[{
  "type": "article-journal",
  "title": "LEAF LITTER AS A FOOD RESOURCE FOR RANGE LIVESTOCK",
  "author": [
    {
      "family": "Rodriguez-Santillan",
      "given": ""
    },
    {
      "family": "Bernal-Barragan",
      "given": ""
    },
    {
      "family": "Cerrillo-Soto",
      "given": ""
    },
    {
      "family": "Gonzalez-Rodriguez",
      "given": ""
    },
    {
      "family": "Juarez-Reyes",
      "given": ""
    },
    {
      "family": "Guerrero-Cervantes",
      "given": ""
    },
    {
      "family": "Ramirez-Lozano",
      "given": ""
    }
  ],
  "issued": {
    "date-parts": [[2014]]
  },
  "container-title": "Journal of Animal and Plant Sciences",
  "ISSN": "1018-7081",
  "volume": "24",
  "issue": "6",
  "page": "1629-1635",
  "DOI": "NA",
  "abstract": "<p>Leaf litter samples from two undisturbed sites in the Tamaulipan Thornscrub vegetation at northeastern Mexico were evaluated monthly, during 2007, for chemical composition, true&nbsp;<em>in vitro</em>&nbsp;organic matter digestibility (IVOMD),&nbsp;<em>in vitro&nbsp;</em>gas production (IVGP, 24 h), metabolizable energy (ME) and microbial protein (MP), in absence or presence of polyethylene glycol (PEG). Neutral detergent fiber (organic matter; mean = 40.8%), acid detergent fiber (ADFom; 28.8%), lignin (20.2%), crude protein (CP; 11.5%), condensed tannins (CT; 0.6%), ether extract (EE; 2.9%) contents, and IVOMD (63.0%) values and the interactions site*month were different between sites and among months. Gas production without (53.2 ml/200mg) and with PEG (59.1), ME (9.9 and 10.9 MJ/kg, respectively) and MP values (11.5 and 13.8, &micro;mol, respectively) were not different between sites, but were different among months. When leaf litter deposition was high (dry months; January-June) in both sites, NDF, lignin and CP were also higher than in other months. The&nbsp;<em>in vitro</em> gas production, ME and MP were higher with the addition of PEG compared with the samples without PEG. Moreover, MP content was higher during the wet months (July-September). Based on chemical composition and fermentation values, litter fall leaves have a high potential to be used as feed resource for range small ruminants.</p>",
  "publisher": "Pakistan Agricultural Scientists Forum",
  "URL": "https://thejaps.org.pk/AbstractView.aspx?mid=2014-JAPS-233"
}]