A SPATIAL PATTERN MODEL OF PLANT BIOMASS IN GRAZING PASTURE

Abstract

A pasture is not an even distribution but a mosaic of herbage. Such a spatial pattern of herbage might be caused by the interactions between animals and vegetation. The definition of the spatial patterns, i.e., random, aggregated and regular, of herbage on a pasture were discussed. A statistical model describing the spatial pattern of plant biomass: gamma distribution was presented. A new index for classifying categories of pasture spatial patterns was given. Experimental data of pasture changing in the course of grazing, and evaluation of pasture by model and index were noted.