QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF THINNED CAATINGA UNDER SHEEP GRAZING, SERRA TALHADA (PE)

ABSTRACT: The aim was to study during a year, the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the thinning Caatinga grazing sheep at continuous stocking, in Serra Talhada-PE. The research consisted of data collection of vegetation and sheep, in 38 hectares of Caatinga from a private farm. We evaluated the herbage mass, herbal chemical composition, botanical composition, bare soil, litter, plants height, stocking rate, animal performance and herbage allowance. Herbage mass ranged from 422 ± 42 to 1262 ± 95 kg DM.ha-1within the period January 2011 to January 2012, which led to decreased herbage allowance (13,1± 1,3 a 56,4± 4,2 kg MS.kg PV-1). The weight gain of sheep observed was 2.0 ± 2.2 kg. head-1.period-1 and 3.8 ± 4.0 kg.ha-1.period-1. The litter during the dry season was higher in October 2011 (38.8 ± 4.1%) and January 2012 (41.4 ± 4.3%). Increased values were observed on bare soil, mainly in dry season, averaging 24.4 ± 1.5%. With the advance of the dry season, the concentrations of DM, NDF, ADF and TC of pasture increased, while the CP, MM, and NFC decreased. In general, the Caatinga show varieties in the range of herbage mass, forage chemical composition, and animal performance, over the year.