Field metabolic rate and water turnover of red kangaroos and sheep in an arid rangeland: an empirically derived dry-sheep-equivalent for kangaroos

摘要: Sustainable management of pastures requires detailed knowledge total grazing pressure, but this information is critically lacking in Australia’s rangelands where livestock co-occur with large herbivorous marsupials. We present the first comparative measure field metabolic rate (an index food requirement) largest marsupial, red kangaroo (Macropus rufus), that domestic sheep (Ovis aries; merino breed). tested assumption pressure kangaroos equivalent to 0.7 sheep, and show be a two-fold overestimation their contribution grazing. Moreover, had extraordinarily lower rates water turnover, being only 13% sheep. Consequently, our data support arguments removal may not markedly improve rangeland capacity for stock. Furthermore, given low resource requirements kangaroos, use consumptive non-consumptive enterprises can provide additional benefits than occur under traditional practices.