Diet Selection and Foraging Behavior of Cattle in Species-rich Vegetation (Advanced Studies on Sustainable Animal Production: Interrelationships among Human, Animal and Environment, 8th International Symposium of Integrated Field Science)

Oral Sessio

Diet Selection and Foraging Behavior of Cattle on Species-rich, Japanese Native Grasslands

Symposium Pape

Effect of Plant-species Richness on Microbial Composition and Rumen Function

Symposium mini revie

Grazing Use of Native Pastures by Beef Cattle in Japan : Recent Researches on Plant-animal Interactions in Native Pastures

Understandings of plant-animal interactions are vital for adequate control of vegetation and animal conditions and sustainable use of the natural resources in grazing systems. In this paper, studies of plant-animal interactions that were carried out in native pastures at the Kawatabi Field Science Center (KFSC) in Tohoku University were reviewed. 1. Although forage quality of native grasses is known to lower than that of grasses in sown temperate pastures, fresh and masticated native grasses have higher ruminal degradability than dried and ground ones, indicating the importance of using fresh samples when estimating the nutritive value and ruminal digestibility. Native pastures are also suggested to supply more copper to animals than sown pastures. 2. The indigenous vegetation of the KFSC is composed of 61-80 plant species, of which cattle graze upon 44-75 species. Among these species, Miscanthus sinensis, Zoysia japonica and Sasa palmata are especially valuable for cattle grazing in Japanese native pastures. A new technique using plant opal phytoliths as markers is effective to obtain information on intake of individual plant species. 3. Studies of grazing impacts of cattle on plant succession are also essential to the grazing system in a native pasture. In the KFSC, shrubs such as Weigela hortensis have been increasing in M. sinensis pastures by cattle grazing, due to a decline in aboveground biomass and seed production of M. sinensis, and the removal of litter on the ground. Seed dispersal by grazing animals also exerts significant effects on vegetational change. 4. Beyond these studies, estimating environmental impacts of grazing on such ecosystems will require long-term investigations and quantification of nutrient flow in native pastures, including soil and soil microorganisms as variables

Effect of Topographical Condition on Radioactive Cesium Pollution of Herbaceous Plants in a Mountainous Grazing Pasture after Fukushima Dai-Ichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident

The Great East Japan Earthquake on 11 March 2011, followed by tsunami, incurred the accident of the Fukushima Dai-Ichi Nuclear Power Station (NPS). The radioactive fallout was dispersed by wind and deposited in large part of eastern Japan by rainfall or snowfall after the accident (Chino et al., 2011; Katata et al., 2012; Terada et al., 2012). That caused extensive pollution by radioactive cesium (Cs) (the sum of 134Cs and 137Cs) in agricultural lands (MEXT, 2011) including permanent pastures and meadows. In mountainous areas, it can be thought that radioactive Cs migrated from convex to concave regions by snow melting and rain water, therefore radioactive pollution is higher on concave areas than convex areas. In this study, air dose rate and radioactive Cs concentration in aboveground part of plant were monitored for three years on mountainous grazing pastures in north-eastern region of Japan

Do Cattle Choose Preferred Plant Species Without Visual Sense? (Advanced Studies on Sustainable Animal Production: Interrelationships among Human, Animal and Environment, 8th International Symposium of Integrated Field Science)

Poster Sessio

Aerial Measurement of Radiation Dose Distribution on Grassland Area in Kawatabi Field Science Center

Poster Presentation

Quantification of Bite Size, Bite Rate and Intake Rate in Cattle Foraging Japanese Native Grasses (Advanced Studies on Sustainable Animal Production: Interrelationships among Human, Animal and Environment, 8th International Symposium of Integrated Field Science)

Poster Sessio