Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40908504›Full record

ArticleAustralian veterinary journal2025

Characterizing grazing and terrain use patterns of Hispano-Breton mares in the Spanish Pyrenees using GPS devices and remote sensing data.

J Plaza, N Sánchez, J A Abecia, J Nieto, F Canto, M E Pérez-García, C Palacios

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Australian veterinary journal, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

J PlazaFaculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8908-1606
N SánchezFaculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8396-6550
J A AbeciaInstitute of Research in Environmental Sciences of Aragón (IUCA), University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.
J NietoFaculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.
F CantoInstitute of Research in Environmental Sciences of Aragón (IUCA), University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.
M E Pérez-GarcíaFaculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.
C PalaciosFaculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5876-6226

Funding

Fundación BBVA LEO24-1-13708-ING-ING-119
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Geotechnologies, such as Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) and remote sensing, are essential for documenting topographic features and analyzing land use. Among them, the GPS (Global Position System)-based sensors have proven highly effective in monitoring livestock, providing high-resolution data on movement patterns. This study tracked two Hispano-Breton mares in the Spanish Pyrenees during summer 2023 using GPS collars. A°C (LiDAR) dataset provided the digital elevation model (DEM), while Sentinel-2 imagery assessed the grazing conditions. All data were integrated within a Geographic Information System (GIS). The study period ranged from 1 July to 28 August 2023. Until 7 August, the mares grazed in a valley area, while from that date on they traveled to high mountain pastures. The mares and their foals traveled a mean distance of 472.99 km, averaging 7.95 ± 2.58 km per day with a mean elevation gain of 561 m daily. Distance traveled increased with elevation gain, likely to mitigate steep slopes. Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) analysis revealed that lower valley pastures maintained stable vegetation throughout the season, whereas high mountain pastures became significantly drier in August. These findings suggest that equine grazing patterns are shaped by forage availability, and possibly also by traditional herding practices. Although this study focuses on Hispano-Breton mares in the Spanish Pyrenees, the results provide insights applicable to horses managed in extensive grazing systems worldwide, including wild and feral populations in arid and semi-arid regions such as the Australian outback. Notably, the movement patterns observed in this study more closely resemble those of Australian domestic horses confined to large paddocks than those of feral horses, despite our mares being part of free-range grazing systems. This study highlights the joint value of GPS tracking and remote sensing in understanding equine behavior in mountainous environments, offering insights for sustainable husbandry practices in high-altitude regions.

Indexed as

Animal HusbandryGeographic Information SystemsHerbivoryRemote Sensing TechnologyAnimalsFemaleHorsesSeasonsSpainGPSgrazing patternsmaresremote sensingtopography

Identifiers

PMID40908504
PMCPMC12674981

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.