Cover
Cover refers
to the part of the habitat which provides relief from wind, sun,
and precipitation, and protection from radiant heat loss in winter.
It also supplies the features which allow prey to escape and hide
from predators.
Food
and cover vegetation requirements are often different, and therefore
animals are required to travel to feed. The food and cover requirements
of one species can also differ markedly from other species. Specie
requirements and seasonal differences are best provided by a habitat
that has a high diversity in vegetation structure, vegetation composition
and a mixed terrain. High diversity in these features allows for
high diversity and high density of wildlife.
If carefully
controlled, livestock grazing can be a useful tool to obtain and
maintain habitat diversity (Holechek et al.1995).
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