Use of native browse by Fulani cattle in Central Nigeria

Abstract

Shrubs and trees browsed by Fulani pastoralists' cattle in two areas of central Nigeria were identified by means of interviews with the pastoralists and observations of browsing cattle. Thirty-nine palnt species were identified, many of them indigenous economic trees. The species were ranked by pastoralists according to importance in cattle diet. Chemical analyses of plant parts eaten and investigation of frequency of occurence of the species in the study areas revealed that the pastoralists ranking reflected not only the plants' relative abundance but also their nutritive value.