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Managing Browsing and Grazing Ungulates

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The Ecology of Browsing and Grazing II

Part of the book series: Ecological Studies ((ECOLSTUD,volume 239))

Abstract

As anthropogenic influences on the world’s rangelands accelerate, there is an urgency for humanity to develop a greater understanding of key drivers, and processes, underlying ecological dynamics and function, to inform improved management strategies. Browsing and grazing ungulates are important components of human-dominated and natural ecosystems, contributing to agricultural output and associated livelihoods, as well as to biodiversity and ecosystem services. A review of key concepts pertinent to the dynamics and management of browsing and grazing ungulates highlights the emergence of functional heterogeneity as a general, or unifying, theme guiding their management, whatever the scale or system. It is also clear that management of ungulate density, and the intensity of herbivory, especially in smaller-scale sedentary systems (e.g. ranches or small protected areas), is a critical determinant of functional heterogeneity. We demonstrate how the functional heterogeneity concept can be applied to the management of grazing and browsing ungulates over a range of scales and ecosystems.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are indebted to Herbert Prins and Iain Gordon for their helpful comments, which improved this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Okavango Research Institute, University of Botswana, Maun, Botswana

    Richard W. S. Fynn

  2. USDA/ARS/NPA, Crops Research Laboratory, Fort Collins, CO, USA

    David J. Augustine

  3. Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA

    Samuel D. Fuhlendorf

Authors
  1. Richard W. S. Fynn
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  2. David J. Augustine
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  3. Samuel D. Fuhlendorf
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Correspondence to Richard W. S. Fynn .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Tropical Environment & Societies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia

    Iain J. Gordon

  2. Animal Sciences Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    Herbert H. T. Prins

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Fynn, R.W.S., Augustine, D.J., Fuhlendorf, S.D. (2019). Managing Browsing and Grazing Ungulates. In: Gordon, I., Prins, H. (eds) The Ecology of Browsing and Grazing II. Ecological Studies, vol 239. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-25865-8_14

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