and morphometrics (crown-rump length, abdominal circumference, head circumference, and cannon bone length) were collected on all lambs. Collection of rectal temperature and bodyweight continued daily for the first week of life. There were no differences in birthweight or birth morphometrics; however, growth by body weight in the first week of life was greater (P < 0.05) in NR (n = 10) compared with CONT lambs (n = 12), with an effect of progeny number. Additionally, treatment by day interactions were observed with NR lambs having lower (P < 0.05) body temperatures on days one, four, and five compared with CONT lambs. These data suggest that sustained nutrient challenge during gestation, even when re-alimented in late gestation, may produce lambs that are at increased risk of hypothermia. While maternal nutrient supplementation in late gestation is a common practice, it is crucial for producers to consider nutritional supplementation strategies throughout gestation to limit the number of lambs that require increased intervention after birth.

8 Impacts of Future Climate Scenarios on the Beef Industry of the Great Plains and Western Us

Abstract Global average temperatures have increased by 1.1 degrees Celsius compared with pre-Industrial times and future temperature increases will be driven by anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions trends. Impacts of climate change vary by geographic regions, with the Great Plains and Western US likely to experience increased temperatures, increased frequency of drought, and more extreme precipitation events. These climate impacts can affect the beef industry in those regions in multiple ways from increasing heat stress, decreasing forage availability, impacting forage quality, and reducing water availability for drinking water and feed production. In the southwestern US, increasing temperatures are likely to increase evapotranspiration, reduce snow cover, and lead to earlier snow melts, all of which can contribute to the aridification of the region. For cow-calf production within the region, aridification will reduce the forage biomass available for grazing cattle operations and reduce carrying capacity, creating potential vulnerabilities to rangeland ecosystems and rural communities dependent upon the cattle industry. Increased incidence of heat waves in the Great Plains and Western US can negatively impact vulnerable cattle populations, such as finishing cattle, particularly those housed in environments with minimal heat stress mitigation measures. Decreased water availability can potentially shift cattle production and feed production away from arid regions dependent upon vulnerable water resources, such as the Colorado River and Ogallala aquifer. In general, the increased climate variability and aridification of some parts of the Great Plains and Western US will create risks for the beef industry that will likely necessitate changes, from shifting cattle population to increased use of heat stress mitigation strategies.

178 Tag Your It: Use of Wearable Biometric and Remote Sensing Technology to Monitor Animal Growth, Performance, and Efficiency in Extensively Managed Landscapes

Abstract Energy budgets in grazing cattle are notoriously difficult to study given complex environmental and physiological interactions between plants and animals, each operating according to individual grazing budgets. However, these synergistic energy pathways can be modeled using a series of mechanistic relationships describing forage resource distribution and animal behavior, each which can be observed with high levels of accuracy and precision using biometric sensors and remote sensing technology. The objective of this study is to demonstrate the coordination of data inputs into a coherent framework utilizing biometric and remote sensing technology. Crossbred steers (n = 10) were fitted with GPS and video tracking collars (Vectronic) and accelerometers (Wildbytes technologies), then managed for 286 days as part of a broader research grazing ecology project on pasture (~11.54 hectare) comprised of bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) and tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) and equipped with an automated walk-over-weigh (TruTest) scale system. Distribution of forage quality was sampled monthly with a ½ m2 quadrat using a 20 x 20-meter grid (n = 297) and remotely assessed via an unmanned aerial vehicle (Matrice 100) mounted hyperspectral camera (MicaSense) at 8 cm resolution. Animal behavior was predicted utilizing a trained randomforest prediction algorithm, and linked to geo-location and forage quality at the spatial-temporal scale in Program R. We then constructed animal ethogram, distribution of forage quality, and spatial-temporal distribution of animal behavior across the grazing landscape for a test period. We found steers allocated the greatest proportion of time to grazing and resting behaviors, 30 and 60% respectively, with the remainder dedicated to ruminating and walking behaviors. A diurnal, circadian rhythm in animal behavior demonstrates that steers grazed between 0900 and 1000 in the morning, and again between 1300 and 2000 in the evening, while resting behavior dominated the hours between 0300 and 0900, with a slight increase in grazing behavior noted at 0600, or approximately sunrise. Animal behavior linked forage availability showed steers selectively grazed areas with higher NDVI signatures, while seeking sources of water and cover to practice resting behavior. Given the need to develop robust models predicting forage intake and energy in grazing animals to improve sustainability and environmental metrics, animal tracking and biometric technologies offer a vital solution to improving management of extensively managed grazing livestock.

Deer dietary responses to wildfire: Optimal foraging, individual specialization, or opportunism?

Increasing impacts of wildfire on arid regions of the world fuelled by climate change highlight the need to better understand how natural communities respond to fire. We took advantage of a large (1660-km2 ) wildfire that erupted in northern California during an in-progress study of black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus) to investigate deer use of and diets within burned and unburned habitats before and after the fire. We compared deer diet breadth to predictions of optimal foraging theory, the niche variation hypothesis, and opportunistic (i.e., generalist) foraging expectations under the assumption that overall availability and diversity of forage in burned areas declined immediately after the fire and increased as the plant community recovered in the next 3 years after the fire. We used faecal pellet counts to document space use and metabarcoding to study diet during pre-fire, post-fire, and recovery periods. Pellet counts supported predictions that deer increased use of unburned sites and reduced use of burn sites after the fire and began to return to burned sites in subsequent sampling years. Diet diversity did not differ significantly between control and burn sites before the fire, but was lower in burn than control sites post-fire (p < .001), when and where diet was dominated by oak (Quercus spp). In contrast, during subsequent years, diet diversity was higher (including more herbaceous plants) in burn than control sites (p < .05). In contrast to predictions of optimal foraging and niche variation hypotheses, individual deer foraged as generalists for which changes in dietary niche breadth paralleled fire-induced changes in diversity of the plant community.

High-resolution assessment of the carrying capacity and utilization intensity in mountain rangelands with remote sensing and field data

Dry rangelands provide resources for half of the world's livestock, but degradation due to overgrazing is a major threat to system sustainability. Existing carrying capacity assessments are limited by low spatiotemporal resolution and high generalization, which hampers applied ecological management decisions. This paper provides an example for deriving the carrying capacity and utilization levels for cold drylands at a new level of detail by including major parts of the transhumance system. We combined field data on vegetation biomass and communities, forage quality, productivity, livestock species and quantities, grazing areas and their spatiotemporal variations with Sentinel-2 and MODIS snow cover satellite imagery to develop maps of forage requirements and availability. These products were used to calculate carrying capacity and grazing potential in the Pamir-Hindukush Mountains. Results showed high spatial variability of utilization rates between 5% and 77%. About 30% of the area showed unsustainable grazing above the carrying capacity. Utilization rates displayed strong spatial differences with unsustainable grazing in winter pastures and at lower elevations, and low rates at higher altitudes. The forage requirements of wild herbivores (ungulates and marmots) were estimated to be negligible compared to livestock, with one tenth of the biomass consumption and no increase in unsustainably grazed pastures due to the wider distribution of animals. The assessment was sensitive to model parameterization of forage requirements and demand, whereby conservative scenarios, i.e. lower fodder availability or higher fodder requirements of livestock due to climate and altitude effects, increased the area with unsustainable grazing practices to 50%. The presented approach enables an in-depth evaluation of the carrying capacity and corresponding management actions. It includes new variables relevant for transhumance systems, such as the combination of forage quantity and quality or accessibility restrictions due to snow, and shows utilization patterns at high spatial resolutions. Regional maps allow the identification of unsustainable utilization areas, such as winter pastures in this study.

315 Awardee Talk: Late Gestational Nutrient Restriction Alters Postnatal Nutrient Delivery and Calf pre-Weaning Growth in the Primiparous Beef Female

Abstract Nutrient requirements increase dramatically in the late gestation beef female to allow for proper growth and function of the uteroplacenta, fetus, and mammary gland. In fall- and spring-calving systems, late gestation grazing beef cattle often have limited forage nutrient availability. Late gestational nutrient restriction research generally associates decreased prenatal nutrient delivery with programming fetal growth and development, resulting in poor postnatal outcomes. However, the effects gestational nutrient partitioning may have on programming the mammary gland to decrease postnatal nutrient delivery is far less understood. In a fall-calving experiment, primiparous females were individually fed either 100% or 70% of energy and protein requirements from d 160 of gestation until parturition. Nutrient restricted females lost body weight and condition and had less nutrients in maternal circulation during late pregnancy. Calf birth weight was not affected, but nutrient restricted dams had less vigorous calves and 40% less colostrum yield. Colostrum of nutrient restricted females was more concentrated with IgG, and calf 48-h serum IgG indicated that offspring of both treatments had successful passive transfer of immunity. Colostrum of nutrient restricted females had less total lactose, but similar total protein and triglycerides compared with control females. Even when females were fed to meet their energy and protein requirements during lactation, late gestational nutrient restriction reduced milk yield by 15% and decreased milk protein concentration during the first 150 d of lactation. Reduced milk production was partially explained by a 19% reduction in blood flow supplying the mammary gland during this time. Less total lactose, protein, and triglycerides provided by the milk resulted in calf body weight diverging by 42 d of age, and calves born to nutrient restricted dams were 13% smaller at weaning. Interestingly, calf metabolic status pre-weaning was not as severely altered as expected considering milk nutrient and calf growth differences. By d 21 of lactation, metabolic status of previously nutrient restricted dams had returned to concentrations similar to control dams. During lactation, previously nutrient restricted females gained maternal weight faster and increased body condition, but had still not fully recovered to that of control females by weaning. Females were managed together and followed through their second parity to examine effects during the subsequent parity. Previously nutrient restricted dams still weighed less, were in thinner body condition, and had less mammary blood flow during their second lactation. Lactational performance and second parity calf growth were similar between treatments. While late gestational nutrient restriction may not always reduce fetal growth, our results illustrate that impaired postnatal nutrient delivery mechanisms in the cow and calf deserve continued consideration. Additionally, persisting effects in the second parity on maternal size, fleshing ability, and mammary blood flow demonstrate the possibility of long-term programming effects on the dam.

157 Daily Versus Three Times a Week Ddgs Supplementation on Grazing Calves

Abstract Supplemental feed may be provided to cattle in grazing systems to increase ADG, but can be labor intensive. This study evaluated the performance of steers grazing smooth bromegrass pastures supplemented dried distillers grains plus solubles (DDGS) either daily or three times per week. Crossbred steers (n = 144, initial BW 317 ± 1.25 kg) were used in a randomized complete block design with 3 treatments allocated randomly to 24 paddocks in one of 6 blocks. Treatments consisted of: 1) steers supplemented daily with 0.8% of BW (DM-basis) of DDGS, 2) steers supplemented three times a week with 1.86% of BW (DM-basis) of DDGS, and 3) steers that received no supplementation (control). All steers were implanted with 40 mg trenbolone acetate and 8 mg estradiol (Rev-G; Merck Animal Health, De Soto, KS) implants. Paddocks were divided equally into three strips and rotationally grazed. Put-and-take steers were utilized to match stocking rate with forage growth. Each treatment group rotated through three 0.81-hectare strips per pasture. Pre-graze and post-graze biomass was measured at ground level from each paddock at each rotation. Pre-graze biomass samples were used to determine forage availability. Grazing was initiated in early May with cattle removed from pastures in August, for a total of 97 grazing days. Data were analyzed with MIXED procedure of SAS with paddock as experimental unit and treatment and block as fixed effects. Treatment means of ADG and ending BW differed (P &amp;lt; 0.01) among treatments. The control calves gained 0.85 kg/d. The supplemented treatments significantly increased (P &amp;lt; 0.01) ADG compared with the control, with daily supplementation gaining 1.25 kg/d and 3x gaining 1.11 kg/d. The ADG was decreased (P &amp;lt; 0.01) with 3x a week compared with daily supplementation. The differences in ADG resulted in similar differences in final live BW. The control had a finial live BW of 398 kg and final live BW of both supplemented treatments was significantly increased (P &amp;lt; 0.01) when compared with the control treatment. Final live BW of 3x supplemented steers (423 kg) was decreased (P &amp;lt; 0.01) when compared with daily supplemented steers (436 kg). For steers grazing smooth bromegrass pastures, daily supplementation of DDGS resulted in greater gains and therefore greater final BW when compared with three times a week supplementation and the non-supplemented control.

Carrying capacity and cumulative effects management: A case study using bighorn sheep

AbstractSuccessful cumulative effects management is fundamental for conservation policy and practice. We investigated the application of a carrying capacity (CC) model as a cumulative effects management tool for bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis canadensis) in British Columbia, Canada, where CC is defined as the natural limit of a sustainable population that is set by the availability of resources in the environment. We estimated winter CC using forage availability across winter ranges, weighted by relative selection by sheep and a safe use factor, and divided by overwinter forage requirements to determine how many sheep the landscape can support. We explored application of our model to decision‐making about new industrial projects or conservation activities in a cumulative effects context. Cumulative effects include both positive and negative contributions to animal populations and we simulated the potential positive outcomes of burning to increase bighorn sheep carrying capacity in our study area. Our results show that carefully planned conservation actions could generate a 5% increase in CC (i.e., from 493 to 519 sheep). Robust tools and scientific techniques that are capable of quantifying multiple impacts and conservation actions and that consider spatial processes over long temporal scales, such as the CC model presented, should be applied to help inform decisions about how to better manage cumulative habitat change and achieve conservation objectives.

Genetic diversity for agronomic and bromatological traits in forage cactus

This work aimed to estimate the genetic diversity in accessions of Opuntia ficus-indica collected in 13 regions of the semiarid region of Bahia. A total of 65 accessions were evaluated in a randomized complete block design, with three replications, at the Rio Seco experimental station belonging to the State University of Feira de Santana, Amélia Rodrigues-BA. Characterization of the accessions was made through the evaluation of 17 descriptors, namely 11 agronomic and six bromatological. The average Euclidean distance was used to estimate the genetic diversity among accessions. The shortest distances were obtained for accessions from the same collection site while the largest were observed in accessions 54 and 62 (10.32 DE) and 63 and 3 (10.22 DE). The analysis of canonical variables indicated cladodes total number (CTN), plant width (PW), CL, plant height (PH), ether extract (EE), and dry weight (DW) for discard as they presented the lowest contribution of the data set variation. Principal component analysis and K-means method were used to establish the clusters, and the formation of four groups was indicated. The first two principal components captured 52.5% of the total variation present in accessions. The descriptors with the greatest contribution to the variation observed in O. ficus-indica were total cladode photosynthetic area (TCPA), cladode area (CA), and cladodes width (CW). There is divergence between cactus forage accessions collected in the semiarid region of Bahia. This information will allow the use of these materials for the formation of segregating populations in the genetic improvement program of the State University of Feira de Santana. The accessions of groups III and IV should be explored by the forage cactus breeding program, as they presented greater productive potential.

Moderate grazing intensities modulate canopy structure that influences short‐term intake rate of heifers grazing a natural grassland

AbstractGrazing management frequently relies on forage availability as an indicator of performance. However, canopy structure and composition can play an important role in foraging behavior and intake in native grasslands. Here, we aim to (1) assess the effect of grazing management on herbage biomass, tussock cover, average canopy and inter‐tussock canopy height, and to (2) study the effect of these canopy structure components on short‐term intake rate (STIR) and patch selectivity of beef cattle, in a native grassland in the Campos region in southern Brazil. Ten 1000 m2 experimental units were built in five paddocks (two per paddock) managed with different herbage allowance (HA) treatments: four fixed year‐round HA (1 to 4 kg dry matter [DM]/kg live weight [LW]) and one variable HA (2 and 3 kg DM/kg LW during spring and the rest of the year, respectively). The experimental units were grazed individually with four heifers during 45 min, in two grazing cycles. Before each grazing session, we assessed the total herbage mass, average and inter‐tussock canopy height, and tussock cover. During the 45‐min grazing sessions, we evaluated the STIR (g DM/kg LW0.75/min) and grazing time in tussock and inter‐tussock strata. Increasing the HA increased the total herbage mass, canopy height and tussock cover. The STIR was maximized with herbage mass of 2200 kg DM/ha and a tussock cover of ~7%, canopy structures related with moderate grazing intensities (i.e., 2 and 3 kg DM/kg LW), which increased the selection opportunity by herbivores. Canopy structures associated with heavy (1 kg DM/kg LW) and lenient grazing intensity (4 kg DM/kg LW) determined linear decreases of 50% in STIR.

Navigating the wildland-urban interface: Sensory pollution and infrastructure effects on mule deer behavior and connectivity

Climate and land-use change are modifying the availability of food and water resources, which is driving more wildlife to the wildland-urban interface. For many wildlife populations, use of these areas still requires habitat connectivity both within the interface and/or to wildland habitats. However, navigating these areas can be difficult due to human development and sensory pollutants, such as artificial night light. Determining how these components of urbanization influence the behaviors and functional connectivity of species is important for managing wildlife within these mixed-use landscapes. Here we used a movescape approach based on graph theory to characterize functional uses of the landscape using metrics for behavior, connectivity, and space use intensity. We found that mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus; n = 43) functional uses of anthropogenic landscapes in the Intermountain West, USA, were dependent not only on physical barriers, terrain, and sensory factors, but also the local levels of light exposure and vegetative greenness. Remotely sensed artificial light levels had a strong influence on how mule deer used the landscape by reducing the intensity of use in the most illuminated areas given forage availability. In contrast, relatively high local light levels were associated with increased use intensity within less developed areas—highlighting the foraging tradeoffs for species using the wildland-urban interface. Corridor use was reduced in areas where road and housing density were higher, and within-corridor movement was faster when artificial light was high and vegetative greenness was low. Developing a more mechanistic understanding of how species functionally use the landscape in relation to features of urbanization can enhance conservation by delineating areas important for connectivity and foraging, while providing insights into how future development and climate change may alter movement and behavior. Spatially-explicit estimates of functional uses can directly guide management decisions to maintain species resiliency and improve land-use planning.

Compound hazards of climate change, forestry, and other encroachments on winter pasturelands: a storyline approach in a forest reindeer herding community in Northern Sweden

The impacts of climate change on rural cultures and livelihoods depend on how the resulting complex biophysical processes may transform people’s land use practices. We argue that research can incorporate local concerns of compound hazards through deterministic rather than probabilistic approaches to better understand the multiple causations involved in such climate change impacts. We apply mixed methods within a storyline approach to examine how a forest reindeer herding community in Northern Sweden copes with and experiences basal ice formation on their winter pasturelands under the influence of climatic and environmental change. Our results show that the detrimental impact of basal ice formation on the availability of winter forage for reindeer is amplified by the directional effects of climate change and encroachments, especially particular forestry practices and their surrounding infrastructure. On the one hand, we show that policy action can address local concerns through ecological interventions that improve the amount and distribution of ground and pendulous lichens at the pastoral landscape scale. On the other hand, we show that policy inaction can threaten the community’s desired experience of human-animal relations in their landscape, which was inextricably connected to ecological conditions for natural pasture-based reindeer pastoralism.

"Get the best out of what comes in" - adaptation of the microbiota of chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) to seasonal forage availability in the Bavarian Alps.

As an inhabitant of the Alps, chamois are exposed to significant climatic changes throughout the year and are also strongly confronted with changing forage availability. Besides horizontal and vertical migratory movements as an adaptation, it undergoes physiological transformations and dynamic changes in the ruminal microbiota. The following study used 48 chamois of different ages and genders to investigate to which extent the ingested food plants, the resulting crude nutrients in the rumen (reticulorumen) contents, and the bacterial microbiota in the rumen and their fermentation products were influenced by the changes over the seasons. Very little is known about the microbiota of wild ruminants, and many bacterial taxa could only be determined to certain taxonomic levels in this study. However, adapted microbiota reflects the significant changes in the ingested forage and the resulting crude nutrients. For some taxa, our results indicated potential functional relationships. In addition, 15 genera were identified, representing almost 90% of the relative abundance, forming the central part of the microbial community throughout the year. The successful and flexible adaptation of chamois is reflected in the chamois rumen's nutrient and microbial profile. This is also the first study that analyzes the microbiota of the chamois using rumen samples and considers the microbiota in a seasonal comparison.

Physicochemical test of leucaena leucocephala pellets using various types of adhesives

Forage availability is a problem in developing sustainable livestock farming for ruminants in Indonesia. The availability of forage is influenced by several factors, one of which is the availability of land for fodder crop cultivation. The study aimed to test the physicochemistry of Leucaena leucocephala pellets using various types of adhesives originating from local raw materials in the form of tapioca flour, corn flour, sago flour, and commercial adhesives which were carried out for 1 month, namely August 2022 at the Animal Feed Analysis Unit Laboratory, Unit Laboratory Feed Manufacturing, and Transportation Engineering System Laboratory, Halu Oleo University. The results of the study showed that the use of various types of adhesives on the physical and chemical qualities of Leucaena leucocephala forage pellets had a significant effect on the value of pellet durability index, specific gravity, crude protein, dry matter, and organic matter. In contrast, the density value did not show a significant effect. The best results were found using a 3% sago flour adhesive with a Pellet durability index value of 86.71% and a specific gravity of 1.27 g/ml. The adhesive that can improve the chemical quality of Leucaena leucocephala pellets uses 3% corn flour adhesive, which produces a crude protein content of 24.92%. The highest dry material and organic ingredients values are obtained using 3% Tapioca flour adhesive with values of 95.73% and 88.04%.

Preparation of floral calendar of bee flora available in Lamjung district, Nepal

Between March and May 2022, researchers conducted a broad survey in the Lamjung district to ascertain the presence and accessibility of bee-friendly flora to compile a floral calendar. In the PMAMP Bee Zone, 62 respondents were chosen for the interview through a simple random sampling approach, from a pool of 382 registered beekeepers. Primary data collection involved using personal interviews, focus group discussions, and key informant surveys. Secondary data were gathered from publications related to the topic from various institutions. The collected data were then analyzed using IBM SPSS V.26 and Microsoft Excel. Nearly all farmers in the study area kept Apis cerana bees, but due to insufficient irrigation, the crop fields provided limited forage for the bees during certain periods. The lowest number of frames covers by bees was four during the dearth period. Farmers in the Lamjung district did not practice migratory foraging. The majority of the respondents reported an increase in productivity compared to the previous year. However, only 37.1 percent of them cultivated bee flora. The colony carrying capacity of the forage area was not estimated. Additionally, an increase in deforestation was identified as the major problem affecting bee foraging. To address these issues, it was recommended to plant and cultivate perennial trees such as butter trees (Vitellaria paradox), bottle brush (Callistemon speciosus), litchi (Litchi chinensis), sissoo (Dalbergia sissoo), and sunflower (Helianthus annus) with assured irrigation. This approach could ensure year-round forage availability and reduce the need for artificial feeding. The research aimed to explore the current status of honey bee flora and investigate major flora that could be introduced in the study area.

Non-Destructive Methods Used to Determine Forage Mass and Nutritional Condition in Tropical Pastures

The quantification of forage availability in tropical grasses is generally done in a destructive and time-consuming manner, involving cutting, weighing, and waiting for drying. To expedite this process, non-destructive methods can be used, such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) equipped with high-definition cameras, mobile device images, and the use of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). However, these methods have been underutilized in tropical pastures. A literature review was conducted to present the current state of remote tools’ use in predicting forage availability and quality in tropical pastures. Few publications address the use of non-destructive methods to estimate forage availability in major tropical grasses (Megathyrsus maximus; Urochloa spp.). Additionally, these studies do not consider the fertility requirements of each cultivar and the effect of management on the phenotypic plasticity of tillers. To obtain accurate estimates of forage availability and properly manage pastures, it is necessary to integrate remote methods with in situ collection of soil parameters. This way, it will be possible to train machine learning models to obtain precise and reliable estimates of forage availability for domestic ruminant production.

Rhythm of relationships in a social fish over the course of a full year in the wild

BackgroundAnimals are expected to adjust their social behaviour to cope with challenges in their environment. Therefore, for fish populations in temperate regions with seasonal and daily environmental oscillations, characteristic rhythms of social relationships should be pronounced. To date, most research concerning fish social networks and biorhythms has occurred in artificial laboratory environments or over confined temporal scales of days to weeks. Little is known about the social networks of wild, freely roaming fish, including how seasonal and diurnal rhythms modulate social networks over the course of a full year. The advent of high-resolution acoustic telemetry enables us to quantify detailed social interactions in the wild over time-scales sufficient to examine seasonal rhythms at whole-ecosystems scales. Our objective was to explore the rhythms of social interactions in a social fish population at various time-scales over one full year in the wild by examining high-resolution snapshots of a dynamic social network.MethodsTo that end, we tracked the behaviour of 36 adult common carp, Cyprinus carpio, in a 25 ha lake and constructed temporal social networks among individuals across various time-scales, where social interactions were defined by proximity. We compared the network structure to a temporally shuffled null model to examine the importance of social attraction, and checked for persistent characteristic groups over time.ResultsThe clustering within the carp social network tended to be more pronounced during daytime than nighttime throughout the year. Social attraction, particularly during daytime, was a key driver for interactions. Shoaling behavior substantially increased during daytime in the wintertime, whereas in summer carp interacted less frequently, but the interaction duration increased. Therefore, smaller, characteristic groups were more common in the summer months and during nighttime, where the social memory of carp lasted up to two weeks.ConclusionsWe conclude that social relationships of carp change diurnally and seasonally. These patterns were likely driven by predator avoidance, seasonal shifts in lake temperature, visibility, forage availability and the presence of anoxic zones. The techniques we employed can be applied generally to high-resolution biotelemetry data to reveal social structures across other fish species at ecologically realistic scales.

Pendampingan teknologi hidroponik fodder di Gampong Cot Karieng Kecamatan Blang Bintang, Aceh Besar (Fodder hydroponic technology assistance in Cot Karieng Village Blang Bintang Sub-District, Aceh Besar)

The livestock fattening business carried out by the partner group in Cot Karieng Village Blang Bintang Sub-District, Aceh Besar is a part-time business with a traditional pattern. Provision of feed only relies on efforts to find field grass every day. Meanwhile, the availability of forage is very fluctuating wherein during the rainy season, fresh forage is abundantly available, while during the dry season, it is very scarce. The purpose of this activity was to increase the knowledge and skills of partner groups in procuring animal feed, especially for the dry season. The solution offered was the use of hydroponic forage cultivation technology (hydroponic fodder). The seed of the fodder plant used was corn seed. The program implementation method was carried out through a participatory approach (partners were involved and worked together) starting from the initial stage to the final stage. In the first stage, coordination meetings were held so that all involved parties understood the scope of activities. In the second stage, training was carried out on hydroponic fodder cultivation methods, while assembling and applying technology which included making fodder houses (green-houses), installing green-house water networks and the process of cultivating hydroponic fodder plants was conducted in in the third stage. The stages of the cultivation process included washing and disinfecting the corn seeds by immersing them in a 1% chlorine solution for 15 minutes, then the seeds were spread out on trays. Seed moisture was always maintained by an aeroponic system every 1-2 hours for 10 minutes. After 14 days of cultivation, 1 kg of corn seed produced 6 kg of corn fodder. After washing and air-drying the corn fodder was ready to be given to livestock. The results achieved from all the implementation of this activity are the availability of facilities for the production of fodder hydroponic fodder system and the partner groups already have the skills of cultivating fodder using hydroponic fodder system.