Validation of Faecal NIRS for Monitoring the Diet of Confined and Grazing Goats

Goats are used for brush control and ecological management of Mediterranean grazing lands. Farmers are willing to cooperate with communities but they need an easy method to evaluate the daily intake of nutrients. A calibration of the chemical attributes of goats\u27 diets was set-up, based on faecal near infrared (NIR) spectra (Landau et al., 2004; Table 1). The accuracy of this methodology was estimated by using the standard error of cross-validation (SECV), which represents the variability in the difference between predicted and reference values when the equation is applied sequentially to subsets of data from the calibration data set. This procedure is justified in situations with calibration samples that are randomly selected from a natural population, but may give over-optimistic results, in particular if data are replicated. The standard error of prediction (SEP) represents the variability in the difference between predicted and reference values when the equation is applied to an external (i.e., not used in any step of the calibration) validation data set. (Naes et al., 2002). The aim of the present study was to test the robustness of predicting dietary CP, in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD), and NDF percentages in goats\u27 diets, using faecal samples totally external to calibrations

ERS-2 SAR soil moisture and herbaceous biomass monitoring across a semi-arid transect in Israel

Relationships between radar backscattering coefficient (σº) and environmental parameters of volumetric soil moisture and biomass were empirically investigated in two sites. These sites represent an annual rainfall change from 450 mm to 250 mm across a semiarid transition zone between Mediterranean and arid environments in Israel. A strong linear correlation was found between ground measurements of volumetric soil moisture taken place at the two sites in three different dates and corresponding radar backscatter intensities measured from ERS-2 SAR images. The slope and intercept values of the regression equation are similar to those reported in other regions of the world. Relationships between the radar backscatter and Herbaceous biomass were examined in areas of homogenous vegetation cover. Results show strong linear correlation between Herbaceous biomass measured in the field and the ERS-2 backscatter

Spatial Heterogeneity of Seasonal Grazing Pressure Created by Herd Movement Patterns on Hilly Rangelands Using GPS and GIS

The spatial heterogeneity of grazing pressure on extensive rangelands has management implications (Adler et al., 2001) but it has traditionally been difficult to quantify. Combination of technologies based on GPS (Global Positioning System) and GIS (Geographic Information Systems) is a quantum leap in our ability to address this issue. These tools were used to estimate the spatial heterogeneity of grazing pressure at a farm scale, and examine the relation between local landscape features and local grazing pressure

Lessons for sustainability from the world's most sustainable culture

Sustainable development is one of the key challenges faced by societies today. Yet it is not a new challenge; throughout history, societies have faced the need to live within environmental constraints. Some have done so well, and some poorly. One society which did well for tens of thousands of years is that of Aboriginal Australia. This paper explores some lessons from Aboriginal Australia which have resonance in the modern world and shows that countries which have learned those lessons are in fact more sustainable than those which have not. It thus suggests that there is much that the pantheon of human experience can teach the modern world as it endeavours to create a sustainable future

La gestion raisonnée des parcours du bassin méditerranéen : un défi pour le XXIe siècle

International audienc

Growth response of Mediterranean herbaceous swards to inoculation with Azospirillum brasilense

A study was conducted on the effect of the rhizobacterium Azospirillum brasilense strain Cd on the production of herbaceous swards growing at 2 rangeland habitats in Israel. One habitat was the semiarid zone (< 300 mm annual rainfall, calcareous soil on rocky slopes) while the other was a typical Mediterranean zone (approximately-600 mm annual rainfall, karstic rock covered with terra rossa soil). The inoculum was applied in water suspension at a concentration of 109 colony forming units (CFU) ml-1. The effect of inoculation was compared with P-fertilizer application at a rate of 5 g/m2. The same treatments were also applied on potted soil from the 2 sites. The semiarid ecosystem showed a strong response to Azospirillum inoculation, to P-fertilizer and to the combination of these 2 treatments, with aerial biomass production increasing by approximately fourfold in the treatments as compared with the control. The response to inoculation or P-fertilization was similar, with no interaction or additive effect noted for the combined treatment. At the Mediterranean site, the response to inoculation or P-fertilization alone was variable, with only a moderate effect on biomass production as compared with the control; however, the inoculation-fertilization interaction was highly significant and doubled biomass production. In the greenhouse experiment, the response to inoculation or fertilization was significant and the biomass production at the end of the growing season was approximately 50% higher than in the control. At both sites, standing biomass was greater in the treated plots already at early stages of growth, thereby potentially lengthening the effective grazing season. It is suggested that inoculation with Azospirillum brasilense on a commercial scale may offer a means of increasing rangeland production without resorting to costly and ecologically unfavorable fertilizer application.This material was digitized as part of a cooperative project between the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries.The Journal of Range Management archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact [email protected] for further information.Migrated from OJS platform August 202