DIET SELECTION BY SHEEP AND GOATS ON MEDITERRANEAN HEATH-WOODLAND RANGE

The study determined the species components of the diets of small rumi nants grazing mountain ranges of the Montseny Biosphere Reserve (Catal unya, NE Spain). Three mixed flocks of sheep and goats, led by shepher ds, were monitored for a year. Animals grazed a mountain rangeland com posed of Qeurcus ilex woodland and Calluna-Erica heathland during the day and were returned to their corrals every night. Diet selection was estimated using fecal analysis. Of the 111 species that were identifi ed, 71 were common to both sheep and goat. Of these, 23 were represent ed in proportions of more than 1% of the annual diet. Even though goat s and sheep grazed together, their diets were significantly different (p < 0.0001), the animal factor accounting for 18% to 60% of the total variation among the main diet components. Variation between seasons w as also a major (5% to 56%) highly significant factor, while differenc es between flocks accounted for a significant, but relatively small pa rt (3% to 10%) of the total variation in diet. The outstanding differe nce was the avoidance of the tree, Quercus ilex, by the sheep while th e goats selected it throughout the year. Sheep selected graminoids thr oughout the year while goats tended to avoid them. For the rest there. was substantial overlap in species composition between the diet of she ep and goats, especially when analysed over an entire cycle.