R.C. told me many times how the forbs fitted into the diet of sheep. I now can claim some understanding about the Pronghorn antelope and deer. These nibblers have a different digestive system, designed for higher dietary protein with lower fiber content than cattle, elk or bison. These smaller animals would starve on a diet of Big Bluestem and it s cousins. Yet, the larger ungulates have differences.
Cattle select a higher protein lower fiber diet than bison, for example.
You can see the consequences in the shape of the head and size of the rumen. Bison, with wider mouths and bigger fermentation vats, are designed to gobble an enormous quantity of high fiber low protein forage. And, without their large numbers in giant herds to harvest or trample the prairie grasses the forbs and grasses suffer from the abundant growth if the grass is not consumed or mulched each year. Prairie vegetation does not normally have much shade tolerance, and last year s standing growth makes excessive shade. These herds of harvesters also were implements of cultivation, simultaneously mulching excessive plant growth, breaking the surface crust, scattering and planting seed.