Diet Selection by Domestic and Wild Herbivore Species in a Coastal Mediterranean Wetland

Abstract

Knowledge of the diet selection by coexisting herbivores is of prime importance in order to draw guidelines for livestock management alongside wildlife conservation. In this study, diet selection by coexisting cattle (Bos taurus), feral horses (Equus caballus), European hares (Lepus europaeus) and white-fronted geese (Anser albifrons) was evaluated in coastal grazing lands of the Evros Delta, Greece. Graminoids constituted the primary forage category for all herbivores, since they contributed more than half in the herbivores' diets. Even though legumes and forbs constituted a substantial part of their diets, selection indices of these forage categories did not exceed the value of 1, which indicates significant selection. Halophytes were selected by all herbivores to a much smaller degree than expected in view of their availability. Increasing the abundance, primarily of graminoids and secondarily of legumes and forbs, is expected to benefit all the studied herbivores.