Simulation and management implications of feral horse grazing on Cumberland Island, Georgia
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Authors: M. G. Turner
Date: 1988
Journal: Journal of Range Management
Volume: 41
Number: 5
Pages: 441-447
Summary of Methods: Data from field studies was used in a simulation model to determine the number of feral horses (Equus caballus) that can graze Spartina alterniflora in the salt marshes of Cumberland Island without causing damage to this plant community. The model indicated that damage to the salt marsh occurred when biomass of S. alterniflora was reduced below a threshold of 2700 hg/ha (dry weight). Biomass of S. alterniflora produced above this threshold would be able to sustain between 49 and 73 horses when horses consumed S. alterniflora as 40 - 60% of their diet. Therefore, the horse population will need to be reduced from approximately 180 horses to this level if forage production and the health of the salt marsh plant community are to be maintained.
Article Summary / Main Points: None
Vegetation Types:
MLRA Ecoregions:
Agrovoc Control Words: Riparian zones Rangelands Wildlife
Article Review Type: Refereed
Article Type: Experimental Research
Keywords: simulation model, salt marsh, spartina alterniflora, feral horses, equus caballus, population size, overgrazing
Annotation: None
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