Similar grazing mechanisms explain contrasting intake and sward-height dynamics under different grazing management.
Context:Average sward height has traditionally been used as a grazing management variable. However, such approach ignores the spatio-temporal heterogeneity of swards. Because the intake rate responds non-linearly to average height at plant level, we expected that sheep exposed to contrasting grazing methods with similar average heights would behave differently. Conclusions:Intake responses of sheep differed between grazing methods with similar average height due to sward heterogeneity over time and space.