<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><xml><records><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vilallonga, David</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Jiménez, Antonio</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Sánchez, Joaquín</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Andrés, Santiago</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Evaluation of the mineral status of two ecosystems for sustainable goat rearing in the iberian peninsula.</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Veterinary medicine international</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Dehesa</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Goats</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">lactation requirements (voyant)</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Mineral content</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Sierra</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2012</style></year></dates><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2012</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">853548</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">The mineral status in two ecosystems typical of the Iberian Peninsula was evaluated. Ecosystem I was formed by forests and ecosystem II by hilly areas. The levels of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, copper, zinc and selenium in soils, rations and serum were measured. The concentratons of iron, copper, zinc and selenium were also checked in liver. Ecosystem I showed higher values of every mineral, except for phosphorus. Seasonal differences were recorded for rations and serum, with higher values in spring. The rations produced by both ecosystems met the mineral requirements of goats in lactation. Thus, both ecosystems are suitable for the development of an ecological goat farming system. However, extra supply of minerals, particularly calcium, may be needed in the maximum productions periods.</style></abstract><accession-num><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">22295254</style></accession-num></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Rogosic, Jozo</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Estell, Richard E</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Skobic, Dragan</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Martinovic, Anita</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Maric, Stanislava</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Role of species diversity and secondary compound complementarity on diet selection of Mediterranean shrubs by goats.</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Journal of chemical ecology</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Biodiversity</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Goats</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Maquis</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Mediterranean shrubs</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Saponins</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Secondary compounds</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Tannins</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2006</style></year></dates><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">32</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">1279-1287</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Goats foraging on Mediterranean shrubs containing secondary compounds (toxins) may consume a variety of shrubs that contain different phytotoxins, thereby increasing shrub intake and avoiding toxicosis. We conducted eight experiments to examine whether goats offered different mixtures of shrubs containing different phytotoxins (tannins and saponins) would consume more shrub biomass than goats offered one shrub a single phytotoxin (tannin or saponin). In the first three experiments, goats fed a mixture of three tannin-rich shrubs (Quercus ilex, Arbutus unedo, and Pistacia lentiscus) ate more foliage than goats offered only one shrub (23.2 vs. 10.7 g/kg BW; 25.2 vs. 13.4 g/kg BW, and 27.9 vs. 7.9 g/kg BW), regardless of tannin concentration in individual shrub species. Goats also consumed more foliage when offered the same three tannin-rich shrubs than when offered the saponin-rich shrub Hedera helix (25.4 vs. 8.0 g/kg BW). However, goats offered a mixture of the same three tannin-rich shrubs consumed less foliage than goats offered a mixture of two shrubs containing tannins and saponins: Quercus and Hedera (21.6 vs. 27.1 g/kg BW), Arbutus and Hedera (21.8 vs. 27.1 g/kg BW), and Pistacia and Hedera (19.7 vs. 22.0 g/kg BW). Comparison of intake of shrubs containing only tannins or saponins to intake of shrubs containing both tannins and saponins indicated that goats consumed more total biomass when fed with shrubs with both classes of compounds than with either tannins or saponins alone. Our results suggest that goats can increase intake of Mediterranean shrubs high in secondary compounds by selecting those with different classes of phytotoxins. Simultaneous ingestion of shrubs containing tannins and saponins may promote chemical interactions that inhibit toxic effects of these phytotoxins in the intestinal tract. In addition to complementary interactions between tannins and saponins, biological diversity within Mediterranean maquis vegetation also plays a positive role in increasing shrub intake by goats.</style></abstract><accession-num><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">16770718</style></accession-num></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Rogosic, Jozo</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Estell, Richard E.</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Skobic, Dragan</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Martinovic, Anita</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Maric, Stanislava</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Role of species diversity and secondary compound complementarity on diet selection of Mediterranean shrubs by goats.</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Journal of chemical ecology</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Biodiversity</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Goats</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Maquis</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Mediterranean shrubs</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Saponins</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Secondary compounds</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Tannins</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2006</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2006///</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16770718</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">32</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">1279 - 1287</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Goats foraging on Mediterranean shrubs containing secondary compounds (toxins) may consume a variety of shrubs that contain different phytotoxins, thereby increasing shrub intake and avoiding toxicosis. We conducted eight experiments to examine whether goats offered different mixtures of shrubs containing different phytotoxins (tannins and saponins) would consume more shrub biomass than goats offered one shrub a single phytotoxin (tannin or saponin). In the first three experiments, goats fed a mixture of three tannin-rich shrubs (Quercus ilex, Arbutus unedo, and Pistacia lentiscus) ate more foliage than goats offered only one shrub (23.2 vs. 10.7 g/kg BW; 25.2 vs. 13.4 g/kg BW, and 27.9 vs. 7.9 g/kg BW), regardless of tannin concentration in individual shrub species. Goats also consumed more foliage when offered the same three tannin-rich shrubs than when offered the saponin-rich shrub Hedera helix (25.4 vs. 8.0 g/kg BW). However, goats offered a mixture of the same three tannin-rich shrubs consumed less foliage than goats offered a mixture of two shrubs containing tannins and saponins: Quercus and Hedera (21.6 vs. 27.1 g/kg BW), Arbutus and Hedera (21.8 vs. 27.1 g/kg BW), and Pistacia and Hedera (19.7 vs. 22.0 g/kg BW). Comparison of intake of shrubs containing only tannins or saponins to intake of shrubs containing both tannins and saponins indicated that goats consumed more total biomass when fed with shrubs with both classes of compounds than with either tannins or saponins alone. Our results suggest that goats can increase intake of Mediterranean shrubs high in secondary compounds by selecting those with different classes of phytotoxins. Simultaneous ingestion of shrubs containing tannins and saponins may promote chemical interactions that inhibit toxic effects of these phytotoxins in the intestinal tract. In addition to complementary interactions between tannins and saponins, biological diversity within Mediterranean maquis vegetation also plays a positive role in increasing shrub intake by goats.</style></abstract><issue><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">6</style></issue><notes><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">The following values have no corresponding Zotero field:&lt;br/&gt;accession-num: 16770718</style></notes></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Landau, Serge</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Dvash, Levana</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Decandia, Mauro</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Cabiddu, Andrea</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Shapiro, Fira</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Molle, Giovanni</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Silanikove, Nissim</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Determination of Poly(ethylene glycol)-Binding to Browse Foliage, as an Assay of Tannin, by Near-Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Animals</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Carbon Radioisotopes</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Fabaceae</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Fabaceae: chemistry</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Goats</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Hydrolyzable Tannins</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Hydrolyzable Tannins: analysis</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Near-Infrared</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">NIRS</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">nutrition</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">pasture</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">poly(ethylene glycol)</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Polyethylene Glycols</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Polyethylene Glycols: metabolism</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Spectroscopy</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2004</style></year></dates><publisher><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">American Chemical Society</style></publisher><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">52</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">638-642</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Nutritionists are interested in functional assays of tannins that do not require time-consuming and expensive extraction, such as the 14C-labeled poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-binding (PEG-b) assay. This paper reports the application of near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy to determine the percentage of PEG binding, in place of the 14C-labeled PEG-b assay of tannin, in Mediterranean woodland vegetation. Calibration was done with 53 samples from 14 species and was validated on 25 samples from 10 species. PEG-b ranged between 1.4 and 20.7% in the samples. The calibration obtained by using the modified partial least-squares (MPLS) method, with all wavelengths in the 1100?2500 nm range combined, and the validation were reasonably linear (R?2 = 0.96 and 0.91, respectively). The accuracies, estimated from the standard errors of cross-validation and prediction, were ±1.6 and ±1.7% PEG-b, respectively. The NIRS-aided procedure proposed here can serve as an accurate, inexpensive, time-saving, and environment-friendly functional assay of tannin in Mediterranean browse. Keywords: NIRS; goats; nutrition; poly(ethylene glycol); pasture</style></abstract><accession-num><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">14759161</style></accession-num><notes><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">From Duplicate 1 (Determination of Poly(ethylene glycol)-Binding to Browse Foliage, as an Assay of Tannin, by Near-Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy - Landau, Serge; Dvash, Levana; Decandia, Mauro; Cabiddu, Andrea; Shapiro, Fira; Molle, Giovanni; Silanikove, Nissim)</style></notes><research-notes><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">From Duplicate 1 (Determination of Poly(ethylene glycol)-Binding to Browse Foliage, as an Assay of Tannin, by Near-Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy - Landau, Serge; Dvash, Levana; Decandia, Mauro; Cabiddu, Andrea; Shapiro, Fira; Molle, Giovanni; Silanikove, Nissim)</style></research-notes></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Lachica, M</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Somlo, R</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Barroso, F G</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Boza, J</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Prieto, C</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Goats locomotion energy expenditure under range grazing conditions: Seasonal variation</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">JOURNAL OF RANGE MANAGEMENT</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Goats</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Grazing</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">heat production</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">locomotion</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">1999</style></year></dates><publisher><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">SOC RANGE MANAGEMENT</style></publisher><pub-location><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">1839 YORK ST, DENVER, CO 80206 USA</style></pub-location><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">52</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">431-435</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">The estimation of the energy cost of various activities using calorimetric techniques in conjunction with direct field observations can be used to estimate energy expended in the daily activities of free-ranging animals. The objective of this study was to observe and quantify the grazing activities and to estimate the energy expenditure due to locomotion of goats in open range. The study was carried out at `Finca de Bonaya' privately-owned site, which extends over 1,482 ha, located in the Nevada mountain-range, Almeria. The local altitude varies from 1,100 to 2,000 m above sea level. The area has a mediterranean mountain climate, with annual precipitation ranging from 400 to 700 mm and average daily temperatures from 4.7 degrees C in winter to 23.0 degrees C in slimmer. Landscape is characterised by holm oak wood and pine wood, degradation scrubs and hydrophilic grasses communities. The experimental flock grazed on 3 routes during the whole year. The goats were released to graze during the day and then returned to an enclosed shed. The type of goat management was considered as semi-extensive. Direct observation was used to simulate the total distance walked, the vertical ascent or descent, and to quantify other grazing activities. Data on activities on range and distance travelled were taken on 3 days in each season. The energy expenditure of locomotion was calculated from the horizontal and vertical components of travel and the corresponding costs, which had been previously obtained by calorimetry. There was no significant seasonal effect on period devoted to specific activities on range (P&gt;0.05). However, significant changes in the estimated daily energy expenditure and extra energy expenditure due to locomotion of the animals at pasture were found in different seasons (P&lt;0.05). Grazing and walking were the primary activities of goats throughout the study, accounting for 51.7 and 42.0% of the animals' daily period on range, respectively. Daily travelled distances by goats on range fluctuated from 12,777 m in summer to 8,100 m in autumn, with an annual average of 9,954 m, which represents a mean speed of 20.8 m/min calculated over the whole period on range. The mean annual vertical ascent or descent was 500 m. Estimated heat production due to locomotion ranged from 130.9 to 88.5 kJ/kg(0.75) per day in summer and autumn respectively. These values account for an increased metabolizable energy (ME) requirement at pasture above maintenance of 46.6 and 31.6%, respectively, assuming a ME requirement for maintenance of 401 kJ/kg(0.75) per day for the restrained goat.</style></abstract></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Alcaide, E M</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">García, M A</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Aguilera, J F</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">The voluntary intake and rumen digestion by grazing goats and sheep of a low-quality pasture from a semi-arid land</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Livestock Production Science</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Goats</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">intake</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">rumen fermentation</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">semi-arid land</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Sheep</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">1997</style></year></dates><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">52</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">39-47</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">An experiment was carried out in late autumn with goats and wethers fitted with permanent ruminal cannulae, grazing in a semi-arid area of South Spain. Shrubs were the most available plant species, although natural vegetation also included trees and grasses. In general, the dominant species of the available vegetation accounted for the highest proportion in the selected diet. Similar proportion and species of grasses were found in the pasture selected by goats and wethers, whereas interspecies differences were observed regarding the selection of shrubs and tree species. Crude protein content was similar in selected diets by goats and sheep, but a higher unavailable N proportion was found for sheep (27.1 and 30.0% of total N for goats and sheep, respectively). Digestibility of forage selected was higher for goats than for wethers. Voluntary intake was significantly (P &lt; 0.05) higher in goats than in sheep; the metabolizable energy intake for goats was higher than their maintenance requirements but failed to meet maintenance needs for wethers. Fermentative rumen activity was moderate and similar for goats and sheep. No interspecies differences were found in rumen fermentation parameters except for molar proportions of acetic and propionic acid and for acetic/propionic ratio, which were significantly higher in wethers. The degradation rate tended to be faster in goats, whereas potential and effective degradability tended to be similar in goats and sheep.</style></abstract></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Alcaide, E. M.</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Garcıa, M. A.</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Aguilera, J. F.</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">The voluntary intake and rumen digestion by grazing goats and sheep of a low-quality pasture from a semi-arid land</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Livestock Production Science</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Goats</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">intake</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">rumen fermentation</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">semi-arid land</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Sheep</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">1997</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">1997///</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301622697001176</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">52</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">39 - 47</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">An experiment was carried out in late autumn with goats and wethers fitted with permanent ruminal cannulae, grazing in a semi-arid area of South Spain. Shrubs were the most available plant species, although natural vegetation also included trees and grasses. In general, the dominant species of the available vegetation accounted for the highest proportion in the selected diet. Similar proportion and species of grasses were found in the pasture selected by goats and wethers, whereas interspecies differences were observed regarding the selection of shrubs and tree species. Crude protein content was similar in selected diets by goats and sheep, but a higher unavailable N proportion was found for sheep (27.1 and 30.0% of total N for goats and sheep, respectively). Digestibility of forage selected was higher for goats than for wethers. Voluntary intake was significantly (P &lt; 0.05) higher in goats than in sheep; the metabolizable energy intake for goats was higher than their maintenance requirements but failed to meet maintenance needs for wethers. Fermentative rumen activity was moderate and similar for goats and sheep. No interspecies differences were found in rumen fermentation parameters except for molar proportions of acetic and propionic acid and for acetic/propionic ratio, which were significantly higher in wethers. The degradation rate tended to be faster in goats, whereas potential and effective degradability tended to be similar in goats and sheep.</style></abstract></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Papachristou, T G</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Platis, P D</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">PAPANASTASIS, V P</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Forage production and small ruminant grazing responses in Mediterranean shrublands as influenced by the reduction of shrub cover</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Agroforestry systems</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Goats</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">greece</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">herbs</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">improvement</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Sheep</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">1996</style></year></dates><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">225-238</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Reduction of shrub cover in Mediterranean shrublands is considered as a method of optimising forage and animal production. In this study, forage production in grazed and protected plots and grazing responses of small ruminants in cleared (25% shrub cover), slashed (34'7o shrub cover) and not treated (control, 55% shrub cover) kermes oak (Quercus coccifera L.) shrublands were compared during the spring seasons of 1992, 1993 and 1994. The alterations in shrub density were done in October 1991 and pastures remained ungrazed until spring of 1992. Clearing and slashing of shrub vegetation resulted in higher amounts of available herbaceous forage and useable browse. At the end of the growing season, averaged across years, herbaceous biomass was generally two to three times higher in the treated shrub- lands than in the control; also, browse biomass was slightly less (1,078 vs 1,533 kg/ha) but easily accessible because of the open structure and the lower height of the sprouting shrubs. There were generally no grazing response differences between the cleared and slashed pastures. However, grazing animals (sheep and goats) had a higher bite rate (bites/rain; P ~&lt; 0.05) in the treated pastures than in the control. Levels of crude protein in the forage selected by animals were higher (P ~&lt; 0.05) in the treated pastures than in the control. Animals in the improved pastures maintained diets that were significantly more digestible (53.5%) than those in the control pasture (48.5'7o). Neutral detergent fibre and lignin contents of animal diets were similar in the improved pastures but lower (P &lt;~ 0.05) than those of the control. It is concluded that removing of woody vegetation in Mediterranean shrublands results in increased forage production (available herbage and useable browse) and improved forage quality and availability for small ruminants.</style></abstract></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Narjisse, H</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Elhonsali, M A</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Olsen, J D</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Effects of oak ( Quercus ilex) tannins on digestion and nitrogen balance in sheep and goats</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Small Ruminant Research</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">digestibility</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Feed intake</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Goats</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Quercus</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Sheep</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">tannin</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">1995</style></year></dates><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">18</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">201-206</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Sheep and goats exhibited different levels of tolerance to the effects of tannins extracted from oak leaves (Quercus ilex) Feed intake, N balance, and rumen ammonia concentrations decreased by 8%, 159% and 50%, respectively, in sheep infused intraruminally with tannins (P &lt;0.05). Similar measurements were not depressed (P&gt; 0.05) in goats although mean rumen ammonia content was 39% less. In vivo DM digestibility was not significantly different for either sheep or goats. Averaged in vitro fermentation capacity was depressed 10% by tannin (8-12% concentration) in the rumen fluid from non-infused sheep given the same diet, but was improved by 9% for goats. Finally, tannin-infused goats lost in urine only 17% of the N ingested, while tannin-infused sheep excreted as much as 44%. The superiority of goats in dealing with tannin might result from the greater ability of their microbial population to degrade tannins, and/or their higher urea recycling and salivary secretion capabilities. Results derived from this study indicate that goats may be more suitable for grazing in oak woodland, especially during the season when alternative forage availability is scarce.</style></abstract></record></records></xml>