The author used a hierarchical forage model that included the effects of palatability and availability of food plants to predict cattle grazing use of shortgrass steppe species. Validation data was from a study by the same author and another study by Vavra et al. (1977). When the model was verified, values were robust across shortgrass pasture types. Agropyron smithii was the most palatable herbage category and forbs and shrubs were the least palatable categories. The model results suggested that habitat use was biased towards areas with higher standing crop. As stocking rates were increased in the model, predicted consumption of palatable herbage categories decreased and consumption on unpalatable categories increased. Palatability measurements in this model is vegetation-type specific, but could change with a different species mix.
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