Robin Malik , Scott L. Kronberg , John R. Hendrickson , Drew A Scott , Edward S. DeKeyser , Kevin K. Sedivec
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Improved techniques are needed to estimate the dietary species composition of grazing animals. The fecal DNA metabarcoding technique has been proposed as a noninvasive method to determine dietary species composition. However, studies suggest that it is more effective to qualitatively estimate species composition of wild and domestic animals than for accurately quantifying diet composition. The technique, using the trnL barcode, was evaluated with 10 individually penned goats, which were fed hand-harvested plant materials that were collected fresh each morning before known amounts of each type of plant materials were fed and completely consumed by the goats. Goats were fed at 3% of their body weight on a DM basis. Broadleaf plant materials fed were Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia), silver buffaloberry (Shepherdia argentea), western snowberry (Symphoricarpos occidentalis), and wormwood sage (Artemisia absinthium) plus a mixture of predominantly smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis), which also included small amounts of other grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) and forbs such as leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula). Estimates of the dietary composition of the goats were different (P ≤ 0.04) from those of their known dietary composition, except for wormwood sage when expressed on a crude protein basis (P = 0.98), regardless of whether known composition was expressed on a dry matter or crude protein basis. Therefore, we conclude that the fecal DNA metabarcoding technique for estimating the dietary composition of goat diets is useful qualitatively but needs further development to be a better quantitative technique.
期刊介绍:
Rangeland Ecology & Management publishes all topics-including ecology, management, socioeconomic and policy-pertaining to global rangelands. The journal''s mission is to inform academics, ecosystem managers and policy makers of science-based information to promote sound rangeland stewardship. Author submissions are published in five manuscript categories: original research papers, high-profile forum topics, concept syntheses, as well as research and technical notes.
Rangelands represent approximately 50% of the Earth''s land area and provision multiple ecosystem services for large human populations. This expansive and diverse land area functions as coupled human-ecological systems. Knowledge of both social and biophysical system components and their interactions represent the foundation for informed rangeland stewardship. Rangeland Ecology & Management uniquely integrates information from multiple system components to address current and pending challenges confronting global rangelands.