Foraging Behavior: Managing to Survive
in a World of Change
Behavioral Principles for Human, Animal, Vegetation,
and Ecosystem Management
This 62-page booklet produced for NRCS is filled with
information and case studies about grazing animals and forage resource
management. It can be ordered
online from the USU Bookstore (link
opens in new window) or viewed in PDF format. A
companion DVD can
also be ordered from the USU Bookstore (link opens in
new window).
Free Acrobat
Reader required to view and print all files
|
Table
of Contents (pdf) |
        |
Section 1: |
The
Challenge (pdf)
Detecting nutrients · Minimizing
ingestion of toxins · Physical
attributes of plants · Food on
the move · Animals on the move · People
on the move |
Section 2: |
Origins
of Preference (pdf)
Goats and blackbrush · The
importance of experience to production · Mother
knows best · The peer group · Meeting
the challenge · Advantages of social
learning · Unfamiliar environments · Unfamiliar
terrain for herbivores and managers · Easing
transitions for herbivores and managers · A
load of hay · The adaptation trough |
Section 3: |
More
than a Matter of Taste (pdf)
Palatability is more than a matter
of taste · The wisdom of the body · Changes
in palatability are automatic · Excesses
and deficits · All forages are
not created equal · Nutritional
state · Interactions between nutrients
and toxins · Helping weed eaters |
Section 4: |
The
Spice of Life (pdf)
Variety of theories · Looking
over clover · Why animals search
for variety · Herding sheep · Variation
among individuals · Confined and
constrained |
Section 5: |
The Dilemma (pdf)
If it ain't broke don't fix it · Necessity
is the mother of invention · The hazards
of exploring new environments · Correcting
nutritional deficits · The carnivorous
herbivore · Cycles of behavior |
Section 6: |
Old Dogs,
New Tricks (pdf)
Two hands clapping · Reinforcement
and punishment · Consequences depend
on nature and nurture · Using behavior
to manage for ecological, cultural, and economic integrity · Skin
and gut defenses · Teaching herbivores
about toxic foods · Creating cultures
that enhance biodiversity · Grazing
sagebrush-steppe · Boom-bust management · Culture,
social organization, and grazing management |
Section 7: |
Conclusion (pdf) |
| |
Glossary (pdf) |
|
Additional
Reading (pdf) |
|
