Print Syllabus

Syllabus

P000017 Grazing and herbivory with focus on domestic ruminants and semi wild herbivores, 3.0 Credits

Subjects

Animal Science

Education cycle

Postgraduate level

Grading scale

Prior knowledge

Admitted to a postgraduate program in animal science, biology, veterinary medicine, wildlife, nutrition or related subjects (e.g. chemistry, geology, archaeology), or to a residency program in veterinary medicine

Objectives

After completing the course the students shall be able to: 1) Describe and explain the concepts of herbage intake, behavior and management of grazing herbivores. 2) Describe and explain the basic concepts of pasture and grassland management, including the use of grazing animals for landscape preservation. 3) Have basic knowledge in how to use practical and scientific tools for estimating and recording herbage intake, feeding behavior and animal performance in herbivores. 4) Have practical knowledge in how to apply scientific techniques for herbage characterization and grassland/sward evaluation, qualitatively and quantitatively, including remote sensing methods. 5) Should have basic skills to design, plan, perform and conclude a grazing study. 6) Have basic knowledge and understanding of behavior and management of wild, semi wild and feral herbivores in natural environments. 7) Be able to explain and reflect on the function of grazing animals for biodiversity and resilient food production.

Content

The course will give insight in the scientific background for understanding grazing with focus on grazing herbivores (mainly domestic ruminants). The students will get familiar with the concepts of herbage availability and quality in an agricultural landscape. Teaching and practical exercises will give practical knowledge in how to use scientific tools for estimating and recording herbage intake, feeding behavior and animal performance under grazing conditions. Teaching will be offered by a mix of SLU researchers and international experts within the subject area. By lectures, demonstrations and in field exercises the students will obtain skills in how to perform scientific techniques for herbage characterization and grassland/sward evaluation including remote sensing methods. The course has a field-based syllabus, teaching is offered on site (at a farm environment) in a mixture of lectures, excursions demonstrations and practical exercises. The course is divided in three periods (blocks), Block A for practical teaching on site in the nature and on farm and block B, for lectures and modeling in the classroom and Block C for individual task/projects at home including examination.

Additional information

The course is organized as an activity within SustAinimal and will be organized as a part of the grazing living lab in Västerbotten, node north.

Responsible department

Department of Animal Nutrition and Management