Continuous bite monitoring: a method to assess the foraging dynamics of herbivores in natural grazing conditions
Olivier J. F. Bonnet A C , Michel Meuret B , Marcelo R. Tischler A , Ian M. Cezimbra A , Julio C. R. Azambuja A and Paulo C. F. Carvalho A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Grazing Ecology Research Group, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Faculdade de Agronomia, 91540 Porto Alegre, Brazil.
B INRA (French National Institute of Agronomic Research), UMR868 SELMET (Mediterranean and Tropical Livestock Farming Systems), 2 Place Pierre Viala, 34060 Montpellier, France.
C Corresponding author. Email: olivierbonnet@me.com
Animal Production Science 55(3) 339-349 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN14540
Submitted: 2 May 2014 Accepted: 15 October 2014 Published: 5 February 2015
Abstract
Accurate estimates of bite mass and variations in the short-term intake rate of grazing herbivores has been historically considered as a fundamental methodological difficulty, a difficulty that increases with the complexity of the feeding environment. Improving these methodologies will help understand foraging behaviours in natural grazing conditions, where habitat structure and interactions among different forages influence feeding decisions and patterns. During the past 30 years, we have been developing the ‘continuous bite-monitoring’ method, an observational method that allows continuous assessment of foraging behaviours, including bite mass, instantaneous intake rate and food selection, in simple to complex feeding environments. The centrepiece of the method is a ‘bite-coding grid’ where bites are categorised by structural attributes of the forage to reflect differences in bite masses. Over the years, we have been using this method with goats, sheep, llamas and cattle across a range of different habitats. After reviewing the development of the method, we detail its planning and execution in the field. We illustrate the method with a study from southern Brazilian native Pampa grassland, showing how changes in the forages consumed by heifers strongly affect short-term intake rate during meals. Finally, we emphasise the importance of studying animals grazing in their natural environments to first identify the relevant processes that can later be tested in controlled experiments.
Additional keywords: bite mass, direct observation, foraging strategy, intake rate, rangelands.
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