Behaviour of horses and cattle at two stocking densities in a coastal salt marsh

摘要: Livestock grazing has been practiced in salt marshes the Wadden Sea area since 600 B.C. Currently livestock is also applied for conservation management. However, effects of such management on are likely to vary depending species and stocking density due differences behaviour animals. Yet, little known about different densities marshes. We studied horses cattle by focal observation an experiment with four treatments a coastal marsh. In all we recorded diet choice, movement activity, spatial distribution. shared overlap choice. more often foraged short grass Puccinellia maritima, while contained higher amount Aster tripolium. Horses travelled longer distances per day spent time than cattle. Spatial distribution was significantly clustered, showed random utilizing whole area. Animal differs between respect activity