Simulating the grazing of a white clover 3-D virtual sward canopy and the balance between bite mass and light capture by the residual sward

摘要

Background and AimsThe productivity and stability of grazed grassland rely on dynamic interactions between the sward and the animal. The descriptions of the sward canopies by standard 2-D representations in studies of animal–sward interactions at the bite scale need to be improved to account for the effect of local canopy heterogeneity on bite size and regrowth ability. The aim of this study was to assess a methodology of 3-D digitized canopies in order to understand the balance between bite mass and light interception by the residual sward.