This paper highlights the strong relationship between forage phenology in alpine areas and the dynamics of plant consumption by alpine herbivores.
In this study, Johan Espunyes and colleagues assessed the seasonal changes in diet composition of Pyrenean chamois (Rupicapra p. pyrenaica) and its relationship to primary production trends in a Mediterranean alpine environment. Moreover, the diet composition in two populations with contrasting livestock pressure was compared in order to study the effect of sheep flocks on the feeding behaviour of chamois. Using monthly sampling during three consecutive years, they showed an intra-annual variation in the diet composition of Pyrenean chamois and demonstrated a strong relationship between plant consumption dynamics and phenology in alpine areas. This study could not detect differences between both chamois populations despite the presence of sheep flocks in only one area. However, the detection of a shift in the diet of chamois in both areas after the arrival of high densities of multi-specific livestock suggest a general livestock effect. In conclusion, Pyrenean chamois are well adapted to the variations in the seasonal availability of plants in alpine habitats but could be disturbed by the seasonal presence of livestock. Due to the key plants in their diet, it is suggested that population management programmes should focus on the preservation of mixed grasslands composed of patches of shrubs and herbs. The effects of climate change and shrub expansion should be studied as they may potentially affect chamois population dynamics through changes in habitat composition and temporal shifts in forage availability.
Reference: Espunyes, J., Bartolomé, J., Garel, M., Gálvez-Cerón, A., Fernández Aguilar, X., Colom-Cadena, A., et al. (2019) Seasonal diet composition of Pyrenean chamois is mainly shaped by primary production waves. PLoS ONE 14(1): e0210819
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0210819
You can read the full article here.
Picture: Pyrenean chamois (Rupicapra p. pyrenaica) (photo: Johan Espunyes)