TY - JOUR T1 - The utility of visual estimation in the rapid assessment of grass abundance for studies of foraging JF - bioRxiv DO - 10.1101/012716 SP - 012716 AU - Hansraj Gautam AU - G. G. Potdar AU - T.N.C. Vidya Y1 - 2014/01/01 UR - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2014/12/13/012716.abstract N2 - The collection of detailed forage abundance data for studies of herbivore foraging behavior is important but often logistically demanding. Rapid sampling measures may help, but it is essential to assess the utility of such methods in specific habitats. We examined the relationship between visually estimated cover of grass species and their measured biomass in Nagarahole National Park. We found that grass cover was an excellent predictor of biomass within species, and additional height measurements did not improve biomass estimation. Species-level covers were more reliable than total covers and can be used for rapid assessment of proportional forage abundance. ER -