Meat-type goats and sheep are common small ruminants in the southeast USA, where a vast coverage of woodland (61%) presents a huge potential for supporting small ruminant grazing. However, dense and tall growing plants in woodlands restrict animals’ movement and their access to vegetation. Thus, vegetation growing beyond animals’ reach in woodlands should be managed at low heights for efficient utilization. Studies on how animals would interact with the landscape having different vegetation characteristics is lacking. The objective of the current study was to determine the diurnal behavior and distribution patterns of Kiko wethers (castrated male goats) and Katahdin rams (male sheep) in woodlands with different vegetation heights during fall. Study plots (6 plots, 0.4-ha each) comprised of southern pines, hardwoods, and numerous understory vegetation. The non-target (non-pine) species were either left uncut (control) or cut to one of the heights from the ground level: 0 m, 0.9 m, and 1.5 m. Kiko wethers and Katahdin rams were rotationally stocked in separate plots (3 plots/species) during 2017 and 2018, and their diurnal behavior (dawn–dusk) and distribution patterns monitored when they were in each plot. Animal behavior and distribution data were analyzed in SAS v 9.4, and the distribution evenness index (DEI) in R v 3.4.4. Wethers spent predominant feeding time browsing in areas where non-target plants were cut to 0.9 m and 1.5 m (53–71%), and rams grazed predominantly (49–61%) in areas with non-target plants cut to the ground level, mostly during post-midday ( p < 0.05). Lying was predominant during midday ( p < 0.0001), especially in open spaces ( p < 0.05). Wethers had a higher DEI than rams throughout the study period ( p < 0.01). Vegetation utilization in woodlands was highly influenced by the vegetation height, diurnal period, and study year (age of animals).

中文翻译：

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秋季不同植被高度林地Kiko wethers和Katahdin ram的昼夜行为和分布模式

肉型山羊和绵羊是美国东南部常见的小型反刍动物，那里广阔的林地覆盖率 (61%) 具有支持小型反刍动物放牧的巨大潜力。然而，林地中茂密、高大的植物限制了动物的活动和接近植被。因此，林地中动物无法触及的植被应在低处进行管理，以便有效利用。缺乏关于动物如何与具有不同植被特征的景观相互作用的研究。本研究的目的是确定秋季期间不同植被高度的林地中 Kiko wethers（阉割的公山羊）和 Katahdin rams（公绵羊）的昼夜行为和分布模式。研究地块（6 个地块，每块 0.4 公顷）由南方松树、硬木、和众多的林下植被。非目标（非松树）物种要么不砍伐（对照），要么砍到离地面高度之一：0 m、0.9 m 和 1.5 m。2017 年和 2018 年期间，Kiko wethers 和 Katahdin 公羊在不同的地块（3 个地块/物种）中轮流放养，并在每个地块中监测它们的昼夜行为（黎明-黄昏）和分布模式。在 SAS v 9.4 中分析动物行为和分布数据，在 R v 3.4.4 中分析分布均匀度指数 (DEI)。Wethers 在非目标植物被切割到 0.9 m 和 1.5 m 的区域（53-71%）主要觅食时间，公羊主要（49-61%）在非目标植物被切割到地面的区域吃草，主要是在午后（p < 0.05）。中午撒谎占主导地位（p < 0.0001），特别是在开放空间（p < 0.05）。在整个研究期间，Wethers 的 DEI 高于公羊（p < 0.01）。林地植被利用受植被高度、昼夜周期和研究年份（动物年龄）的影响很大。