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Maregesi MK, Lodin JB, Temu BJ, Mombo FM. Different groups' grazing technique preferences in the Miombo woodlands of Eastern Tanzania. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 370:122603. [PMID: 39326081 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.122603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2024] [Revised: 08/31/2024] [Accepted: 09/17/2024] [Indexed: 09/28/2024]
Abstract
Grazing in Miombo woodlands is essential for the livelihoods of the pastoral and agropastoral communities that live adjacent to these fragile ecosystems. However, Miombo woodlands offer not only fodder for livestock but also fertile land for crop farming; hence, they are equally important to the farmers residing in these areas. Due to the importance of the Miombo woodlands for the livelihoods of several groups, the consumption of and competition for Miombo resources has increased over time and now threatens the overall health of the ecosystem. This study aimed to identify the grazing techniques practiced by different livelihood groups in Miombo woodlands; their preferences for different practices, as well as the factors that influence these preferences, so as to understand how sustainable grazing can be achieved for better ecosystem health. The study was conducted in Handeni, Kilombero, and Kilosa districts and covered pastoralists, agropastoralists, and farmers. We carried out focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and a survey of 246 respondents. Un-patterned rotational grazing was the most preferred grazing technique by all three groups, and the only technique the three groups shared a preference for. All the groups took a neutral stance in relation to continuous grazing. Their preferences for other grazing techniques differ. The study highlights the need to raise awareness amongst pastoralists about land ownership and management and recommends enhancing land property rights for all groups in order to harmonize livestock keeping and other land uses for achieving sustainable grazing and overall ecosystem health in the fragile Miombo woodlands of Tanzania.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maregesi K Maregesi
- Department of Forest and Environmental Economics, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania
| | - Johanna B Lodin
- Department of Urban and Rural Development, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Beatus J Temu
- Department of Forest and Environmental Economics, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania
| | - Felister M Mombo
- Department of Forest and Environmental Economics, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania.
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Ding J, Eldridge DJ. Woody encroachment: social-ecological impacts and sustainable management. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024. [PMID: 38961449 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
Woody plants are encroaching across terrestrial ecosystems globally, and this has dramatic effects on how these systems function and the livelihoods of producers who rely on the land to support livestock production. Consequently, the removal of woody plants is promoted widely in the belief that it will reinstate former grasslands or open savanna. Despite this popular management approach to encroachment, we still have a relatively poor understanding of the effects of removal on society, and of alternative management practices that could balance the competing needs of pastoral production, biodiversity conservation and cultural values. This information is essential for maintaining both ecological and societal benefits in encroached systems under predicted future climate changes. In this review, we provide a comprehensive synthesis of the social-ecological perspectives of woody encroachment based on recent studies and global meta-analyses by assessing the ecological impacts of encroachment and its effects on sustainable development goals (SDGs) when woody plants are retained and when they are removed. We propose a working definition of woody encroachment based on species- and community-level characteristics; such a definition is needed to evaluate accurately the effects of encroachment. We show that encroachment is a natural process of succession rather than a sign of degradation, with encroachment resulting in an overall 8% increase in ecosystem multifunctionality. Removing woody plants can increase herbaceous plant richness, biomass and cover, but at the expense of biocrust cover. The effectiveness of woody plant removal depends on plant identity, and where, when and how they are removed. Under current management practices, either removal or retention of woody plants can induce trade-offs among ecosystem services, with no management practice maximising all SDGs [e.g. SDG2 (end hunger), SDG13 (climate change), SDG 15 (combat desertification)]. Given that encroachment of woody plants is likely to increase under future predicted hotter and drier climates, alternative management options such as carbon farming and ecotourism could be effective land uses for areas affected by encroachment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingyi Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, No. 19, Xinjiekouwai Street, Haidian District, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - David J Eldridge
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, High Street, Kensington, Sydney, 2052, New South Wales, Australia
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Shi Y, Li C, Zhao M. Can Grassland Rental Lead to Herders' Rotational Grazing Under the Grassland Household Responsibility System? Evidence from Pastoral Areas in Northern China. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 73:546-562. [PMID: 37934303 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-023-01903-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Grassland property rights privatization has alleviated the problem of 'the tragedy of the commons' but led to an unintended ecological consequence-traditional nomadic modes declination. However, with the grassland rental market formation in countries with property rights privatization, grassland rental has reshaped the pattern of grassland allocation and provided opportunities for herders to optimize their grazing modes. Based on the survey data of herders in northern China, we theoretically analyze and empirically test grassland rental's impact on herders' rotational grazing behavior under the household responsibility system. The results show that grassland rental promotes herders' rotational grazing, and the probability of individual rotational grazing is increased by 58.27%. By increasing the operated grazing grassland area and the number of grassland plots fenced, grassland rental promotes herders' grassland endowment match with the large-scale livestock activity space and the number of grazing blocks required for rotational grazing, reduces the input cost and operation difficulty required for rotational grazing, and increase herders rotational grazing probability. Grassland rental's impact on herder's rotational grazing is heterogeneous, showing the dependence of the number of plots fenced and the scale of grazing grassland. It has a higher promotion effect on herders with more plots fenced; It cannot promote the generation of herders' rotational grazing behavior when the rented grassland area fails to make the grassland operation scale reach the minimum threshold of rotational grazing. The study emphasizes the importance of developing a grassland rental market to promote the optimization of grazing modes in grassland privatization countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxing Shi
- China Center for Agricultural Policy, School of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Peking University, No. 5 Yiheyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Chaoqiong Li
- College of Economics and Management, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
- Yale School of the Environment, Yale University, 195 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Minjuan Zhao
- College of Economics and Management, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.
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Grazing Cattle, Sheep, and Goats Are Important Parts of a Sustainable Agricultural Future. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12162092. [PMID: 36009682 PMCID: PMC9404863 DOI: 10.3390/ani12162092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2022] [Revised: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Many people believe that animal agriculture should be phased out and replaced with vegetarian substitutes. The livestock industry has also been attacked because it uses vast amounts of land. People forget that grazing cattle or sheep can be raised on land that is either too arid or too rough for raising crops. At least 20% of the habitable land on Earth is not suitable for crops. Rotational grazing systems can be used to improve both soil health and vegetation diversity on arid land. Grazing livestock are also being successfully used to graze cover crops on prime farmland. Soil health is improved when grazing on a cover crop is rotated with conventional cash crops, such as corn or soybeans. It also reduces the need for buying fertilizer. Grazing animals, such as cattle, sheep, goats, or bison, should be used as part of a sustainable system that will improve the land, help sequester carbon, and reduce animal welfare issues.
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Apfelbaum SI, Thompson R, Wang F, Mosier S, Teague R, Byck P. Vegetation, water infiltration, and soil carbon response to Adaptive Multi-Paddock and Conventional grazing in Southeastern USA ranches. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2022; 308:114576. [PMID: 35101805 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.114576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
We examine Adaptive Multi-Paddock (AMP) grazed with short grazing events and planned recovery periods and paired ranches using Conventional Continuous Grazing (CG) at low stock density on vegetation, water infiltration, and soil carbon across SE USA. Increased vegetation standing biomass and plant species dominance-diversity were measured in AMP grazed ranches. Invasive perennial plant species richness and abundance increased with AMP grazing in the south, while in the north they increased on CG grazed ranches. Percent bare ground was significantly greater in CG at the Alabama and Mississippi sites, no different at the Kentucky and mid-Alabama sites, and greater on AMP at the Tennessee pair. On average, surface water infiltration was higher on AMP than paired CG ranches. Averaged over all locations, soil organic carbon stocks to a depth of 1 m were over 13% greater on AMP than CG ranches, and standing crop biomass was >300% higher on AMP ranches. AMP grazing supported substantially higher livestock stocking levels while providing significant improvements in vegetation, soil carbon, and water infiltration functions. AMP grazing also significantly increased available forage nutrition for key constituents, and increased soil carbon to provide significant resource and economic benefits for improving ecological health, resilience, and durability of the family ranch.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ry Thompson
- RES, LLC, 17921 Smith Rd, Brodhead, WI, 53520, USA
| | - Fugui Wang
- Applied Ecological Institute N673 Mill Rd, Juda, WI, 53520, USA; RES, LLC, 17921 Smith Rd, Brodhead, WI, 53520, USA
| | - Samantha Mosier
- Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, CO, USA
| | | | - Peter Byck
- School of Sustainability, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA; Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
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Read DJ, Carroll A, Wainger LA. Exploring private land conservation non-adopters' attendance at outreach events in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, USA. PeerJ 2021; 9:e11959. [PMID: 34540362 PMCID: PMC8415281 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.11959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Outreach events such as trainings, demonstrations, and workshops are important opportunities for encouraging private land operators to adopt voluntary conservation practices. However, the ability to understand the effectiveness of such events at influencing conservation behavior is confounded by the likelihood that attendees are already interested in conservation and may already be adopters. Understanding characteristics of events that draw non-adopters can aid in designing events and messaging that are better able to reach beyond those already interested in conservation. METHODS For this study, we interviewed 101 operators of private agricultural lands in Maryland, USA, and used descriptive statistics and qualitative comparative analysis to investigate differences between the kinds of outreach events that adopters and non-adopters attended. RESULTS Our results suggested that non-adopters, as compared to adopters, attended events that provided production-relevant information and were logistically easy to attend. Further, non-adopters were more selective when reading advertisements, generally preferring simplicity. Future research and outreach can build on these findings by experimentally testing the effectiveness of messages that are simple and relevant to farmers' production priorities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J. Read
- Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Solomons, MD, United States of America
| | - Alexandra Carroll
- Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Solomons, MD, United States of America
| | - Lisa A. Wainger
- Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Solomons, MD, United States of America
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Lonnie M, Johnstone AM. The public health rationale for promoting plant protein as an important part of a sustainable and healthy diet. NUTR BULL 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/nbu.12453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- M. Lonnie
- Department of Human Nutrition Faculty of Food Science University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn Olsztyn Poland
| | - A. M. Johnstone
- The Rowett Institute School of Medicine Medical Sciences and Nutrition University of Aberdeen Aberdeen UK
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