Habitat selection patterns of feral horses in southcentral Wyoming
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Authors: K. K. Crane, M. A. Smith, and D. Reynolds
Date: 1997
Journal: Journal of Range Management
Volume: 50
Number: 4
Pages: 374-380
Summary of Methods: Daily feral horse activities were observed and recorded in the Sweetwater River Valley, in southcentral Wyoming during daylight from June-August 1992 and 1993 (6481 and 9223 ft elevation). Activities were categorized as feeding, traveling, and idling. Habitat selection was summarized by determining proportion of total observations occurring in each habitat and time of day. Percent utilization and moisture content for abundant graminoid plant species were determined on each habitat type. Standing crop biomass was determined using visual obstruction measurements. Diet composition was determined by collecting fecal samples to identify and quantify the relative frequency of plant species' fragments.
Article Summary / Main Points: Habitats preferred by feral horses were streamsides, bog/meadows, and mountain sagebrush. Lowland sagebrush was avoided and no apparent preference for grassland and coniferous forest habitats was shown by feral horses. Distance to water, slope and forage succulence may have made these sites less attractive for foraging. Feral horses' activities (feeding, idling, and traveling) were similar in preferred and less preferred habitats, which suggests that activity patterns are independent of habitat use. Sedges are the most important forage to feral horses in the Sweetwater River Valley, Wyoming.
Vegetation Types: Sagebrush Steppe
MLRA Ecoregions: 34A Cool Central Desertic Basins and Plateaus
Agrovoc Control Words: Feral Herds Rangelands Vegetation
Article Review Type: Refereed
Article Type: Documented Case History
Keywords: forage abundance, succulence, utilization
Annotation: This highly cited article provides useful and relatively up to date material regarding feral horse habitat selection and forage use in southcentral Wyoming. This study proves the preference of feral horses for riparian areas during the spring-summer grazing season.
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