Rangeland Ecology & Management

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Mechanical rejuvenation to dampen seasonal variation in chemical composition of browse
Author
Reynolds, J. P.
Fulbright, T. E.
Beasom, S. L.
Publisher
Society for Range Management
Publication Year
1992-11-01
Body

Nutritional quality of range plants eaten by white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus Raf.) in southern Texas is lowest during summer and fall. Nutritional quality of shrub regrowth is typically elevated for several months following top growth removal. We tested a strategy to temper the summer-fall decline in nutritional quality of guajillo (Acacia berlandieri Benth.) and blackbrush acacia (A. rigidula Benth.) by roller chopping separate, adjacent portions of the habitat each year during early July. Parallel strips of brush 40-m wide and about 1.6 km-long were roller chopped during 1986-87 in a pattern of alternating roller-chopped and nontreated strips. Leaves and twig tips of nontreated plants and of regrowth from roller-chopped plants were collected bimonthly and analyzed for crude protein (CP) and in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD). Crude protein of guajillo leaves and stems was higher for regrowth than for nontreated plants for 6 and 8 months, respectively, after roller chopping in 1987, and IVOMD of leaves increased for 2 months. The CP of blackbrush leaves from regrowth was higher than CP of leaves from nontreated plants for 6 months after roller chopping in 1987 but IVOMD temporarily decreased. Roller chopping in early July may temporarily increase CP of guajillo browse during the late summer and early fall nutritional stress period, but it is not a promising method for rejuvenation of blackbrush browse. This material was digitized as part of a cooperative project between the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. The Journal of Range Management archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact lbry-journals@email.arizona.edu for further information. Migrated from OJS platform August 2020

Language
en
Resource Type
Text
Document Type
Journal Issue/Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.2307/4002577
Additional Information
Reynolds, J. P., Fulbright, T. E., & Beasom, S. L. (1992). Mechanical rejuvenation to dampen seasonal variation in chemical composition of browse. Journal of Range Management, 45(6), 589-592.
IISN
0022-409X
OAI Identifier
oai:repository.arizona.edu:10150/644596
Journal Volume
45
Journal Number
6
Journal Pages
589-592
Journal Name
Journal of Range Management
Keywords
pruning
roller chopping
Acacia rigidula
leaves
Acacia berlandieri
stems
browse plants
protein content
Odocoileus virginianus
regrowth
crude protein
shrubs
in vitro digestibility
Texas
seasonal variation
rangelands
nutritive value
chemical constituents of plants