Abstract
Diets of prairie dogs, goats, and sheep were examined by microhistological fecal analysis during 4 periods of a year in a desert rangeland in northern Mexico. Prairie dogs selected more grasses (79% across all seasons; P < 0.05) than goats and sheep during most of the year. Total grasses in goat diets were consistent (20%) in all seasons, whereas this forage class was highest during winter (72%) and lowest during summer (62%) in sheep diets. The diet of goats was predominantly shrubs (45%-62%) in all seasons, whereas sheep and prairie dogs ate little browse throughout the study. All 3 species preferred forbs, which contributed about one-third to the composition of the prairie dog (winter), goat (summer), and sheep (spring) diets. Acacia greggii Gray and Opuntia rastrera Weber were the most preferred species by goats, whereas prairie dogs and sheep showed particular preference for Buchloe dactyloides (Nutt.) Engelm. and Bouteloua gracilis (Willd. ex Kunth) Lag. ex Griffiths. During summer and spring, concentration of nitrogen in the feces of sheep was 36% and 17% higher (P < 0.05) than in the feces of goats. There was a high overlap in diets between prairie dog and sheep in all seasons, whereas diets of prairie dogs and goats, and goats and sheep were significantly different from each other in all seasons. These results showed that competition was keen between prairie dogs and sheep for a limited quantity of forage in this arid zone pasture, whereas goats were better able to use common resources with prairie dogs.
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Claims 18
Claim · model-written summary
Prairie dogs selected more grasses than goats and sheep during most of the year.
Verbatim
e0“Prairie dogs selected more grasses (79% across all seasons; P < 0.05) than goats and sheep during most of the year”
Claim · model-written summary
Goat diets consistently contained 20% grasses across seasons.
- Taxon
- grassese0
- Interactor
- goat
Capra hircuse0herbivore - Outcome
- grasses in goat dietse0
- Value
- 20%e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Total grasses in goat diets were consistent (20%) in all seasons”
Claim · model-written summary
Sheep diet grass content was highest in winter at 72%.
- Taxon
- foragee0
- Interactor
- sheep
Ovis ariese0herbivore - Outcome
- forage classe0
- Direction
- higheste0
- Value
- 72%e0
- Qualifier
- wintere0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“this forage class was highest during winter (72%) and lowest during summer (62%) in sheep diets”
Claim · model-written summary
Sheep diet grass content was lowest in summer at 62%.
- Taxon
- foragee0
- Interactor
- sheepOvis ariese0herbivore
- Outcome
- forage classe0
- Direction
- loweste0
- Value
- 62%e0
- Qualifier
- summere0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“this forage class was highest during winter (72%) and lowest during summer (62%) in sheep diets”
Claim · model-written summary
Shrubs predominated in goat diets at 45%-62% in all seasons.
- Taxon
- shrubse0
- Interactor
- goatsCapra hircuse0herbivore
- Outcome
- predominantly shrubse0
- Value
- 45%-62%e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The diet of goats was predominantly shrubs (45%-62%) in all seasons”
Claim · model-written summary
Sheep and prairie dogs ate little browse.
- Taxon
- browsee0
- Interactor
- sheepOvis ariese0herbivore
- Second interactor
- prairie dogse0herbivore
- Outcome
- ate little browsee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“sheep and prairie dogs ate little browse throughout the study”
Claim · model-written summary
All three animals preferred forbs, which made up about one-third of their seasonal diets.
- Taxon
- forbse0
- Interactor
- prairie doge0herbivore
- Second interactor
- goatCapra hircuse0herbivore
- Outcome
- preferred forbse0
- Value
- one-thirde0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“All 3 species preferred forbs, which contributed about one-third to the composition of the prairie dog (winter), goat (summer), and sheep (spring) diets”
Claim · model-written summary
Goats most preferred Acacia greggii.
- Taxon
- Acacia greggii Gray
Senegalia greggiie0 - Interactor
- goatsCapra hircuse0herbivore
- Outcome
- most preferred speciese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Acacia greggii Gray and Opuntia rastrera Weber were the most preferred species by goats”
Claim · model-written summary
Goats most preferred Opuntia rastrera.
- Taxon
- Opuntia rastrera Weber
Opuntia rastrerae0 - Interactor
- goatsCapra hircuse0herbivore
- Outcome
- most preferred speciese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Acacia greggii Gray and Opuntia rastrera Weber were the most preferred species by goats”
Claim · model-written summary
Prairie dogs and sheep particularly preferred Buchloe dactyloides.
- Taxon
- Buchloe dactyloides (Nutt.) Engelm.
Bouteloua dactyloidese0 - Interactor
- prairie dogse0herbivore
- Second interactor
- sheepOvis ariese0herbivore
- Outcome
- particular preferencee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“prairie dogs and sheep showed particular preference for Buchloe dactyloides (Nutt.) Engelm. and Bouteloua gracilis (Willd. ex Kunth) Lag. ex Griffiths”
Claim · model-written summary
Prairie dogs and sheep particularly preferred Bouteloua gracilis.
- Taxon
- Bouteloua gracilis (Willd. ex Kunth) Lag. ex Griffiths
Bouteloua gracilise0 - Interactor
- prairie dogse0herbivore
- Second interactor
- sheepOvis ariese0herbivore
- Outcome
- particular preferencee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“prairie dogs and sheep showed particular preference for Buchloe dactyloides (Nutt.) Engelm. and Bouteloua gracilis (Willd. ex Kunth) Lag. ex Griffiths”
Claim · model-written summary
Fecal nitrogen was higher in sheep than goats by 36% in summer.
- Outcome
- concentration of nitrogen in the feces of sheepe0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 36%e0
- Qualifier
- summere0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“During summer and spring, concentration of nitrogen in the feces of sheep was 36% and 17% higher (P < 0.05) than in the feces of goats”
Claim · model-written summary
Fecal nitrogen was higher in sheep than goats by 17% in spring.
- Outcome
- concentration of nitrogen in the feces of sheepe0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 17%e0
- Qualifier
- springe0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“During summer and spring, concentration of nitrogen in the feces of sheep was 36% and 17% higher (P < 0.05) than in the feces of goats”
Claim · model-written summary
Prairie dog and sheep diets overlapped strongly in every season.
- Interactor
- prairie doge0herbivore
- Second interactor
- sheepOvis ariese0herbivore
- Outcome
- high overlap in dietse0
Not reportedTaxon
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“There was a high overlap in diets between prairie dog and sheep in all seasons”
Claim · model-written summary
Prairie dog and goat diets differed significantly across seasons.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“diets of prairie dogs and goats, and goats and sheep were significantly different from each other in all seasons”
Claim · model-written summary
Goat and sheep diets differed significantly across seasons.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“diets of prairie dogs and goats, and goats and sheep were significantly different from each other in all seasons”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors inferred keen competition between prairie dogs and sheep for limited forage.
- Taxon
- foragee0
- Interactor
- prairie dogse0herbivore
- Second interactor
- sheepOvis ariese0herbivore
- Outcome
- competition was keene0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“competition was keen between prairie dogs and sheep for a limited quantity of forage in this arid zone pasture”
Claim · model-written summary
Goats were better able to share resources with prairie dogs.
- Interactor
- goatsCapra hircuse0herbivore
- Second interactor
- prairie dogse0herbivore
- Outcome
- better able to use common resourcese0
- Direction
- bettere0
Not reportedTaxon
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“goats were better able to use common resources with prairie dogs”