Use of Habitat by Free-Ranging Cattle and Ponies in the New Forest, Southern England

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Abstract
(1) The paper describes the pattern of use of different vegetation-types within the New Forest by populations of free-ranging cattle and ponies. Both species are preferential grazers; 35-67% of monthly pony observations and 40-82% of all cattle observations occur on the various grasslands of the Forest throughout the year. (2) Pattern of habitat use by cattle shows little seasonal variation; 60-70% of observations are on grasslands, 10-20% on dwarf shrub communities and 10-20% are in woodland throughout the year. By contrast, ponies show much ore flexible use of the available vegetation: grassland use is greatest in spring and summer; decline in the use of these areas through the winter is compensated for by increased use of gorsebrake and woodland. (3) For both species, use of habitat differ between day and night, particularly in summer when ones tended to move from the open grazing communities occupied in daylight toward the various cover communities at night. (4) New Forest ponies spent > 75% of their time feeding throughout the year but there were distinct seasonal trends, with feeding activity at a peak in April and May. Cattle spent less time feeding (57%) but seasonal trends were similar. (5) Patterns of habit use may be explained in relation to changes in priority of the animals''s requirement for food and shelter during the year. During the spring and summer, daytime distribution seems primarily dictated by foraging; at night the animals withdraw to cover. During the winter, shelter assumes a greater priority at all times and the animals restrict their foraging to communities providing cover. (6) The study illustrates the importance of considering habitat use pattern when assessing the impact of large herbivores on the environment. In the New Forest, 6500 domestic stock range over some 20000 ha. In practice the animals spent c. 50% of all their time on grassland areas which comprise < 5% of the total area.