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Spatial scales of large herbivore foraging behaviour and consequences for nutrient flow, vegetation stability and biodiversity in grazed ecosystems

Reference	BBS/E/G/00003004
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Dr David Hatch
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	Inst of Grassland and Environmental Res
Department	Inst of Grassland and Environmental Res Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	1,531,461
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/04/2003
End date	31/03/2007
Duration	48 months

Abstract

A combination of experimental and modelling studies will be used to address two key objectives: 1. To identify the scale at which grazing animals integrate their foraging decisions, and 2. To test the hypothesis that spatial scale of animal foraging affects ecosystem function, vegetation stability and biodiversity by changing the temporal and spatial scale of nutrient cycling. Skills and methodologies developed at IGER will be applied to a new area of science, building on new cross-disciplinary synergies. The project will contribute important new findings to the theory of behavioural ecology and community ecology. By establishing general principles and integrating them by modelling, the project will provide underpinning information for strategic research and policy setting on biodiversity and sustainability both at farm and landscape scales and in managed and semi-natural ecosystems. Measurements of defined environmental variables will contribute to the UK Environmental Change Network database.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Agri-food (AF)
Research Topics	X – not assigned to a current Research Topic
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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