Forage Plants and Palatability Preferences in the Nara Desert: Ethnobotanical, Ecological, and Conservation Perspectives

This chapter was aimed at assessing the year-round availability and palatability of local forage plant species in Nara Desert, Sindh Pakistan. It was observed that the palatability and availability of forage species did change significantly over the course of the growing season. One hundred and sixty species of plants were recorded with 151 species, 128 genera and 43 families used as livestock feed. These were grouped into the very palatable (49.01%), moderately palatable (26.49%), less palatable (18.54%), and rarely palatable (5.96%) groups. These were analyzed to show that 64.14% of species were eaten as entire plants, 21.38% of their leaves and 11.03% of their shoots. The most diverse diet was recorded among goats which fed on 124 species, then cows (100 species), camels (85 species), and sheep (82 species). It is also important to note that all types of livestock browsed 41 species. There was a seasonal deficiency of palatable forage between November and February thereby forcing livestock to consume dried or non-palatable species. The results offer a basis on which additional research regarding nutritional and mineral content of palatable species can be conducted to aid in rangeland management as well as livestock productivity.