Gulf and marshhay cordgrasses (Spartina spp.) are native perennial grass species that are prevalent along the Texas Coastal Prairies. When cordgrass remains undisturbed and matures its nutritional value declines, creating unpalatable and degraded forage. In this study, we will apply prescribed fire to large cordgrass areas to remove old growth, and monitor the spatial and temporal movements of cattle (Bos spp) and nilgai antelope (Boselaphus tragocamelus) within and around burned and non-burned areas. Our objectives are to (1) determine differences in cattle and nilgai distribution and forage usage in burning cordgrass communities during different seasons; (2) determine the length of site preference of burned areas in different seasons; and (3) develop prescribed burning recommendations to maximize consumption of cordgrass for cattle and nilgai along the Gulf Coast Prairie on a sustainable basis. Our study is being conducted on the East Foundation's El Sauz property in Willacy County, Texas, USA. The study site consists of 10 plots (roughly 500 acres each); two independent plots will be burned each fall and spring for a total of 8 treatment plots and 2 control plots. Forty cattle and 30 nilgai antelopes will be tracked using Lotek's LifeCycle? GPS collars. Forage samples will be analyzed to compare nutritional variation between non-burned sites and those burned during spring or fall. We will also record nutritional fluctuations in cordgrass forage for several weeks following each burn and compare results with GPS locations of cattle and nilgai to determine possible reasons for site preferences.
Oral presentation and poster titles, abstracts, and authors from the Society for Range Management (SRM) Annual Meetings and Tradeshows, from 2013 forward.