Fire is a fundamental ecological process in the Great Plains rangelands. While it is well-established that dynamic mosaics created by fire and grazing are essential for maintaining biodiversity of grassland systems, how fire affects plant diversity in spatially heterogeneous savanna landscapes of the Southern Great Plains remains poorly understood. The objective was to explore how spatially heterogeneous fire affects plant α- and β-diversity and their spatial patterns, the possible mechanisms, and the regulating roles of precipitation and soil in the Great Plains savanna systems. We collected prefire and postfire data of plant species composition and abundance data from 288 plots stratified by soil types and generated a fine-resolution (21-cm) burn map using aerial imagery and machine learning. These data were analyzed to quantify the effect of heterogeneous fire on plant α- and β-diversity measures and their spatial patterns, and the influence of soils with distinct water-holding capacity, in a mesquite-oak savanna landscape. Prescribed fire promoted α-diversity while it reduced β-diversity, with the effects mediated by patterns of soil moisture availability and fire heterogeneity. Differential changes in species composition and relative abundance of forbs and grasses in response to fire contributed to reductions in both incidence- and abundance-based β-diversity. Significant associations between the spatial patterns of the burn and postfire α- and β-diversity underscores the role of fire heterogeneity in shaping the spatial pattern of plant diversity. The findings demonstrate that spatial patterns of fire heterogeneity and temporal patterns of precipitation significantly influence plant diversity and its spatial pattern, which should be a critical consideration in developing management strategies for sustaining biodiversity and other ecosystem services within these rangeland landscapes of the Southern Great Plains.

Woody plant encroachment has altered many rangelands across North America, not only causing substantial changes in ecological and biophysical processes but often converting vast areas of grasslands and savannas into closed-canopy woodlands. While much research has documented impacts that living trees have on their surroundings (such as increases in soil infiltration and organic matter), very little is known about the legacy left by trees after their death or removal. In this study, we examined the legacy of juniper trees, one of the most widespread encroaching woody genera across North America, in the Edwards Plateau region of Texas that were determined to have died during a drought in 2011. Data were collected under canopies of both dead and living junipers, as well as in herbaceous intercanopy, where no trees are known to have grown. The parameters measured were soil infiltrability and compaction. We found that infiltrability of soils under canopies of both live (776 mm h-1 ) and dead (501 mm h-1 ) trees were significantly higher than in intercanopy areas (132 mm h-1 ). Soil compaction was significantly lower under dead trees than in the intercanopy spaces, though compaction under live trees was not significantly distinct. These results suggest that even 10 years after tree death, the positive influences on soil physical properties persist or increase. Further, our findings suggest that the process of juniper encroachment and subsequent dieback (due to either natural causes or management practices) may be an effective method for improving long-term soil development. (c) 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of The Society for Range Management. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Woody plant encroachment is a global phenomenon, observed in many of the world's drylands. In those with shallow soils overlying karst geology, rock moisture can be an important source of water for woody plants. This source can be particularly important for trees to maintain basic physiological functions during extended droughts, which are becoming more frequent and intense owing to climate change. However, our understanding of rock moisture dynamics in karst drylands undergoing woody plant encroachment is still limited because of the scarcity of direct measurements. In this study, we evaluated soil and rock moisture dynamics at a semiarid site in the Edwards Plateau region of Texas. Our measurements over the course of 3 years showed that in shallow upslope terrain, the dynamic water storage in bedrock was roughly twice that found in soil, whereas in downslope terrain, the dynamic storage was largely restricted to the soil layer. Most of the bedrock storage gains occurred during the first year, after two major storm events of approximately 95 mm, and that storage was gradually depleted during the following 2 years, when precipitation was below average. Importantly, in upslope terrain we found greater rock water storage under woody plants, suggesting that expanding woody vegetation not only has more access to rock moisture, but may also play a role in enhancing bedrock storage capacity. These interconnected abilities can help woody plants survive extended droughts—a factor crucial for understanding their persistence and proliferation in the shallow soils of the Edwards Plateau and similar karst regions.

Diet selection and preference by grazing animals are determined by genetic and environmental factors that interact and affect their efficacy for managing vegetation as targeted grazers and developing animals adapted to local grazing environments. The effect of the rearing environments on the consumption of juniper (Juniperus spp.) by goats that for 15 years were divergently selected for high (J+) or low (J-) percent juniper in their diet was investigated. To test the effect of rearing environment, at the end of the breeding season pregnant does from both selection lines were grazed on either juniper-infested (JIR) or juniper-free (JFR) rangelands until their kids were weaned at about 75 days of age. Fecal samples were analyzed with fecal near-infrared spectroscopy to determine the percent juniper in the diet. Fecal samples were collected from does on JIR when their offspring were 30 days of age and at weaning. Then, does that raised kids in both rearing environments grazed a common JIR pasture for a 28-day adaptation period before collecting fecal samples. After weaning, kids from both rearing environments grazed JIR for 22 days before collecting fecal samples. The J+ does always consumed more (P<0.001) juniper than J- does, demonstrating different maternal role models for kids reared in the JIR environment. There was no effect of rearing environment (P=0.488) or rearing environment × selection line interaction (P = 0.096) when J- and J+ does grazed a common JIR pasture. The percentage of juniper in J- kid diets (7%) was the same regardless of the rearing environment. However, the rearing environment did affect the percentage of juniper in the diet of J+ kids, resulting in a gene-environment interaction (P = 0.022). The percentage of juniper in the diet of J+ kids reared in JFR (16%) and JIR (24%) were about two and three times higher than J- kids, respectively, indicating that genetics and the rearing environment contributed about equally to the increase in the percentage of juniper in the J+ kid diets. Regardless of the rearing environment, the J+ kids had a higher percentage of juniper in their diets than J- kids (P < 0.001). Compared to males, female kids had a higher percentage of juniper in their diets (12% vs 17%, respectively; P = 0.002). The ability to select animals with specific dietary preferences holds promise for targeted grazing strategies to restore degraded rangelands, with potential applications in conservation and ecosystem management.

Background Junipers ( Juniperus spp. ) are woody native, invasive plants that have caused encroachment problems in the U.S. western rangelands, decreasing forage productivity and biodiversity. A potential solution to this issue is using goats in targeted grazing programs. However, junipers, which grow in dry and harsh environmental conditions, use chemical defense mechanisms to deter herbivores. Therefore, genetically selecting goats for increased juniper consumption is of great interest for regenerative rangeland management. In this context, the primary objectives of this study were to: 1) estimate variance components and genetic parameters for predicted juniper consumption in divergently selected Angora (ANG) and composite Boer x Spanish (BS) goat populations grazing on Western U.S. rangelands; and 2) to identify genomic regions, candidate genes, and biological pathways associated with juniper consumption in these goat populations. Results The average juniper consumption was 22.4% (± 18.7%) and 7.01% (± 12.1%) in the BS and ANG populations, respectively. The heritability estimates (realized heritability within parenthesis) for juniper consumption were 0.43 ± 0.02 (0.34 ± 0.06) and 0.19 ± 0.03 (0.13 ± 0.03) in BS and ANG, respectively, indicating that juniper consumption can be increased through genetic selection. The repeatability values of predicted juniper consumption were 0.45 for BS and 0.28 for ANG. A total of 571 significant SNP located within or close to 231 genes in BS, and 116 SNP related to 183 genes in ANG were identified based on the genome-wide association analyses. These genes are primarily associated with biological pathways and gene ontology terms related to olfactory receptors, intestinal absorption, and immunity response. Conclusions These findings suggest that juniper consumption is a heritable trait of polygenic inheritance influenced by multiple genes of small effects. The genetic parameters calculated indicate that juniper consumption can be genetically improved in both goat populations.

Junipers (Juniperus spp.) are woody invasive plants that have caused encroachment problems in the U.S. western rangeland, decreasing forage productivity and biodiversity. A potential solution to this issue is the use of goats in target grazing programs. Selecting goats for juniper consumption is of great interest to rangeland farmers. Therefore, our main objectives were to 1) estimate genetic parameters, including heritability and repeatability, for juniper consumption in Angora (ANG) and Boer x Spanish (BxS) composite population of goats grazing on West Texas rangelands (USA); and, 2) perform a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to identify candidate genes associated with juniper consumption. Fecal samples were collected multiple times between 2008 and 2017 and analyzed using near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) to estimate the percentage of juniper in the diet of goats, using calibration equations previously developed in controlled studies. We analyzed a dataset comprising 2,327 records from 459 ANG and 8,714 records from 1,996 BxS. The pedigree file included 1,601 and 2,426 ANG and BxS goats, respectively. Genomic information for 50,957 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) from 93 ANG and 238 BxS goats was included in the analyses. Sampling date and sex were fitted as categorical fixed effects and age as a linear covariate in the statistical models. Animal direct additive genetic and permanent environment were considered as random effects. Genetic parameters were calculated based on the Restricted Maximum Likelihood method under the single-step genomic BLUP procedure implemented in the BLUPf90+ family of programs. We used de-regressed estimated breeding values and whole-genome sequence data for the GWAS analyses with 8 million SNP for the ANG and 5.3 million SNP for the BxS. The software GCTA was employed for these analyses. Juniper percentage in their diets varied across the years and ranged from 2.14% (± 7.51%) to 14.6% (± 11.0%) for ANG and from 10.5% (± 14.7) to 33.8% (± 18.1) for the BxS population. The heritability estimate for juniper consumption was 0.19 (± 0.038) for ANG and 0.28 (± 0.022) for BxS, indicating that juniper consumption can be increased through selection. The repeatability values were 0.21 for ANG and 0.37 for BxS. The GWAS revealed 1,257 significant SNP located within or close to 220 genes in ANG, and 878 SNP related to 159 genes in BxS, suggesting their association with juniper consumption. These findings suggest that juniper consumption is under genetic control and has a polygenic inheritance pattern influenced by multiple genes of small effect. The heritability and repeatability estimates indicate that genetic improvement of juniper consumption is feasible in both goat populations.

Little is known about the effects of woody plant encroachment—a recent but pervasive phenomenon—on the hydraulic properties of bedrock substrates. Recent work using stream solute concentrations paired with weathering models suggests that woody plant encroachment accelerates limestone weathering. In this field study, we evaluate this hypothesis by examining bedrock in the Edwards Plateau, an extensive karst landscape in Central Texas. We compared a site that has been heavily encroached by woody plants (mainly Quercus fusiformis and Juniperus ashei ), with an adjacent site that has been maintained free of encroachment for the past eight decades. Both sites share the same bedrock, as confirmed by trenching, and originally had very few trees, which enabled us to evaluate how encroachment impacted the evolution of hydraulic properties over a period of no more than 80 years. Using in situ permeability tests in boreholes drilled into the weathered bedrock, we found that the mean saturated hydraulic conductivity of the bedrock was higher—by an order of magnitude—beneath woody plants than in the areas where woody plants have been continuously suppressed. Additionally, woody plant encroachment was associated with greater regolith thickness, greater plant rooting depths, significantly lower rock hardness, and a 24–44% increase in limestone matrix porosity. These findings are strong indicators that woody plant encroachment enhances bedrock weathering, thereby amplifying its permeability—a cycle of mutual reinforcement with the potential for substantial changes within a few decades. Given the importance of shallow bedrock for ecohydrological and biogeochemical processes, the broader impacts of woody plant encroachment on weathering rates and permeability warrant further investigation.

Diet selection and preference by grazing animals are determined by genetic and environmental factors (i.e., nature and nurture) that interact and affect their efficacy for managing vegetation as targeted grazers. The effect of rearing environment on the consumption of leafy spurge by sheep and goats was investigated. We hypothesized that although rearing environment will affect the preference for chemically defended plants ultimately, the inherent ability to detoxify or eliminate phytotoxins will limit an animal’s preference for them. The objective of this study was to determine if sheep would consume more of the invasive weed leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula) if they were raised by goat compared to sheep raised by sheep and goat raised by goat. Sheep were raised on leafy spurge-infested pastures by either their ewe (S) or a goat doe (FS) on which they were fostered within 24 hours of birth and parturition of lamb and doe, respectively. Does that fostered lambs also raised their own goat offspring (G) such that the same doe raised the FS and G animals. The rearing environment’s effect on leafy spurge consumption was tested the following growing season by simultaneously grazing all animals on the same leafy spurge-infested rangeland and estimating percentage leafy spurge in their diet with either fecal near-infrared spectroscopy (f.NIR) or bite count. Goats consumed more leafy spurge as determined by either f.NIR (62.8%, P < 0.06) or bite count (71.9%, P < 0.01) than FS (35.2 % f.NIR, 39.3% bite count) or S (10.1 % f.NIR, 18.2% bite count). The FS consumed over twice as much leafy spurge as S and were numerically intermediate to G and S for leafy spurge consumption but not significantly different from the S sheep, most likely because one FS sheep did not eat leafy spurge during the evaluation period. Because leafy spurge is aversive to sheep but not goats, higher leafy spurge consumption by FS sheep is hypothesized to result from inoculation of their rumen microbes with microbes from the does capable of denaturing aversive phytotoxins in leafy spurge. The higher consumption of leafy spurge by G compared to FS shows that genetically determined physiological differences influence an animal’s ability to ameliorate phytotoxins and determine the upper limit of an animal’s preference for a chemically defended plant. It also indicated that in addition to the animal’s genome, the genome of an animal’s microbiome, which the mother may influence, can play an important role in diet selection.

A sodium pentobarbital-induced sleep time (ST) study was conducted on intact males, Boer x Spanish goats (n = 30), selected for high (J+) or low juniper (J-) consumption with the objective to compare the Phase I detoxification system of the genetic divergent lines (EBV of 13.1 ± 0.2 and -14.2 ± 0.3, respectively). The ST study was conducted following a minimum period of 21 days on three different diets: grazing juniper infested rangeland (JIR), forage diet with no monoterpenes (M0), and forage diet with 8 g/kg added camphor, sabinene, and α-pinene monoterpenes in a ratio of 5:4:1 (M+). Fecal samples from goats on the JIR and M+ diets were analyzed for camphor and sabinene, and, when on the JIR diet, analyzed for percentage juniper in the diet using previously developed NIRS calibrations. Data were submitted to ANOVA analysis with repeated measures, assuming as significant when alpha was less than 10% (P < 0.10) by the F test. Percentage of juniper in the diet of J+ goats on JIP (38.6 ± 3.4%) was greater (P < 0.001) than J- goats (28.0 ± 3.8%). The J+ goats slept 15.1 (P = 0.02), 14.3 (P = 0.06), and 15.8 (P = 0.06) minutes longer than J- goats on JIR, M0, and M+ diets, respectively. There was no difference in ST between diets, and there was no interaction line × diet. Goats from the J+ line had higher concentrations of camphor in their feces on the JIR (P = 0.07) and M+ (P = 0.09) diets, while sabinene concentration was similar. Goats selected for juniper consumption had longer ST than J- goats which indicates a less efficient Phase I detoxification system, probably because there were less monoterpenes in the blood to be metabolized in the liver by the cytochromes P450 enzymes.

Encroaching plant species in West Texas continues to significantly reduce livestock production capacity and cause an imbalance between plant and livestock ecology. Juniperus ashei and Juniperus pinchotii are encroaching species rarely used by browsing animals, mainly due to phytochemical defenses. Juniperus spp. contain large concentrations of monoterpenes in their essential oil profiles to deter herbivory. Since 2003, two divergent bloodlines of meat goats have been selected to consume low or high (LJC or HJC) amounts of juniper foliage, through screening fecal samples with near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy. However, it remains unclear whether HJC goats expressed a physiological ability to consume a greater amount of juniper or if they were colonized by a ruminal microbial population that could detoxify juniper phytochemicals. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the impact of 0.00 and 1.97 mM of camphor on the mixed ruminal microorganism fermentation after 0, 1, 2, 4, 12, and 24 h of incubation. Five LJC and five HJC goats were fed a juniper-free diet (n = 10) and five LJC and five HJC goats (n = 10), were fed a diet containing 30% fresh J. ashei leaves for 21 days prior to ruminal fluid collection. In vitro fermentations used LJC and HJC, ruminal fluid inoculum was added (33% v/v) to anoxic media in sealed Balch tubes. Total short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production and acetate to propionate ratio were increased (P < 0.05), but there was no effect on pH (6.56 ± 0.09). Goats that received the juniper-free diet had higher (P < 0.05) SCFA production than juniper-containing diets. There was no consistent difference in LJC and HJC microbial fermentation end products caused by the addition of 1.97 mM of camphor, and goats receiving a juniper-free diet consistently generated more SCFAs in the presence of 1.97 mM of camphor. Furthermore, bloodline differences in juniper consumption were likely related to physiological adaption capacities within the animal and not a ruminal microbial detoxification advantage.

The microbial population in the gastrointestinal tract of ruminant animals aids in the utilization of forages with high levels of secondary plant compounds. Two divergent bloodlines of meat goats have been selected by screening fecal samples with near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy to assess the goat's consumption of high or low levels of Juniperus sp. leaves containing several monoterpenes, including camphor. The mechanism by which these goats can consume greater concentrations of Juniperus spp. leaves than their counterparts is unclear, and therefore, this study was designed to determine if differences existed between the ruminal microbial populations of the low and high juniper-consuming bloodlines (LJC vs. HJC) by analyzing their ruminal microbiota and fermentation end products. In the present study, concentrations (0.00, 0.5, 0.99, 1.97, or 5.91 mM) of camphor were added to mixed ruminal microorganism fermentation. Five LJC and five HJC goats were fed a juniper-free diet (n = 10), and five LJC and five HJC goats (n = 10) were fed a diet that contained 30% fresh Juniperus ashei leaves for 21 d prior to ruminal fluid collection. In vitro fermentations used LJC and HJC, ruminal fluid inoculum added (33% v/v) to anoxic media in sealed Balch tubes. Camphor increased (P < 0.05) total short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentrations for all but one experimental group. Between the main dietary and bloodline goat effects, the diet was significant for all SCFA results except butyrate. In contrast, bloodline was only significant for acetate and butyrate molar proportions. Rumen fluid from juniper-free-fed goats exhibited greater concentrations of Ruminococcaceae, whereas juniperfed goats contained more Coriobacteriaceae. Results demonstrated that mixed ruminal microorganisms fermentations from HJC goats did not produce greater concentrations of SCFAs or have the ability to degrade camphor at a higher rate than did that from LJC goats. Results suggest that camphor tolerance from J. ashei, was related to hepatic catabolic mechanisms instead of ruminal microbial degradation: however, further in vivo work is warranted.

Woody plant encroachment – the conversion of open grasslands and savannas to woodlands – represents one of the gravest threats to grassland biomes worldwide. This is especially true for the Great Plains of the US. We contend that the widespread adoption of pyric herbivory (the synergistic application of fire and grazing) and mixed‐species grazing (cattle [ Bos taurus ] and goats [ Capra spp]) would not only make grasslands and savannas more resilient to woody plant encroachment but would also enhance the profitability and resiliency of livestock production systems. These management strategies control woody plants, increase biodiversity, improve grassland ecosystem function, and favor livestock production. Although this management paradigm holds tremendous potential by mimicking original grassland disturbance regimes, it has not been widely adopted because of cultural constraints. Saving the remaining natural grasslands in the Great Plains and elsewhere will require a widespread shift in cultural norms – facilitated by targeted government incentives and a coordinated program of regional research, extension, and education that involves farmers and ranchers as key stakeholders.

This study evaluated for the first-time a handheld Raman spectroscopy (RS) device to differentiate animal species and estimate diet characteristics by detecting biomolecules in fresh feces from large (bovine) and small (goat) ruminants, hindgut fermenter (equine), and non-ruminant (swine). The herbivores` diets were forage-based, with access to pasture and ad libitum coastal bermudagrass hay. The pigs received a commercial pelleted grower ration with 160 g/kg of crude protein. Of the 46 fecal samples collected, 21 were from bovine (cattle; 16 cows and 5 calves), 5 from equines (horses, all mares), 8 from goats, and 12 from swine (pigs). Distinct concentrations of undigested biomolecules such as carotenoids, cellulose, and lignin in the feces of each species could be identified by RS. The RS indicated that cattle, goat, and horse diets consisted of 24%, 53%, and 14% fresh grass and 76%, 47%, and 86% hay, respectively. Calves and adult cattle could be distinguished by their feces using the RS. Cellulose, nonstructural carbohydrates, proteins, and fat digestion by ruminants, equines and pigs substantiated RS utilization for nutrition physiology studies in species with different digestive systems. Therefore, RS is a practical tool for identifying animals with different digestive systems and understanding diet specificities.

•Water is the most important nutrient for livestock and ensuring a continuous supply can be costly and time consuming.•Failed water delivery systems have resulted in livestock deaths.•Game cameras, pressure transducers, and automatic meter reading systems that connect either by cellular networks or satellite can be used to remotely monitor water.•Although costs vary among systems, the user’s comfort level with using technology and the characteristics of each remote water monitoring system are more important considerations.•The peace of mind of knowing that livestock have water is equally important to economic and labor savings provided by these systems.

Lab scoured yield (LSY) is a major indicator of wool quality. LSY is used for the valuation of wool in commercial settings and can be used by growers as selection criteria for breeding stock. Current laboratory methods for LSY are costly and labor intensive. Evaluation of fleece core samples using Near-Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy (NIR) may present an efficient, cost-effective alternative to predict LSY. Lamb and yearling fleece core samples from flocks originating from Texas were scanned on a FOSS 6500 spectrometer. Constituent data were obtained from the Bill Sims Wool and Mohair Laboratory using ASTM methodology. LSY ranged from 48–68%. Spectral data were pretreated with a 14 nm moving average and Savitsky-Golay 2nd derivative. Eight outlier spectra were removed. Samples were parsed from the center of the distribution to minimize the Dunn effect creating calibration (n = 108) and test (n = 41) sets. Calibrations were executed using a partial least squares regression on spectra from 1100 to 2492 nm. Test set calibration statistics for LSY were: r2=0.64, RMSE=3.39, and slope=0.91. Independent validation statistics for LSY using spectra for different years were: r2=0.33, RMSE=3.69, and slope=0.29. RMSE for independent validation and lab methods on side samples are similar. Between flock independent validations were less promising. Accuracy of laboratory methods for estimating yield is 2 percentage units. NIRS calibrations can be improved by developing calibration sets with a uniform distribution, which can be difficult within flocks because of the small number of fleeces in the tails of the distribution. These data demonstrate that when calibration and test sets are developed such that test samples are drawn from the calibration population, NIR is a reliable predictor of LSY. However, when test samples are drawn from populations dissimilar to the calibration set, reliability of NIR predictions are greatly reduced.

Abstract Rock moisture in the vadose zone, while recognized as important, is rarely monitored—in part because adequate instrumentation and installation techniques are lacking. The objectives of this work were (a) to test the applicability of a commercially available capacitance soil moisture sensor (EC‐5, METER Group) for continuously monitoring the water content of weathered limestone; and (b) to contrast the water dynamics of rock matrix with that of rock fractures. At a site in the Edwards Plateau, Texas, we developed a protocol for installing sensors in limestone pits and tested its effectiveness in reducing erroneous readings caused by installation‐induced preferential flow along pit walls. Our results show that rock moisture can be accurately measured with EC‐5 sensors, provided some steps are taken to ensure the quality of the installation. These include protecting the sensors by installing them in horizontal shafts rather than on the exposed pit wall, and use of a sealant. Data gathered over 7 mo after installation showed that rock moisture increased significantly only after a 95‐mm rainfall event. Because of preferential flow, fractures reached peak water content within 2–3 h after peak rainfall—a response that was one to two orders of magnitude faster than in rock matrix. Limestone stored 40–70% of the water after the 95‐mm event, and its water content decreased significantly during summer months. Overall, our results attest to the importance of continuously measuring rock moisture in regions with shallow soils, where it serves as a critical reservoir for vegetation.

This study compared the FibreLux Micron Meter (FL) to the OFDA2000 in an on-farm test and to the SirolanLaserscanTM (SL, an International Wool Testing Organization (IWTO) approved method) in the lab. Midside samples for this study were obtained chute side before shearing. An OFDA2000 slide was prepared and measured and the same subsamples were used to prepare and measure an FL slide. The same subsamples were then taken to the lab, where they were guillotined and measured on the SL. When validated against the SL, the OFDA2000 was better than the FL in that the OFDA2000 mean fiber diameter (MFD) did not differ (P = 0.15) from the SL, while MFD for the FL was 0.4 mu m finer compared to SL (P = 0.02). Only the FL showed a level dependent bias. MFD measured on the OFDA2000, and the FL was correlated (r = 0.87, P < 0.001), but the average MFD was 0.2 mu m greater on the OFDA2000 compared to the FL. Samples were divided into IWTO micron grades based on the MFD measured on the FL or the OFDA2000, and compared to the classification based on the MFD measured on the SL. Classification agreement with the SL by the OFDA2000 was substantial (Cohen's Kappa = 0.676) and better (P < 0.001) than the agreement of the FL with the SL, which was moderate (Cohen's Kappa = 0.445). However, the mean SL MFD of samples classed using the FL or the OFDA2000 were within the micron range for each class. Although the FL is inferior compared to the OFDA2000, measuring two staples on the FL should provides an estimate of MFD with the same 95 % confidence interval (+/- 1.2 mu m) as a single staple measured on the OFDA2000. However, this would not remove the bias of the FL compared to either the OFDA2000 or SL. Because of the cost difference between the OFDA2000 (USD 75,000.00) and FL (USD 2,500.00), we recommend the FL to help growers improve the quality of their clip by selecting replacements with finer wool and adding value to their clip by classifying fleeces into appropriate lots.

We sampled Spanish goats selected for their propensity to consume above (H) or below (L) the population average for proportion of juniper/monoterpenes in the diet (as determined by fecal near infrared spectroscopy) to determine the effect of juniper/monoterpenes on metabolic/endocrine indicators in adult male goats (Y: 2-year-old and O: 3-5-year-old). Body weight (kg) and serum samples were collected from 20 animals [n = 5 of each age (i.e. length of exposure to monoterpenes) and juniper consumption combination] maintained solely on pastures inhabited by juniper. Differences in serum analytes between groups were determined by analysis of variance. Body weight was not different between juniper groups (~71.1 ± 3.4 each) but was greater in O (76.0 ± 3.7) than Y (66.3 ± 1.9). Glucose (mg/dL) was numerically higher (P = 0.15) in H (82.3 ± 7.3) than L (69.5 ± 3.8) and in O (81.9 ± 1.9) than Y (69.9 ± 2.3). Serum urea nitrogen (mg/dL) was 10.5 ± 1.0 in both H and L (P > 0.1) but was significantly higher (P < 0.004) in O (12.9 ± 1.3) compared to Y (8.2 ± 0.5). NEFA (mEq/L) was significantly higher (P < 0.02) in H (0.33 ± 0.04) than L (0.26 ± 0.02), but not in O (0.30 ± 0.04) versus Y (0.29 ± 0.03). Total globulin (g/dL) was significantly higher (P < 0.007) in L (4.34 ± 0.35) than H (3.40 ± 0.16), and in O (4.29 ± 0.38) than Y (3.45 ± 0.12). Gamma glutamyl transferase was significantly higher (P < 0.0001) in H (59.2 ± 2.1) than L (44.3 ± 2.2), and in Y (55.3 ± 2.9) than O (48.2 ± 3.2). Length of exposure (via advancing age) and preference for juniper may incur a cost of fitness in goats selected for higher than average consumption of monoterpenes.

Forbs and browse species acquire and use nutrients at different times and from different resource sites compared with co-occurring grasses and legumes in complex pasture communities. Turnip is a cool-season biennial that produces roots and foliage, both of which can be grazed by livestock. Forage rape is a biennial that produces a more fibrous and deeper root system than turnip, without the fleshy tub. Silvopasture is an integrated agro-ecosystem that involves the managed interaction of trees, forages, and livestock grown on the same site. It is a common land management practice used throughout the world that offers a means to diversify production and enhance income-generating possibilities on a limited land area. Woody and herbaceous plants, other than traditional forages, can be considered browse and managed as companion or cover crops in silvopasture. Browse species have greater amounts and a greater variety of plant secondary metabolites than do grasses.