Three Methods of Determining Diet, Utilization, and Trampling Damage on Sheep Ranges

Abstract

Esophageal fistula sampling and ocular utilization estimates gave similar figures for dietary composition and for percentage utilization by sheep for most plant species in the tall-forb type. The paired-plot method gave higher utilization figures than the above methods because it estimated not only herbage eaten, but also that trampled. As a result, this method overestimated the dietary composition of species most susceptible to trampling damage; trampling accounted for one-half to two-thirds of the herbage removed by grazing.