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Ingestive behavior of goats grazing in the Southwestern Argan (Argania spinosa) forest of Morocco

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Abstract

This study, conducted in the southwestern Argan forest of Morocco, aimed to assess goat feeding behaviour and goat diet composition. Overall grazing time averaged 387min/day and represented on average 70% of total time when the goats were released on pasture. Grazing time was higher during winter months. Bipedal grazing was low and never exceeded 10%. Soil grazing varied according to the period of the year. Aerial grazing increased when herbaceous layer was depleted. Walking activity that accounted for 24% of the presence of goats on pasture, varied with the period of the year. Resting time accounted for less than 39min contributing less than 6% of the temporal behavior budget. The contribution of all argan to the goat's diet ranged from a minimum of 47% in June to a maximum of 84% in December. Aerial argan leaves contributed continuously to goat diets a proportion from 35% to 68%. Under-tree grazing accounted for 50% during June when herbaceous plants and stubble were available, but less than 15% when they were depleted. Total intake changed with advance in season. Total goat intake reached its lowest level when animals spent large amounts of their time grazing argan trees in response to shortage of feed on the ground. Variation of the intake rate was mainly due to bite size, since rate of biting varied little among months. Goats ingested larger bite size from March through June when argan fruits were available and when diversity of availability was the highest. The goats adaptation capacity in argan forest allows a kid meat production when other ruminants such as sheep probably would not be able to do.
... Their morphs are adapted to running fast on land, not for climbing trees [4,5]. Therefore, tree-climbing behavior is extremely rare in this group and has been reported only in seven species: feral goat (Capra hircus: [6]), wild goat (C. aegagrus: [7]), markhor (C. ...
... The Formosan serow prefers broken terrains [21], which is consistent with seven ungulate species that have been reported to exhibit tree-climbing behavior [6,7,[10][11][12][13][14]. Some ungulates adapted to steep terrain have flexible hooves and muscular short legs that are suitable for moving on unstable grounds [10,30,31]. ...
... In addition, foraging on trees was frequently observed in Formosan serows, suggesting that climbing is likely to obtain additional food other than plants growing near the ground surface. Foraging behavior on trees has been reported in all tree-climbing ungulates [6,7,[10][11][12][13][14]. It has been reported that tree-climbing behavior by the markhor [8,10] and klipspringer [12] occurs during the winter or dry seasons when terrestrial food resources are scarce. ...
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Simple Summary Tree climbing is an extremely rare behavior among ungulates and has rarely been reported in forest-dwelling ungulates. We collected 15 tree-climbing records of Formosan serows, mainly from social media platforms. They climbed trees to forage throughout the year in many locations in Taiwan. This is the first report of tree-climbing behavior in the Formosan serow, which is typically a forest dweller. Abstract Ungulates are terrestrial herbivores, basically adapted to running fast on the ground; tree-climbing behavior has been reported only in seven species, and five of them live in open habitats (Capra hircus, C. aegagrus, C. falconeri, C. cylindricornis, Oreotragus oreotragus). Tree-climbing behavior may also be evolved in ungulates inhabiting dense forests with abundant trees; however, this has rarely been reported in such species (Moschus leucogaster, M. moschiferus), probably due to the difficulty of observing in the wild. The numerous publicly available records in social networks hold potentially valuable information on the atypical behaviors of wild ungulates. Here, we explored the tree-climbing behavior of a forest-dwelling ungulate, the Formosan serow in Taiwan, a subtropical island, by extracting information from online social media platforms. We researched images and videos of Formosan serows through Facebook and YouTube and collected a total of 15 tree-climbing events. In these materials, Formosan serows climbed 10 tree species, including evergreen coniferous and broad-leaved trees, and a variety of parts, ranging in height from 0.6 to 4 m, and from branches of shrubs to trunks of tall trees. Tree-climbing behavior was recorded throughout Taiwan and from lowlands to subalpine zones, suggesting that tree climbing may be a common behavior in this species. Foraging while climbing trees was frequently observed (53.3%), suggesting that the purpose or benefit for climbing is to obtain additional food other than plants growing near the ground surface. In contrast to other tree-climbing ungulates, Formosan serows climbed trees not only in winter, but also in other seasons, when food is relatively abundant. This is the first scientific report of tree-climbing behavior in the Formosan serow that is typically a forest dweller.
... The world over, goats have been a less attractive research subject than other livestock species, particularly sheep, cattle and poultry in spite of the long history of goats and their multifunctional roles accompanying mankind for over 7000 years. In Morocco, the two goat production systems that have benefited from permanently consistent, cumulative, and collective research efforts are the small scale dairy goat systems in the North, namely in Chefchaouen region (Raki, 1996;Outmani, 2000;Riachi, 2000;Chentouf, 2004;ICRA, 2005;Chentouf et al., 2009) and the goats raised under argan tree systems (El Assouli, 2001;Bas et al. 2005;El Aich et al., 2005;El Aich et al., 2007a;El Aich et al., 2007b;El Aich et al., 2008). The remaining goat production systems in the country especially in the Middle Atlas Mountains are at best described in rather broad terms. ...
Conference Paper
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In Morocco, goat keeping is one of the most ancient economic activities in communities of the High and Middle Atlas Mountains. Goats may be the main all year round source of income and contribute to the satisfaction of primary nutritional requirements of rural livelihoods. Studies on the technical, environmental, social, economic, and policy aspects of the goat sector are scanty. A case study analysis of the goat production systems in Aït Bazza community in the Middle Atlas has revealed interesting insights on goat farmers' management practices, their marketing behaviour and constraints. One of the lessons learned is the complexity of the goat production sector. Goat farmers' socio-economic conditions and perceptions are complicated by layers of environmental and market limitations. The study concludes by demonstrating the necessity for research along disciplinary lines as well as multidisciplinary research in major goat producing areas of Morocco. The latter can help with developing a better understanding of the multifaceted nature of sustainable goat production systems.
... En condiciones de vegetación heterogénea, algunos estudios no cuantitativos (sin peso del bocado) sobre preferencia o selección evaluando el tiempo dedicado al pastoreo o la proporción de bocados efectuados en las especies de plantas, han utilizado dos individuos de la misma especie como unidad experimental (Animut et al., 2005;El Aich et al., 2007;Egea et al., 2014). En estudios cuantitavos es menos común usar sólo dos animales, pero sí existen algunos reportes, como los de Yiakoulaki y Papanastis (2009) y de Chen et al. (2013). ...
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Objetivo. Exponer el método de observación visual de categorías de bocados para estimar el consumo de rumiantes en agostaderos, su complejidad, fortalezas y limitantes. Materiales y métodos. La revisión se focalizó en los trabajos que mejoraron el método (validación, aumento en la precisión de la estimación, repetibilidad y fiabilidad) y en la identificación de las fortalezas y limitantes del método, se presentan ejemplos de su uso en etología, nutrición y parasitología. Resultados. El método consiste en un conjunto de técnicas que integran elementos de etología, botánica, nutrición y estadística, resultando en una estimación confiable y detallada de la cantidad y calidad de follaje ingerido por los rumiantes. La validación fue efectuada por diversos autores en estudios que abarcan desde los marcadores de óxido de cromo hasta el uso de animales fistulados. El método de observación de bocados evolucionó a lo largo de los años incorporando mejoras como el refinamiento de las categorías de bocados según el tamaño y forma de las partes de las plantas consumidas (tablas de categorías de bocados), y el uso de protocolos de habituación en los animales a observar para evitar influenciar la conducta de ingestión de los animales bajo estudio. Conclusión. Es un método de bajo costo, respetuoso del bienestar animal, no interfiere con la conducta habitual, la estimación entre observadores tiene buena repetibilidad y exactitud, la estimación es cuantitativa y detallada. Sin embargo, su implementación es laboriosa, requiere conocimientos de etología, botánica y entrenamiento en la identificación de las categorías de bocados. Puede considerarse un método vigente, aplicable si se dispone del recurso humano capacitado.
... The decline in woody species in areas grazed by goats, such as in the study area, is expected. Goats generally prefer woody species [50][51][52], which participate in high percentages in their diet [53]. A similar decrease in woody species participation with the increase in grazing intensity is reported in both semi-arid [54][55][56] and semi-humid [57] grasslands. ...
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The biodiversity of grasslands has been shaped by long-time interaction between natural processes and human activities, such as grazing. Traditional grazing management by animals contributes to the maintenance of high biodiversity in grasslands. However, changes in land use in recent years such as the abandonment of animal husbandry or intensification of grazing, pose a threat to grasslands biodiversity. The aim of the present study was to investigate the compositional and functional diversity in semi-humid grasslands of northern Greece under different grazing intensities. Three sites with similar vegetation and composition but different grazing intensities were selected in Taxiarchis University Forest of Mountain Holomontas. The three grazing intensities were (1) ungrazed, for more than 40 years, (2) moderate grazed, and (3) highly grazed. The ungrazed area showed an increase in vegetation cover and a decrease in bare ground. In comparison to grazed areas, the ungrazed one showed lower levels of grasses and legumes but higher abundances of woody and broad-leaved species. The highest values of all the studied diversity indices (Shannon–Wiener (H), Simpson Diversity Index, Jaccard, and species abundance) were recorded at moderate grazing intensity. Differences were recorded between the grazed and ungrazed areas in all of the quantitative traits (specific leaf area, leaf dry matter content, stem dry matter content, vegetative and reproductive plant height, leaf nitrogen, and phosphorus concentration). Protecting sensitive mountainous grasslands from both overgrazing and abandonment requires a balanced and sustainable management approach.
... Goats are classified as both browsers and grazers and actively forage at different elevations. Goats have also been reported to forage by perched in trees (Goetsch et al., 2010;El Aich A et al., 2007). In another study, it was reported that goats can graze up to a height of 2.1 m (Sanon et al., 2007). ...
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... Goats adapt to a lack of forage at ground level (vertically and horizontally) by expanding their search vertically. They are able to take a bipedal stance by standing on their hind legs to reach areas above their head or even climbing into trees to graze available forage (Decandia et al., 2007;El Aich et al., 2007;C. D. Lu, 1989;Lu, 1988;Narjisse, 1991). ...
... Goats are classified as both browsers and grazers (8), and actively forage at different heights. Goats have also been observed feeding while perched in trees (9). This inclusion of the third dimension (height) when foraging has advantages, as it widens the foraging zone, and eating at eye-level may reduce parasite and predator risks (10,11) by allowing goats to be more alert and to better monitor the environment. ...
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Goats naturally browse different forages in various postures; this differs from typical farm practice, thus there are opportunities to improve goat welfare by understanding what and how they like to eat. We investigated if feeding preference was related to posture, feeder height relative to the ground, and type of feed. Sixteen adult, Saanen cross females participated in two experiments comparing a floor-level feeder (grazing posture; farm standard), with an elevated feeder (browsing posture; Exp1) and a platform-level feeder (raised, grazing posture; Exp2), when two forages (leaves, grass) were offered. Measurements included feed intake (g of DM/feeder), feeder switching frequency, first feeder visited, latency to visit first feeder and exploration and non-feeding activity time. Effects of posture (Exp1), height (Exp2) and feed type were analyzed. Type of feed affected preference for feeding posture and height. All goats consumed leaves over grass (Exp1: POP: 188 ± 6.52 g, GRA: 20.3 ± 7.19 g; Exp2: POP: 191 ± 6.15 g, GRA: 0.231 ± 6.91 g; P < 0.001), and the feeder containing leaves was often visited first (Exp 1: GRA/POP: 94% of visits, P < 0.001, POP/GRA: 53%, P = 0.724; Exp 2: GRA/POP: 91%, P < 0.001; POP/GRA: 69%, P = 0.041). When goats received only leaves, they consumed more from the floor-level (162 ± 22.2 g) vs. elevated level (102 ± 21.9 g) feeder (P = 0.039). When goats received only grass, there was no posture or height preference; however, they changed feeders more frequently (at least 4x (Exp1) and 2x (Exp2) more than other combinations; P > 0.01). Feed intake was negatively affected by exploring time (Exp1 only: r = −0.541; P < 0.001) and performing non-feeding activities (Exp1: r = −0.698; P < 0.001; Exp2: r = −0.673; P < 0.001). We did not identify a preference for elevated feeding posture; however, we suggest that our short test (compared to previous work) encouraged goats to make choices based on line-of-sight and also that the elevated feeder design (replicated from previous work) made leaf access harder. Nonetheless, we highlight that some goats actively used the elevated feeder; this coupled with the clear preference for leaves over grass, suggests that offering feed type and presentation diversity would allow individuals to express their natural feeding behavior more fully.
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Varroa destructor is the parasitic mite of the honeybee, Apis mellifera. It presents a major threat to the health of bees and to the quality and quantity of honey. Varroa destructor have increased their resistance to acaricides; consequently, the mites or their vector viruses become more virulent. Infested colonies, commonly referred to as ‘mite bombs’, facilitate the dispersal of mites and transmission of disease to stronger and healthier colonies. Acaricides are the most used means of control, although the use of these chemical products has a negative impact on the health of bees, the quality of honey, human health, and the environment. The argan tree of the genus Argania is a tropical tree of the Sapotaceae family. This plant is very important economically. The argan tree is the source of biologically active and edible oil. In this context, we aim to test the bioacaricide power of the argan tree to fight the V. destructor by molecular modelling methods.
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The study was conducted to comparatively investigate the browsing levels of Honamlı, Hair and Saanen goats on saplings in a new forest plantation site for six months. Several treatments (fishing net, shading, food colouring and raffia) were applied to saplings. Thirty two-year-old goats, including 10 animals for each breed were used. There was a statistically significant difference among the breeds in terms of their browsing on untreated saplings (p < 0.05). While the effect of measurement month was statistically significant (p < 0.05) for both all treated saplings and untreated saplings, the observation time did not have a statistically significant effect (p < 0.05), except for saplings treated with shading. The maximum browsing was observed in saplings treated with raffia (89.28%), which was followed by those treated with food colouring (75.79%) and fishing nets (75.39%), respectively. Additionally, the damage rate of the saplings with shading (17.85%), in particular, was significantly lower (p < 0.05) compared to the other treated saplings. It was thought that the results of this study would contribute to the issue of goats, saplings and forests from a different viewpoint. Considering that forests and goats are not alternatives to each other, evaluating goats as a part of the ecosystem will be useful in solving this problem.
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Chapter
The chapter presents a breaf description of goat populations in Morocco. Three main population were discussed, the Atlas mountains population, the oasis population and the Northern one. Numerical trends and production and consumption of goat products are provided. Goat farming systems are classified according to goat distribution and farm profiles. Goat herds management are presented by providing elements related to feeding, reproduction, housing and trade.
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A study was conducted in the Middle Atlas Region, Morocco, to investigate the impact of herding on ingestion and distance walked by sheep during spring (March–April), summer (June–July) and autumn (October–November) 1985. Stocking rate was considered to be light. Treatments were free-grazing (FG), normal-herded (NH) and fast-herded (FH) sheep. Fast-herded, NH and FG sheep travelled 11.4, 6.3 and 5.9 km/day, respectively (SE=1.2). Grazing time averaged 508±42 min/day for all treatments and seasons. The percentage grass, grass-like plants, forbs and shrubs in the diet was similar among treatments (P>0.05), but animals ate more (P<0.05) grass in spring (Sp) than summer (Su) or autumn (A). Percentage of shrubs in the diet was different in all seasons (P>0.05), i.e. 3.7, 16.7 and 25.3%, respectively (SE=2.0). Diversity and selectivity indices did not vary among treatments (P>0.05), but increased (P>0.05) between Sp and Su (SE=0.14 and 0.03, respectively). The index of similarity between treatments, i.e. FG vs. NH, FG vs. FH or NH vs. FH, was 0.971, 0.990 and 0.986, respectively. Composition of neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and lignin (ADL), crude protein (CP), ash and in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVDMD) in simulated diets were similar among treatment groups (P>0.05), but NDF, ADF and ADL increased (P<0.05) with advance in season and CP and IVDMD declined (P<0.05). Dry matter intake (g/LW0.75/day) was lower for FH (72) than for FG or NH (81 and 82, respectively) (SE=3.0). This study demonstrated the ability of sheep to compensate for any adverse effect of herding when resources are not limiting.