People and rangelands: a review of the contribution of the African Journal of Range and Forage Science to advancing knowledge on the human dimensions of African rangelands

Abstract

The social dimensions of rangeland systems are increasingly highlighted in international rangelands literature. This paper presents a systematic review of the African Journal of Range and Forage Science from 1966 to 2023 to evaluate its contributions to this scholarship. The review involved analysing socially relevant papers for their frequency, author keywords, themes, geographical focus and tenure context. A qualitative assessment of the journal’s special issues and a synthesis of recurring themes across all papers were conducted, utilising both ChatGPT-4 AI and manual review of paper conclusions. Out of the screened papers, 73 included social context terms. Notably, the number of these papers has increased significantly, particularly from 2003 onwards, with peaks aligning with special issues. Thematic focuses include management, practices, behaviour, knowledge and livelihoods in communal regions, primarily centring on South Africa despite a broader African focus emerging over time. The journal has been instrumental in deepening the understanding of African rangelands as socio-ecological systems and advocating for the integration of social dimensions into rangeland management, research and policy in Africa. Suggested future research directions build on the existing work as well as addressing understudied themes.