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Studies examining forage selection by large herbivores have generally focused on single
herbivore-plant relationships and few studies link plant species diversity with large herbivore
feeding preferences, particularly in species-rich ecosystems. A study was therefore conducted to
examine how herbaceous plant biomass, species richness, diversity and evenness, together with
elevation and distances to houses, agricultural fields and cattle holding-pen areas (kraals), predict
cattle grazing intensity at small (0.5 x 0.5 m) and large (20 x 50 m) patches by semi free-ranging
indigenous cattle in Kilombero Valley Floodplain wetland Tanzania. Results showed that cattle
grazed patches with high species richness and intermediate level of biomass at a small spatial
scale, suggesting that selection of small patches is a trade-off between food quality and quantity.
On a larger scale, cattle grazed patches with a higher abundance of palatable plant species with
high biomass, but with less plant species diversity. Moreover, grazing intensity in large patches
was positively related to elevation and distance from agricultural fields. Overall, this study shows
that considering both plant community properties and physiographic variables in forage selection
studies facilitates a better understanding of grazing ecology of large domestic herbivores in
species-rich ecosystems. Thus, maintenance of plant species richness and biomass in wetland
rangelands is important to improve domestic herbivore production and conservation of
biodiversity. |
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