Rangeland Ecology & Management

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Range condition influences on Chihuahuan Desert cattle and jackrabbit diets
Author
Daniel, A., J. L. Holechek, R. Valdez, A. Tembo, L. Saiwana, L. Ruscox, M. Cardenas
Publication Year
1969
Body

Daniel et al. found little competition for forage between cattle (Bos taurus) and black-tailed jackrabbits (Lepus californicus) when cattle stocking rates and jackrabbit numbers are moderate. Whether the Chihuahuan Desert range conditions were fair or good, cattle and black-tailed jackrabbits chose different key forage species for their diets. Cattle preferred mesa dropseed (Sporobolus flexuosus) and black grama (Bouteloua eriopoda), while jackrabbits chose forbs and shrubs that are poisonous and unpalatable to cattle. These species exhibit a more complementary diet than competitive.

Language
en
Keywords
poisonous plants
grazing management
arid lands
black grama
Black-tailed jackrabbit
Bouteloua eriopoda
Lepus californicus
Mesa Dropseed
Sporobolus flexuosus
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