Assessment of forage availability in ecological studies

Springer Science and Business Media LLC - Tập 51 - Trang 242-247 - 2005
Sonia Saïd1,2, Maryline Pellerin1, Nadine Guillon1, François Débias3, Hervé Fritz1
1Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS UPR 1934, Beauvoir-sur-Niort, France
2Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage, CNERA-CS, Bar Le Duc, France
3UMR 5558 “Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive”, UCB Lyon 1, Villeurbanne Cedex, France

Tóm tắt

In this study we describe and calibrate a quantitative index method to estimate leaf biomass and forage availability for browsers at different feeding heights. The method is based on an index relating leaf biomass to a number of leaf contacts with a vertical, three-dimensional (25×25×165 cm) metallic quadrat with a central rod and takes into account the characteristics of leaves (shape, size, and thickness) to define plant categories and then produce general allometric equations per category. We then discuss the use of this biomass index to evaluate the quality of habitats for browsers in terms of food resources.

Tài liệu tham khảo

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