A survey of Poaceae species utilised as livestock feed by the Mong people in Binh Thuan commune, Son La province

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the species composition and use values of Poaceae species as livestock feed by the Mong people in Binh Thuan commune, Son La province, Vietnam, using traditional botanical methods from July 2025 to May 2026. A total of 52 Poaceae species belonging to 38 genera were documented. Leaves constituted the most frequently used plant part. In terms of use value, 52 species were used as feed for cattle and buffaloes, 50 species for goats, and 6 species for pigs, using four processing methods: direct feeding, drying, cooking, and fermentation. Eight species have a high utilisation value of UI≥0.90. The life-form spectrum of Poaceae species used as livestock feed in Binh Thuan commune, Son La province, was established as follows: SB=30.76 Ph+25.00 Ch+21.15 Hm+15.40 Th+7.69 Cr. Six major geographical elements were identified. The tropical element predominated, accounting for 69.23% of the species, followed by the intertropical element (13.46%), Vietnamese endemic species (7.70%), cultivated species (5.77%), whereas the cosmopolitan and Paleotropical elements were the least represented, each accounting for 1.92% of the total flora surveyed. Poaceae species were distributed across various habitat types, with upland fields being the predominant habitat, where 43 species (82.69%) were recorded, followed by grasslands with 21 species (40,38%), secondary forests with 17 species (32.69%), home gardens with 16 species (30,77%), shrublands with 7 species (13.46%), and limestone forests with 6 species (11.54%).