Comparing spatial landscape utilisation estimates for livestock from land managers and GPS collars

Abstract

Managers of extensive livestock systems often manage large numbers of livestock over vast land areas, much of which is not regularly or easily accessible. Managers in this situation need to make decisions about stocking rate and the length of grazing to balance productivity and pasture degradation similar to intensive systems. For extensive systems, these decisions are often based upon the estimated area that stock will actually occupy and graze rather than the total paddock size. Managers base their estimates on stock sighting and proximity to water points coupled with climatic conditions and pasture availability. This pilot study compared the spatial landscape utilisation (SLU) predictions of a land manager ('predicted SLU) with the 'actual SLU' as recorded by GPS tracking collars. Here the 'actual SLU' was defined as the area of a paddock over which cattle positions were recorded.