Applying shannon entropy to select alternative plants as food for livestock: A case study in Ecuador

Abstract

The semiarid areas of Manabí province in Ecuador are notably decertified due to overgrazing for animal production. In this study, a selection of the best alternative plants as food for livestock using the entropy-weight method, which is based on Shannon entropy theory, is developed. The entropy-weight method was applied to calculate the criteria weights; and then, the studied plants were ranked according to results of a pondered sum. The selection criteria were plant size (C1), dry material (C2), crude protein (C3), and crude fiber (C4). The possible plants were previously identified by their capacity to adapt to semiarid areas. The results shown that the best five plants were Anthyllis vulneraria, Imperta cylindrical, Cynodon plectostachyus, Bothriochloa pertusa, and Paspalidium desertorum, in that order. In the future, these selected plants could be cultivated experimentally; and then, according to the results, they could be considered as an alternative to resolve the food problem for livestock, or to recuperate the decertified areas in Manabí, Ecuador.