Ecological Importance of Feral Ungulates at Shackleford Banks, North Carolina
Wood GW, Mengak MT, Murphy M. 1987. Ecological Importance of Feral Ungulates at Shackleford Banks, North Carolina. The American Midland Naturalist. 118(2):236-244
The relationship between feral ungulates (horses, cattle, sheep and goats) and plant communities on Shackleford Banks, North Carolina, was studied from 1978 through 1981. Aerial counts indicated that ungulate numbers during the study period ranged as follows: horses, 81 to 108, cattle, 64 to 89 and sheep, 104 to 144. Goats probably numbered from 100 to 150. Accurate counts of goats were hindered by their frequent use of forest and thicket habitats. Ungulates influenced vegetation community dynamics by lowering aboveground current annual growth in the saltmarsh and grass-shrub areas. They also slowed the rate of succession in grass-shrub areas. The data suggest that grazers have been preventing the development of Andropogon spp. as an important community component on grassy dunes. Diet data and observation of browse lines suggested that grazing also interfered with the spatial increase of the maritime forest.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Wood, Gene; Mengak, Michael; Murphy, Mark
- Units
- CAHA , CALO
- Keywords
- Barrier Islands, Ecology, Feral Animals, Impacts, NC, Shackleford Banks, Succession, Ungulates, Vegetation