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Quantifying the grazing habits of beef cattle using remote sensing technology and assessing the composition of common shrubs in the West Coast Strandveld of South Africa
Thesis (MScAgric)--Stellenbosch University, 2025.
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| Language: | English |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
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| _version_ | 1867613757283237888 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Hough, Wilmie |
| author2 | Brand, Tertius Swanepoel |
| author_browse | Brand, Tertius Swanepoel Hough, Wilmie |
| author_facet | Brand, Tertius Swanepoel Hough, Wilmie |
| author_sort | Hough, Wilmie |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MScAgric)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132213 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:41:12.661Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132213 Quantifying the grazing habits of beef cattle using remote sensing technology and assessing the composition of common shrubs in the West Coast Strandveld of South Africa Hough, Wilmie Brand, Tertius Swanepoel Harmse, Christiaan Johannes Van Zyl, Johan Hendrik Combrink Stellenbosch University. Faculty of AgriSciences. Dept. of Animal Science. Beef cattle -- Breeding -- South Africa -- West Coast Strandveld Beef cattle -- Feeding and feeds Grazing -- South Africa -- West Coast Strandveld -- Management Vegetation management -- South Africa -- Strandveld Vegetation and climate -- Remote sensing Beef cattle -- Effect of environment on Beef cattle -- Nutrition Agriculture -- Economic aspects UCTD Thesis (MScAgric)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. Hough, W. 2025. Quantifying the grazing habits of beef cattle using remote sensing technology and assessing the composition of common shrubs in the West Coast Strandveld of South Africa. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/10fce21b-7c7f-4554-b249-66877a179a21 ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Given the pressing challenges of climate change and human population growth, it is of utmost importance to efficiently and effectively utilise the large inarable parts of available agricultural land in South Africa. The West Coast Strandveld is one of these areas that can be successfully used for extensive ruminant production. Therefore, this study aimed to use remote sensing to assess the relationship between vegetation quality and beef cattle grazing behaviour, while also employing traditional ground sampling methods to determine the nutritive value of plant species commonly found in this area. Six Bonsmara and six Nguni cows each were fitted with a LoRa(GPS/UHF) collar and allowed to graze the natural Strandveld vegetation for a year, with no supplementary feed. Hot spot analyses were conducted to determine which areas of available vegetation were preferred or avoided by cattle. Differences in preference and selectivity were observed between breeds and seasons; with both breeds being more selective during the dry season, and Nguni cattle possibly being slightly less selective than Bonsmaras during times of high vegetation quality. Generalised additive models were then fitted to determine the relationship between grazing distribution (in the form of hot- and cold spot areas) and six different Sentinel 2-derived vegetation indices. None of these indices could fully explain the grazing behaviour of beef cattle in the Strandveld. The Bare Soil Index exhibited the strongest correlation, when describing the relationship between vegetation quality and grazing hot spots during summer. Further work is required to assess the influence of other topographic and environmental factors on grazing behaviour, while also testing the effectiveness of different vegetation indices in predicting cattle grazing behaviour. Furthermore, 18 different plant species commonly found in the Strandveld were sampled monthly over a six-year period. The crude protein, crude fibre, fat, total digestible nutrients, calcium and phosphorus contents were determined for each plant. Nutritive indicators exhibited high variability across species and seasons. As expected, most species had the highest protein and lowest fibre content during winter. However, weak to very weak correlations were observed between climate variables and nutritive factors, possibly due to the high variability across plant species. It was noted that the palatability of different plant species should be taken into account when determining the overall nutritive value of natural vegetations. In this case, the average nutrient density of the palatable plants analysed were sufficient to support beef cattle production. Supplementation would primarily be necessary for high-producing cows, typically involving protein during summer and autumn, calcium during autumn and winter, and phosphorus during summer. Effective monitoring and management of Strandveld vegetation are essential to prevent the overgrazing of highly palatable species and to ensure that nutrient requirements are met through the inclusion of less palatable plant species in grazing practices. This can be accomplished through a combination of remote sensing and ground sampling techniques – both of which require further exploration. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Gegewe die dringende uitdagings van klimaatsverandering en menslike bevolkingsgroei, is dit van uiterste belang om die groot, onbewerkbare dele van beskikbare landbougrond in Suid-Afrika doeltreffend en effektief te benut. Die Weskus-Strandveld is een van hierdie gebiede wat suksesvol vir ekstensiewe herkouerproduksie gebruik kan word. Dus het hierdie studie gepoog om afstandswaarneming te gebruik om die verband tussen kwaliteit van natuurlike veld en vleisbees-weidingsgedrag te bepaal, terwyl tradisionele veldopnames ook gebruik is om die voedingswaarde van algemeen teenwoordige plantspesies in hierdie gebied te bepaal. Ses Bonsmara- en ses Nguni-koeie is elk toegerus met ‘n lang- afstand globale posisioneringstelsel ultra-hoë frekwensie (LoRa(GPS/UHF)) halsband en is toegelaat om vir ‘n jaar, sonder enige byvoeding, die natuurlike Strandveld-weiding te bewei. “Hotspot”-analises is uitgevoer om areas van hoër- en laer weidingsintensiteit te identifiseer. Verskille in selektiwiteit is tussen rasse en seisoene waargeneem. Beide rasse was meer selektief gedurende die droë seisoen, terwyl Nguni- beeste tydens tydperke van hoë weidingskwaliteit moontlik minder selektief as Bonsmaras is. Veralgemeende additiewe modelle is vervolgens gepas om die verband tussen weidingsintensiteit en ses verskillende Sentinel 2-afgeleide weidingsindekse te bepaal. Geen van hierdie indekse kon die weidingsgedrag van vleisbeeste in die Strandveld volledig verklaar nie. Die verband tussen weidingskwaliteit en weidingsintensiteit gedurende die somer is bes beskryf met die “Bare Soil Index”. Verdere navorsing is nodig om die invloed van ander topografiese en omgewingsfaktore op weidingsgedrag te bepaal, terwyl die doeltreffendheid van verskillende weidingsindekse as voorspellers van beesweidingsgedrag ook getoets moet word. Verder is 18 verskillende plantspesies wat algemeen in die Strandveld voorkom, maandeliks oor ‘n tydperk van ses jaar gemonster. Die ru-proteïen-, ru-vesel-, vet-, totale verteerbare voedingstowwe-, kalsium- en fosforinhoud is vir elke plant bepaal. Voedingstof inhoud het hoë variasie tussen spesies en seisoene getoon. Soos verwag, het die meerderheid spesies die hoogste proteïen- en laagste veselinhoud gedurende die winter getoon. Daar is egter swak tot baie swak korrelasies tussen klimaatsveranderlikes en voedingstof inhoud waargeneem, moontlik as gevolg van die hoë variasie tussen plantspesies. Daar is opgemerk dat die smaaklikheid van verskillende plantspesies in ag geneem moet word wanneer die algehele voedingswaarde van natuurlike weiding bepaal word. In hierdie geval was die gemiddelde nutriëntdigtheid van die smaaklike plant, voldoende om vleisbeesproduksie te onderhou. Aanvulling sou hoofsaaklik nodig wees vir hoë-produksie koeie, wat tipies proteïen gedurende die somer en herfs, kalsium gedurende die herfs en winter, en fosfor gedurende die somer sou behels. Effektiewe monitering en bestuur van die Strandveld is noodsaaklik om oorbeweiding van hoogs smaaklike spesies te voorkom en om te verseker dat die voedingsbehoeftes deur die insluiting van minder smaaklike plantspesies in weidingspraktyke vervul word. Dit kan deur ‘n kombinasie van afstandswaarneming en veldopname studies bereik word – beide van hierdie tegnieke verg verdere ondersoek. Masters 2025-05-30T06:39:12Z 2025-05-30T06:39:12Z 2025-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132213 en Stellenbosch University xv, 112 pages : illustrations, maps application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Beef cattle -- Breeding -- South Africa -- West Coast Strandveld Beef cattle -- Feeding and feeds Grazing -- South Africa -- West Coast Strandveld -- Management Vegetation management -- South Africa -- Strandveld Vegetation and climate -- Remote sensing Beef cattle -- Effect of environment on Beef cattle -- Nutrition Agriculture -- Economic aspects UCTD Hough, Wilmie Quantifying the grazing habits of beef cattle using remote sensing technology and assessing the composition of common shrubs in the West Coast Strandveld of South Africa |
| title | Quantifying the grazing habits of beef cattle using remote sensing technology and assessing the composition of common shrubs in the West Coast Strandveld of South Africa |
| title_full | Quantifying the grazing habits of beef cattle using remote sensing technology and assessing the composition of common shrubs in the West Coast Strandveld of South Africa |
| title_fullStr | Quantifying the grazing habits of beef cattle using remote sensing technology and assessing the composition of common shrubs in the West Coast Strandveld of South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Quantifying the grazing habits of beef cattle using remote sensing technology and assessing the composition of common shrubs in the West Coast Strandveld of South Africa |
| title_short | Quantifying the grazing habits of beef cattle using remote sensing technology and assessing the composition of common shrubs in the West Coast Strandveld of South Africa |
| title_sort | quantifying the grazing habits of beef cattle using remote sensing technology and assessing the composition of common shrubs in the west coast strandveld of south africa |
| topic | Beef cattle -- Breeding -- South Africa -- West Coast Strandveld Beef cattle -- Feeding and feeds Grazing -- South Africa -- West Coast Strandveld -- Management Vegetation management -- South Africa -- Strandveld Vegetation and climate -- Remote sensing Beef cattle -- Effect of environment on Beef cattle -- Nutrition Agriculture -- Economic aspects UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132213 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT houghwilmie quantifyingthegrazinghabitsofbeefcattleusingremotesensingtechnologyandassessingthecompositionofcommonshrubsinthewestcoaststrandveldofsouthafrica |