The experiment was carried out to characterize a manipulated caatinga and to estimate the botanical composition and quality of diet for fistulated steers. The experiment was carried out during the rainy season from March to July, 2003. Caatinga was browsed by 24 Guzerá and 12 Girolando breed heifers and by two esophageal fistulated steers. In caatinga, it was identified 24 families, 38 genus, and 41 species in the two studied strata (out of them, ten species were found in the diets of the animals). Forage mass of herbaceous and shrubby-tree components ranged, respectively, from 6,454 and 3,495 kg DM/ha in the beginning of the experiment to 782 and 378 kg DM/ha in the end. In the shrubby-tree and in the herbaceous strata, species grouped as "other species" showed higher absolute frequency. The shrubby-tree stratum is formed mainly by legumes whereas the herbaceous stratum is formed mainly by the "other species" group. Grass presence in the diet ranged from 55% in the beginning to 41.8% at the end of the experimental period. "Mororó" legume and the buffel grass had high absolute frequencies, showing an expressive presence in the vegetation. Leaves of Mororó and non-identified grass prevailed in the diet. Significant portion of forage crude protein is unavailable because it is linked to acid detergent fiber.
botanical; enriched caatinga; extrusa; herbage mass; native pasture
