Animal-Driven Rotational Grazing Patterns on Seasonally Grazed New Mexico Rangeland

摘要: Abstract Global positioning system (GPS) data collected over a 4-yr period on 52 crossbred young cows grazing 146-ha pasture were used to determine whether cattle establish patch-scale rotational patterns within pastures. Cow positions at 5-min intervals recorded during 20 d in late winter/early spring. Estimated per capita forage allowance (PCFA) was 347 kg herbage · cow -1 , 438 1 104 and 1 884 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, respectively. Cumulative spring precipitation (CPPT) low 2004 2006 (35 mm 30 mm, respectively) high 2005 2007 (119 112 respectively). Structured query language codes developed for this study 1) select GPS points with movement velocities between 1 m · min 2) overlay location map subdivided into 30 × 30 m pixels, 3) calculate percentage of grazed pixels (% GP), pixel residence time (RT), revisit rate (RR), return interval (RI) each animal. Cows 31% ± 5.9 SEM all 21 min ± 3.7 SEM, visited 1.6 times ± 0.18 returned after 5 D ± 2  SEM. As PCFA increased, % GP decreased ( r  = -0.42) RI increased  = 0.73) significantly P  = -0.46) RR  = 0.6) R 2  = 0.28) regardless PCFA. The same predictors explained most the variation when  = 0.86  = 00.76, appear their own Nonforage attributes have strong influence such patterns.