How suitable is the water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) for landscape preservation purposes?

Autor: Sweers, Weert; Kanswohl, Norbert; Müller, Jürgen
In:

Züchtungskunde

Bandangabe: 85
Auflage: 6
ISBN: 0044-5401
Seite: 462 - 478
Jahr: 2013

Einordung:
Institut: Professur Grünland- und Futterbauwissenschaften

Abstract:
The suitability of the water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) for use in strategies directed towards the sustainable management of central European wetlands was investigated on
the basis of an extensive review of the literature. Particular attention was paid to the
global distribution of the species, current trends in the way it is used, its ability to me-
tabolize wetland plants and its reproductive behaviour. According the literature, the spe-
cies is successfully kept for meat production in difficult wetland areas in many parts of the world. Contrary to popular belief, the reason the water buffalo is particularly suited to wetland grazing is not because it is especially good at digesting wetland vegetation but because of its high level of adaptation to the breeding environment, high rate of food intake and low user costs. Under central European conditions potential savings are limited,however, by the need to provide winter feed and the comparatively high factor costs. One critical point in the keeping of Bubalus bubalis is the reproductive performance of mother cows. As long as high pasture and herd management standards are observed, the positive effects of ecological landscape conservation can feasibly be combined with an economically sustainable meat production on sites such as coastal salt grasslands.

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