Resumo

MENDEZ-ROSAS, Ángel et al. Forage preferences of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis, Shaw) in Baja California, Mexico. Rev. mex. de cienc. pecuarias [online]. 2025, vol.16, n.1, pp.101-121.  Epub 29-Abr-2025. ISSN 2448-6698.  https://doi.org/10.22319/rmcp.v16i1.6724.

This research aimed to analyze the food composition and preferences of bighorn sheep in Sierra Juárez and Sierra Santa Isabel during the wet and dry seasons of 2022-2023. To assess forage availability, 17 100-meter-long Canfield lines were implemented. Dietary composition was determined by micro histology of fecal samples, whereas forage and diet diversity were calculated using Shannon’s index. Forage selection was evaluated with Ivlev’s index. It was observed that the most common biological forms in the habitat of bighorn sheep were trees and shrubs. In Sierra Juarez and Sierra Santa Isabel, 31 and 43 species of plants were identified in their diet, respectively; trees and shrubs were the most consumed. There were no differences in diet between times and sites. Larrea tridentata and Hibiscus denudatus were the most frequent in the diet, whereas the preferred ones included Eriogonum inflatum, H. denudatus, Horsfordia newberryi, Justicia californica, and L. tridentata. These results provide information to establish strategies for conservation and community management of bighorn sheep in Baja California.

Palavras-chave : Wild sheep; Cordillera Molina; Matomí; Desert scrubland; Sierra Santa Isabel; Sierra Juárez.

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