Annual changes in biomass amount and feeding potential of shrubby rangelands in maquis formation

Fırat Alatürk; Hülya Hanoğlu Oral; Ahmet Gökkuş; Baboo Ali

doi:10.7717/peerj.15204

Annual changes in biomass amount and feeding potential of shrubby rangelands in maquis formation

PeerJ. 2023 Apr 25:11:e15204. doi: 10.7717/peerj.15204. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Fırat Alatürk¹, Hülya Hanoğlu Oral², Ahmet Gökkuş¹, Baboo Ali¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Field Crops/Faculty of Agriculture, Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Canakkale, Türkiye.
² Department of Animal Production and Technologies/ Faculty of Applied Sciences, Muş Alpaslan University, Muş, Türkiye.

Abstract

Background: This study evaluated the extent to which the endemic herbaceous and woody species of shrubby rangelands met the roughage needs of grazing animals throughout the year.

Methods: The biomass, botanical composition, and quality of hay were investigated in the shrubby rangelands in Paşaköy of the Ayvacık districts in Çanakkale over the course of a year. Plant samples were taken from the herbaceous species monthly and from the grazing parts of the shrubs in May and November.

Results: The total amount of biomass (hay + shrub) in the rangeland was found to be 30.448 kg/ha. Shrubs made up 18.78% of the rangeland, while the annual species comprised 54.96%, and perennial herbs covered 26.26% of the total biomass. Crude protein (CP) ratios of herbaceous species decreased continuously from March (13.58%) to September (6.73%), and then increased. A similar change was also seen in pure ash (PA) ratios. The CP ratios in the shrub species were high in spring and decreased in autumn and there was an irregular variation in PA rates. Oak had the highest PA ratio during the spring, while thuja had the highest ratio in autumn, and Juniperus oxycedrus during the winter months. In herbaceous species, cell wall components (NDF, ADF, and ADL) reached their highest levels in summer and decreased in spring and winter. However, in shrubs, these components varied according to the species and were generally lowest in spring and then increased in autumn and winter. Here, it was determined that year-round grazing is a suitable grazing system in the shrubby rangelands of the Mediterranean zone, and animals are able to find fresh forage in the rangelands due to the presence of shrubs. However, since the contribution of shrubs to the total forage production is low, additional roughage should be provided, except in the spring when the production and quality of hay increase. These practices may contribute to better livestock management.

Keywords: ADF; Crude protein; Hay production; Plant components; Shrub yield; Shrubby rangeland.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Biomass
Wood*

Grants and funding

This article is supported by the General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policies -TAGEM project with project number TAGEM/HAYSÜT/137 and the Carcass and Meat Quality Characteristics of Gray Breed Cattle Produced in Organic System. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.