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How economic are the farming units of Leliefontein, Namaqualand?
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Journal of the Grassland Society of Southern Africa • Authors: FionaM. Archer --- Department of Botany, Republic of South Africa M.T. Hoffman --- Department of Botany, Republic of South Africa J.E. Danckwerts --- Department of Agriculture (Eastern Cape Region), Republic of South AfricaNomadic pastoralism has been practised in Leliefontein for centuries. In 1984, the area was formally divided into 47 so‐called ‘economic units’ on the assumption that this agricultural approach would (a) promote development in the region and (b) introduce conservation management... -
Communal land use and the ‘tragedy of the commons’: Some problems and development perspectives with specific reference to semi‐arid regions of southern Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Journal of the Grassland Society of Southern Africa • Authors: E.A. Boonzaier --- Department of Social Anthropology, Republic of South Africa M.T. Hoffman --- Department of Botany, Republic of South Africa FionaM. Archer --- Department of Botany, Republic of South Africa A.B. Smith --- Department of Archaeology, Republic of South AfricaTraditional communal farming in southern Africa has often been described as unproductive and directly responsible for regional poverty and vegetation degradation. Each aspect of this argument rests on a set of unchallenged assumptions concerning the nature of communal farming. Studies... -
Influence of rainfall and grazing on the compositional change of the herbaceous layer of a sandveld savanna
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Journal of the Grassland Society of Southern Africa • Authors: T.G. O'Connor --- Resource Ecology Group, Department of Botany,The influence of heavy grazing by cattle for three years, and of rainfall interception for one year, on the herbaceous composition of a sandveld savanna in Gazankulu was investigated. The composition and the abundance of the predominant species changed substantially,... -
Soil properties changes after short-term livestock exclusion in “degraded” communally managed rangelands in the western Bophirima District, South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: South African Journal of Plant and Soil • Authors: A.S. Moussa --- , South Africa L. Van Rensburg --- , South Africa K. Kellner --- , South AfricaLivestock grazing and detrimental overgrazing are commonly associated with severe rangeland degradation particularly in communally managed pastoral systems in South Africa. Effects of grazing exclusion on vegetation are well documented, but there is a dearth of quantitative research conducted in... -
Patterns of seed production and shrub association in two palatable Karoo shrub species under contrasting land use intensities
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: S.W. ToddSeed production and shrub association patterns of the two palatable shrubs. Tripteris sinuatum and Tetragoma froticosa were investigated on heavily grazed communal and lightly grazed commercial rangeland in the succulent karoo, Namaqualand. Seed production in both these species was substantially... -
Correlates of stocking rate and overgrazing in the Leliefontein Communal Reserve, central Namaqualand
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: S.W. Todd M.T. HoffmanWe investigate the correlates of stocking rate in the Leliefontein communal reserve and attempt to provide a mechanistic explanation of the controlling factors. We further speculate on how high stocking rates are maintained in relation to the current state of... -
Mineral element status of soils, native pastures and cattle blood serum in the mid-altitude of western Ethiopia
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Lemma Gizachew Adane Hirpha Fikadu Jalata G N SmitDespite the crucial role of mineral elements in animal production and health, their status in soil, native pasture and animal body tissues or fluids in the mid-altitude of Ethiopia has had little study. To determine the concentration of mineral elements... -
Vegetation patterns and nutrients in relation to grazing pressure and soils in the sandveld and hardveld communal grazing areas of Botswana
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: M Nsinamwa NM Moleele RJ SebegoA major challenge confronting managers of extensive grazing systems is uneven use of herbaceous forage plants by livestock. The concentration of grazing in preferred areas or around foci points (e.g. water points) eventually results in adverse impacts in soil nutrients,... -
Tackling 'the most avoided issue': communal rangeland management in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: MI PedenDemocratisation in 1994 resulted in a shift in state focus from white commercial farmers to small-scale and subsistence black farmers living in communal areas in South Africa. The LandCare Program of the National Department of Agriculture aimed to improve productivity... -
Effects of land tenure, geology and topography on vegetation and soils of two grassland types in South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: S Vetter WM Goqwana WJ. Bond WW TrollopeA national degradation audit conducted in South Africa in the late 1990s found communal land tenure to be the strongest predictor of vegetation and soil degradation, while abiotic factors such as geology, slope and aspect were also correlated with degradation... -
Physicochemical characteristics of communal rangeland soils along two defined toposequences in the Eastern Cape, South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: MS Lesoli --- Department of Livestock and Pasture Science, South Africa S Dube --- Department of Livestock and Pasture Science, South Africa AO Fatunbi --- Agricultural and Rural Development Research Institute, South Africa B Moyo --- Department of Livestock and Pasture Science, South AfricaTo proffer a sustainable solution to rangeland degradation, an understanding of the innate soil properties is vital. This study investigated the relative association of surface (0–20 cm) soil physicochemical properties, viz. electrical conductivity, cation exchange capacity (CEC), soil organic carbon,... -
Impacts of high utilisation pressure on biodiversity components in Colophospermum mopane savanna
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: MC Rutherford --- SANBI, Applied Biodiversity Research Division, South Africa LW Powrie --- SANBI, Applied Biodiversity Research Division, South Africa DI Thompson --- NRF/SAEON, South AfricaThis study aimed to quantify and evaluate the effects of heavy land utilisation, mainly grazing, on plant species richness and diversity, species abundance, vegetation structure and soil characteristics in a communal area in Colophospermum mopane dominated savanna in southern Africa... -
Development and sustainable management of rangeland commons – aligning policy with the realities of South Africa's rural landscape
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Susanne Vetter --- Department of Botany, South AfricaPolicy affecting the rangeland commons in South Africa has been based largely on management models developed for large-scale commercial farming. This paper examines the current policy situation and discusses some of the most pervasive ecological and economic assumptions that have... -
Wildlife or livestock? New directions for developing communal rangelands in South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Petronella Chaminuka --- Department of Agricultural Economics, South AfricaThe paper agrees with three fundamental points raised by Vetter (in this issue), whilst highlighting an emerging trend in wildlife land use, which should be considered in policy making. Firstly, the paper supports the argument that communal rangelands are important... -
Livestock and the rangeland commons in South Africa's land and agrarian reform
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Ruth Hall --- Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies, South Africa Ben Cousins --- Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies, South AfricaLand and agrarian reform has the potential to expand South Africa's rangeland commons and enhance their contribution to the livelihoods of the rural poor, yet to a large extent this has been an opportunity missed. Shifting policy agendas have prioritised... -
The sociocultural contexts and meanings associated with livestock keeping in rural South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Andrew Ainslie --- School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, UKThis paper complements Vetter's position paper, ‘Development and sustainable management of rangeland commons – aligning policy with the realities of South Africa's rural landscape’ (Vetter in this issue). It seeks to advance the debate regarding the contemporary nature of livestock... -
Degradation of communal rangelands in South Africa: towards an improved understanding to inform policy
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: AnthonyR Palmer --- , South Africa JamesE Bennett --- Department of Geography, Environment and Disaster Management and Centre for Agroecology and Food Security, UKIn South Africa, the relative extent of range degradation under freehold compared to communal tenure has been strongly debated. We present a perspective on the processes that drive rangeland degradation on land under communal tenure. Our findings are based on... -
The good shepherd: remedying the fencing syndrome
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Monique Salomon --- Farmer Support Group, South Africa Clement Cupido --- Agricultural Research Council–Animal Production Institute, c/o Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, South Africa Igshaan Samuels --- Agricultural Research Council–Animal Production Institute, c/o Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, South AfricaIn this paper the use of fenced grazing camps to manage the rangeland commons is challenged. A historical perspective is presented on fencing and rotational grazing in South Africa. Two case studies in KwaZulu-Natal and the Northern Cape illustrate the... -
Reshaping women's land rights on communal rangeland
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Karin Kleinbooi --- Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies, South AfricaThis paper aims to contribute to the debates on communal rangelands and analyses the gendered dimension of land rights and land access in the rural areas of Namaqualand. The actual gender relations within rural communities and the emergence of strategies... -
Reforming communal rangeland policy in southern Africa: challenges, dilemmas and opportunities
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Martin Adams --- , UKIn the savanna rangelands of southern Africa, the debate about land reform tends to be about the redistribution of formerly freehold ranches and fencing-off the rangeland commons into ranches for better-off African farmers. The position of those who favour privatisation... -
The children left to stand alone
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of AIDS Research • Authors: Sidsel RoalkvamDrawing upon ethnographic fieldwork in Seke, a semi-rural area outside Harare, Zimbabwe, this paper explores the social mechanism behind the seeming invisibility of children left on their own and how this form of 'invisibility' challenges established notions of childhood, parenthood,... -
Institutions for sustainable land management: reflections on institutional aspects of implementing the UNCCD in South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: G von Maltitz --- Natural Resources and the Environment, South AfricaBy its nature, combating desertification is a complex, multidisciplinary activity that requires coordinated responses at a multitude of levels spanning both scientific disciplines and government departments. In the final analysis, it is at the level of the land user where... -
The effects of soil conditions and grazing strategy on plant species composition in a semi-arid savanna
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: M-L Britz D WardThe tree:grass ratio of savannas is important, especially in the semi-arid savannas of South Africa. An increase in tree cover leads to reduced productivity and profitability of rangelands. We investigated the effects of soil type and grazing strategy on the... -
Soil erosion in the Herschel district of South Africa: changes over time, physical correlates and land users' perceptions
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: S VetterSoil erosion in rangelands is widely believed to be caused primarily by overgrazing. The aims of this study, conducted in a severely eroded district under communal tenure, were to establish (1) how the extent and severity of soil erosion have... -
A survey of plants sold by traders at Zululand muthi markets, with a view to selecting popular plant species for propagation in communal gardens
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: BG Ndawonde AM Zobolo ET Dlamini SJ SiebertA survey of medicinal plants sold at muthi markets of northern KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa was conducted by questioning 63 plant traders to identify unthreatened and threatened plants for cultivation purposes. From a total of 163 plants sold at local... -
Dynamics of woody vegetation in a semi-arid savanna, with a focus on bush encroachment
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: M-L Britz D WardIncreases in the tree: grass ratio with accompanying changes in herbaceous composition, called bush or shrub encroachment, is a worldwide phenomenon in savanna regions. Although heavy grazing by livestock is often believed to be the cause, it is clear that... -
Influence of land use on phytomass accumulation in Highland Sourveld grassland in the southern Drakensberg, South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: TG O'ConnorTransformation of indigenous vegetation for production purposes impacts negatively on biodiversity but does this necessarily equate with a decrease in phytomass accumulation, which may influence carbon sequestration? Phytomass accumulation was studied for common land covers of beef ranching or dairy... -
Communal area grazing strategies: institutions and traditional practices
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: B Moyo S Dube M Lesoli PJ MasikaGrazing strategies found in communal areas are a result of interactions between social, ecological and institutional factors. To understand the processes in operation, and help in improving management, the perceptions of communal people on institutional structures, utilisation patterns and possible... -
Impacts of cattle on ecological restoration of coastal forests in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: TDE Mpanza PF Scogings NW Kunene AM ZoboloLivestock from communities bordered by dune mining, urban areas and commercial forestry in northern KwaZulu-Natal spend substantial time foraging in the coastal forest that the mining company is obliged to restore. A survey of livestock owners and an experimental study... -
The influence of South Africa's post-apartheid land reform policies on bush encroachment and range condition: a case study of Fort Beaufort's municipal commonage
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: James R Puttick --- Plant Conservation Unit, Department of Biological Sciences, South Africa M Timm Hoffman --- Plant Conservation Unit, Department of Biological Sciences, South Africa James Gambiza --- Department of Environmental Science, South AfricaWe examined the effect of changes in land use and land tenure on bush encroachment and vegetation condition. An analysis of aerial photographs from three time steps (1949, 1985 and 2004) was used to document changes in woody plant density... -
The impact of land use on woody plant cover and species composition on the Grahamstown municipal commonage: implications for South Africa's land reform programme
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: James R Puttick --- Plant Conservation Unit, Department of Biological Sciences, South Africa M Timm Hoffman --- Plant Conservation Unit, Department of Biological Sciences, South Africa James Gambiza --- Department of Environmental Science, South AfricaUsing an analysis of aerial photographs from 1942, 1985 and 2004 we assessed the impact of changing land tenure and land-use regimes on the cover of thicket vegetation on the Grahamstown commonage. Land-use impacts were examined by comparing plant species... -
Parental care in a polygynous group of bat-eared foxes, Otocyon megalotis (Carnivora: Canidae)
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Anton Pauw --- Department of Botany, South AfricaThis study reports the first recorded instance of polygyny and communal nursing in Otocyon m. megalotis. The polygynous group, which was studied in the Kalahari Desert, consisted of a male, two lactating females and a litter of five pups. New... -
Thermoregulation under semi-natural conditions in speckled mousebirds: the role of communal roosting
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Andrew E. McKechnie --- School of Biological and Conservation Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa Gerhard Körtner --- School of Biological and Conservation Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa Barry G. Lovegrove --- School of Biological and Conservation Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South AfricaMousebirds (Coliiformes) exhibit well-developed communal roosting behaviour as well as a pronounced capacity for facultative hypothermic responses. We recorded body temperature (Tb)) in speckled mousebirds (Colius striatus) under semi-natural conditions in outdoor aviaries, and examined interactions between behavioural and metabolic... -
Flocking dynamics and roosting behaviour of Meyer’s parrot (Poicephalus meyeri) in the Okavango Delta, Botswana
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Rutledge S. Boyes --- University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa Michael R. Perrin --- University of KwaZulu-Natal, South AfricaFor most of the year, Meyer’s parrots in the Okavango Delta do not form large feeding flocks, and groups larger than two or three are probably the result of opportunistic aggregation at favoured food items after dispersion from communal roosts... -
Breeding density of the southern ground hornbill, Bucorvus leadbeateri, in the communal areas surrounding the Matobo National Park, Zimbabwe
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Minke Witteveen --- University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa Elspeth Parry --- , South Africa Mark Norris-Rogers --- School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa Mark Brown --- University of KwaZulu-Natal, South AfricaThe southern ground hornbill, Bucorvus leadbeateri, is on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as a ‘Vulnerable’ species with a decreasing population. Despite a myriad of threats, including loss of nesting sites, accidental poisoning and persecution, there has been... -
Significant population of Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus found in Morocco
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Mohamed Amezian --- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Morocco Rachid El Khamlichi --- Group for Research and Protection of Birds in Morocco (GREPOM/BirdLife Morocco), regional section of Tangier-Tétouan, MoroccoThe Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus population in Morocco has undergone a marked decline since the 1980s to the point of nearing local extinction in the twenty-first century. A field study of some possible sites for Egyptian Vultures was carried out... -
Feeding ecology of four livestock species under different management in a semi-arid pastoral system in South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Igshaan Samuels --- Agricultural Research Council–Animal Production Institute, Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, South Africa Clement Cupido --- Agricultural Research Council–Animal Production Institute, Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, South Africa Melvin B Swarts --- Agricultural Research Council–Animal Production Institute, Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, South Africa Anthony R Palmer --- Agricultural Research Council–Animal Production Institute, South Africa Jamie W Paulse --- Agricultural Research Council–Animal Production Institute, Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, South AfricaThe Leliefontein communal area in Namaqualand is grazed by mixed species herds that have multiple benefits for pastoralists. This study assessed how the management (herding and free-ranging) of different livestock herds affects their feeding ecology during the wet and dry... -
Changes in vegetation structure and aboveground biomass in response to traditional rangeland management practices in Borana, southern Ethiopia
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Bikila Negasa Gilo --- Yabello Pastoral and Dryland Agriculture Research Center, Ethiopia Tessema Zewdu Kelkay --- Rangeland Ecology and Biodiversity Program, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, EthiopiaThis study aimed to determine vegetation structure, species diversity and aboveground herbaceous biomass and browse yields in Borana rangelands of southern Ethiopia. Sampling through random allocation of quadrats within replicated sample plots was undertaken in communally grazed areas, grazing enclosures... -
Communities’ perceptions of benefit-sharing mechanisms for forest-based land reform models in South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Southern Forests: a Journal of Forest Science • Authors: Ratsodo Phillip Tshidzumba --- Forest Science Postgraduate Programme, Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, South Africa Paxie W Chirwa --- Forest Science Postgraduate Programme, Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, South Africa Folaranmi D Babalola --- Forest Science Postgraduate Programme, Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, South AfricaOne of the dominant challenges facing the South African forestry sector is the issue of land restitution. The aim of this study was, therefore, to assess the perception of beneficiaries of benefit-sharing modalities for forest-based land reform initiatives in their... -
Long-term impacts of livestock grazing and browsing in the Succulent Karoo: a 20-year study of vegetation change under different grazing regimes in Namaqualand
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Elelwani Nenzhelele --- Department of Biological Sciences, South Africa Simon W Todd --- South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON): Arid Lands Node, South Africa M Timm Hoffman --- Plant Conservation Unit, Department of Biological Sciences, South AfricaThis study used a fence-line contrast approach to investigate the long-term impact of high grazing pressure on the vegetation at a site in Namaqualand, South Africa. Forty pairs of permanently marked plots were surveyed in 1996, 2006 and 2016. The... -
Why defaecate on your doorstep? Investigating an unusual behaviour in Africa’s smallest falcon
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Billi A Krochuk --- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, South Africa Diana Bolopo --- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, South Africa Anthony M Lowney --- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, South Africa Paul R Meyers --- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, South Africa Claire N Spottiswoode --- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, South Africa Rajendra MG Raman --- Department of Zoology, UK Robert L Thomson --- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, South AfricaDepositing faeces at the nest should be expected to carry risks such as increased parasite loads and disease exposure. This perplexing behaviour is unusual in birds but is consistently shown by a handful of species, and has been demonstrated to... -
Roosting requirements of Helmeted Guineafowl Numida meleagris on Highveld grain and livestock farms with alien tree groves, Gauteng province, South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Johann H van Niekerk --- Department of Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, South AfricaThis study describes the relationship between Helmeted Guineafowl Numida meleagris and invasive alien trees on livestock and maize farms south-east of Johannesburg, Gauteng province, South Africa. The dependence of the birds on alien trees affects strategies for the removal of... -
A comparative analysis of the morphology and nutritive value of five South African native grass species grown under controlled conditions
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Khuliso E Ravhuhali --- Department of Animal Science, School of Agricultural Sciences, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, South Africa Victor Mlambo --- School of Agricultural Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, South Africa Tefera S Beyene --- Department of Livestock and Pasture Science, South Africa Lobina G Palamuleni --- Department of Geography and Remote Sensing, School of Environmental and Health Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, South AfricaThe comparative growth habits and nutritive value of native grass species of South Africa are largely unknown despite the utility of this information in rangeland restoration efforts. This article presents a comparative characterisation of the morphology, chemical composition and in... -
Communal farmers’ ecological knowledge and perceptions of grasses in the central Eastern Cape province, South Africa: similarities with field studies and scientific knowledge and their implications
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Solomon Tefera --- Department of Livestock and Pasture Science, South Africa Ayanda Kwaza --- Department of Livestock and Pasture Science, South AfricaThe local ecological knowledge (LEK) and perceptions of grasses were investigated in six semi-arid communal areas in the central Eastern Cape province, South Africa, and compared with field studies and scientific knowledge. Of the total of 21 grasses identified in... -
Inselbergs persist as islands of diversity in a heavily grazed rangeland mosaic at the nexus of three arid biomes
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Laetitia C Piers --- Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, South Africa M Igshaan Samuels --- Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, South Africa Mmoto L Masubelele --- Cape Research Centre, South African National Parks, South Africa Lesego Khomo --- Environmental Sciences Department, South AfricaInselbergs are regarded as ‘islands of diversity’ due to the high number of plant species present and level of endemism. They also act as natural sources of fodder for livestock and thus risk becoming homogenised in a heavily grazed rangeland... -
Feeding and spatial behaviours of transhumant cattle in southern Benin: implications for the sustainable management of rangelands
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Rodrigue V Cao Diogo --- , Benin Josias Steve Adjassin --- , Benin Luc Hippolyte Dossa --- , Benin Ibrahim Alkoiret Traoré --- , BeninFeed intake on pastures plays a vital role in cattle rearing in West Africa. However, the scarcity of pastures during the dry season may result in changing grazing behaviour by cattle. Therefore, we studied the management practices of transhumant herders... -
Impact of livestock grazing intensity on plant diversity of montane grassland in the northern Drakensberg, South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: TA Shezi --- , South Africa TG O’Connor --- , South Africa ETF Witkowski --- , South AfricaCommunal livestock grazing is expected to impact botanical composition and plant diversity of Drakensberg montane grasslands. Accordingly, a grazing gradient extending outward from kraals, and fence-line contrasts between communal rangeland and protected areas (Golden Gate Highlands National Park and Royal... -
Changes in pastoral mobility in a semi-arid montane region of South Africa: The role of policy and legislation
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: M Igshaan Samuels --- , South Africa Nicky Allsopp --- , South Africa M Timm Hoffman --- , South AfricaLegislation and policy are key tools used by governments to change the socio-economic and political landscape of agrarian systems with consequences for mobile pastoralism. This study used the social-ecological systems framework to examine how pastoral mobility in the semi-arid, montane... -
Strategies of coping with the effects of HIV/AIDS in Chinamhora communal lands, Goromonzi rural district, Zimbabwe
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of AIDS Research • Authors: Wilberforce Kurevakwesu --- , ZimbabweThis qualitative study assesses the impacts of HIV/AIDS on rural households in Chinamhora communal lands, explores the coping strategies of these rural households and establishes possible interventions towards improving their coping strategies. The study comes at a time when deaths... -
Effect of encroaching woody plant species on soil nutrients and selected soil chemical properties in communally managed semiarid savanna grazing lands in the North West province, South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: South African Journal of Plant and Soil • Authors: Pieter W Malan --- , South Africa Makuété A P Tiawoun --- , South Africa Khumoetsile S Molatlhegi --- , South Africa Simeon A Materechera --- , South AfricaWoody plant encroachment is recognised as one of the major threats to biodiversity in ecosystems. In many arid and semiarid areas of South Africa, indigenous encroacher species are proliferating, but the factors that favor their abundance are poorly understood. This... -
The effects of tree canopies on invasive Lantana camara: a follow-up study 18 years later
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Kiersten McMahon --- , United States David Ward --- , United StatesLantana camara is primarily a bird-dispersed invasive plant species that has spread quickly across South Africa in disturbed areas. We re-examined the distribution of Lantana at Rodger and Twine’s (2002) study site (R&T) in a highly grazed communal area and... -
Effect of soil type on spatial distribution and nutritive value of grass species growing in selected rangelands of South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: South African Journal of Plant and Soil • Authors: Khuliso E Ravhuhali --- , South Africa Victor Mlambo --- , South Africa Tefera S Beyene --- , South Africa Lobina G Palamuleni --- , South AfricaThe distribution and status of grass species is essential for sustainable management of rangelands. Therefore, this study assessed the spatial distribution and nutritive value of grass species as influenced by soil type in selected rangelands of the North West province... -
Performance of goats browsing on Vachellia karroo encroached communal lands and open grasslands in the Eastern Cape province, South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: W Maguraushe --- University of Fort Hare, South Africa JF Mupangwa --- University of Namibia, Namibia S Washaya --- Great Zimbabwe University, Masvingo V Muchenje --- University of Fort Hare, South AfricaThe objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of season, rangeland type, and herd size on the performance of goat browsing. A total of eighty communal household goat herds from Mbashe and Nkonkobe municipalities were monitored for twelve... -
Implications of the breakdown in the indigenous knowledge system for rangeland management and policy: a case study from the Eastern Cape in South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Andiswa Finca --- , South Africa Suzanne Linnane --- Dundalk Institute of Technology, Ireland Jill Slinger --- Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands David Getty --- Dundalk Institute of Technology, Ireland M Igshaan Samuels --- University of Western Cape, South AfricaCommunal rangelands in South Africa are generally perceived as overgrazed owing to complexities in their histories and collective utilisation which often leads to improper management. A suitable solution has not been found in land management policies because local people’s contexts... -
Shepherding is not a shot in the dark: evidence of low predation losses from the Northern Cape province of South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: --- , South Africa --- University of Mpumalanga, South Africa --- University of the Free State, South Africa --- University of the Free State, South Africa --- Nelson Mandela University, South Africa --- Nelson Mandela University, South AfricaPredation threatens the viability of livestock farming, while lethal predator management can negatively influence wildlife ecology. There is renewed interest in non-lethal vs lethal methods of livestock protection, but a systematic comparison is lacking. Using multivariate models, we explored how...