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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... -
Scale, heterogeneity and secondary production in tropical rangelands
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Andrew Ash John Gross Mark Stafford SmithTropical rangelands across the world are experiencing land use intensification pressures which are reducing the spatial scale of grazing management units. There are implications of a reduction in scale on environmental heterogeneity and its relationship with secondary production of large... -
Do we understand the causes of bush encroachment in African savannas?
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: D WardBush encroachment affects the agricultural productivity and biodiversity of 10–20 million ha of South Africa. Many people believe that we understand the causes of bush encroachment. We do not. Many people believe that either fire or heavy grazing by domestic... -
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... -
Effects of previous cultivation on regeneration of Julbernadia globiflora and Brachystegia spiciformis in grazing areas of Mupfurudzi Resettlement Scheme, Zimbabwe
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: T Chinuwo --- Faculty of Agriculture, Science and Technology, South Africa E Gandiwa --- , Zimbabwe PH Mugabe --- Institute of Environmental Studies, Zimbabwe IDT Mpofu --- Animal Science Department, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Namibia E Timpong-Jones --- College of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Centre, GhanaWe investigated the effects of previous cultivation on regeneration potential under miombo woodlands in a resettlement area, a spatial product of Zimbabwe's land reforms. We predicted that cultivation would affect population structure, regeneration, recruitment and potential grazing capacity of rangelands... -
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,... -
The influence of Pechuel-Loeschea leubnitziae (wild sage) on grass sward and soil seed bank composition
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: MJ Tedder --- Grassland Science, School of Life Sciences, South Africa KP Kirkman --- Grassland Science, School of Life Sciences, South Africa CD Morris --- Agricultural Research Council, c/o School of Life Sciences, South Africa WSW Trollope --- Research and Development, South Africa MC Bonyongo --- Okavango Research Institute, BotswanaSoil seed banks provide not only a historical record of vegetation composition but also the potential for post-disturbance revegetation. Pechuel-Loeschea leubnitziae (wild sage) is a multistemmed, aromatic shrub, occurring in Namibia, Botswana, Swaziland, Zimbabwe and the northern regions of South... -
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... -
Multiple strategies for resilient livelihoods in communal areas of South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Wayne Twine --- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, South AfricaLivestock farming in communal areas is an activity pursued by rural households as one of a range of livelihood strategies aimed at spreading risk. The cash and non-cash benefits derived from livestock, as well as the wide range of secondary... -
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 effect of long-term mowing and ungulate exclusion on grass species composition and soil nutrient status on the Athi-Kapiti plains, central Kenya
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: D. Berliner J. KiokoThe long-term (>30 years) impacts of mowing (for hay-making) and ungulate exclusion, on natural, unfertilised rangelands were investigated. Changes in grass species composition and soil nutrient status were measured The study site, situated on the Athi-Kapiti plains of central Kenya,... -
Determining grazing capacity in Namibia with the aid of remote sensing
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: C Espach --- Ministry of Agriculture, LG Lubbe --- Ministry of Agriculture, N Ganzin --- Ifremer, FranceThe Namibian rangelands consist of a mixture of herbaceous and woody components. The main source of income is from farming systems with grass production the predominant source of forage. For rangeland managers to utilise this source sustainably, the accurate determination... -
Testing for a decline in secondary productivity under desertification in subtropical thicket, South Africa, using Angora goats: lessons for experimental design
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: TA Milne --- Centre for African Conservation Ecology, Department of Zoology, South Africa GIH Kerley --- Centre for African Conservation Ecology, Department of Zoology, South AfricaThere are few tests of the predicted decline of secondary productivity in desertified rangelands, despite this being one of the major concerns around desertification. Subtropical thicket, largely used for goat pastoralism, suffers extensive transformation typical of desertification. We measured body... -
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... -
Preliminary observations on the diet of leopards (Panthera pardus) from a conservation area and adjacent rangelands in the Baviaanskloof region, South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Theresia Ott --- Centre for African Conservation Ecology, Department of Zoology, South Africa Graham I. H. Kerley --- Centre for African Conservation Ecology, Department of Zoology, South Africa André F. Boshoff --- Centre for African Conservation Ecology, Department of Zoology, South AfricaPastoralists on rangelands adjacent to the Baviaanskloof Provincial Nature Reserve, Eastern Cape, report stock losses through predation by leopards (Panthera pardus). This leads, in certain cases, to persecution of the leopards. This study attempted to quantify livestock depredation by leopards... -
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... -
Effect of proximity to highways on soil chemical properties and grass condition at Mafikeng, South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: South African Journal of Plant and Soil • Authors: Chris Munyati --- Department of Geography and Environmental Science, South Africa Oratile Menwe --- Department of Geography and Environmental Science, South AfricaRoads have motor vehicle traffic-sourced ecological effects. This study examined the effect of proximity to roads on soil and grass. Surface soil samples were collected along 60 m transects perpendicular to the four major paved highways of Mafikeng, in two... -
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... -
Spatial, temporal and attitudinal dimensions of conflict between predators and small-livestock farmers in the Central Karoo
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Marine Drouilly --- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, Department of Biological Sciences, South Africa Marion Tafani --- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, Department of Biological Sciences, South Africa Nicoli Nattrass --- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, Department of Biological Sciences, South Africa Justin O’Riain --- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, Department of Biological Sciences, South AfricaConflict between predators and small-livestock farmers is a global phenomenon adversely impacting the preservation of wildlife, the well-being of livestock and human livelihoods. Such conflict is pervasive in the Karoo region of South Africa but its contemporary history and various... -
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... -
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... -
Assessment of long-term protection on the aboveground biomass and organic carbon content using two non-destructive techniques: case of the Sidi Toui National Park in southern Tunisia
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Roukaya Chibani --- , Tunisia Abderrazak Tlili --- , Tunisia Farah Ben Salem --- , Tunisia Mounir Louhaichi --- , Tunisia Azaiez Ouled Belgacem --- , Saudi Arabia Mohamed Neffati --- , TunisiaLong-term protection of arid ecosystems changes the vegetation and soil structures. The quantification of aboveground biomass and carbon content are among the principal indicators to evaluate these changes. Most methods used to quantify these parameters are costly, time consuming and... -
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... -
Kraals or bomas increase soil carbon and fertility across several biomes
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Mia Momberg --- University of Pretoria, South Africa Anna Jean Haw --- , Kenya Perushan Rajah --- , South Africa Jacques van Rooyen --- , Kenya Heidi-Jayne Hawkins --- , South AfricaKnowledge about how pastoralism and kraaling may contribute to desired global objectives, such as soil fertility, is in danger of being lost. We tested whether short duration kraaling increases soil fertility across various biomes and countries via a meta-analysis (random... -
Nutritional quality of Calobota sericea fodders harvested at different phenological stages – opportunities for inclusion in fodder flow programs for extensive livestock farmers
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Ethan A Britz --- , South Africa Lilburne F Cyster --- University of the Western Cape, South Africa Clement F Cupido --- , South Africa M Igshaan Samuels --- , South Africa Thamsanqa DE Mpanza --- , South Africa Francuois L Müller --- , South AfricaCalobota sericea (Thunb.) Boatwr. & B.-E.van Wyk (Fabaceae) is a native legume from the semi-arid rangelands of South Africa. The species has been prioritised as a forage for water-limited agro-ecological areas. No information regarding the nutritional quality of C. sericea... -
Assessment of the impact of woody species encroachment on plant species diversity and the livelihood of pastoralists in southeastern Ethiopia
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Abdulhakim Mahmud --- Madda Walabu University, Ethiopia Habte Telila --- Madda Walabu University, Ethiopia Lemessa Kumsa --- Adama Science and Technology University, EthiopiaThe study aimed to assess the encroachment of woody plants on the rangelands of the Dallo Manna district of Bale Zone, and their impact on plant species diversity and pastoral livelihoods. Plant data were collected from 45 plots at encroaching... -
Nearly six decades of grazing research published by the Grassland Society of Southern Africa: trends, recommendations and gaps
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: G Arena --- , South Africa H-J Hawkins --- , South AfricaWe reviewed research on grazing in extensive rangelands published by the Grassland Society of Southern Africa’s (GSSA) flagship journal, founded in 1966. We aimed to identify and synthesise emerging themes, trends, key recommendations and research gaps. From 1966 to 2023,... -
‘The mountain has a story to tell’: transhumant production systems in the US Intermountain West
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Hailey Wilmer --- USDA-ARS Range Sheep Production Efficiency Research Unit, USA Jonathan Spiess --- USDA-ARS Range Sheep Production Efficiency Research Unit, USA Katherine D White --- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, University of Wyoming, USA Amira Burns --- USDA-ARS Range Sheep Production Efficiency Research Unit, USA Steven Cox --- Former Dubois Ranger District, Caribou-Targhee National Forest, USA John Derek Scasta --- Laramie Research and Extension Center, Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, University of Wyoming, USA Devan Allen McGranahan --- Livestock and Range Research Laboratory, USDA Agricultural Research Service, USA Carrie S Wilson --- USDA-ARS Range Sheep Production Efficiency Research Unit, USA Will Munger --- USDA-ARS Range Sheep Production Efficiency Research Unit, USA J Bret Taylor --- USDA-ARS Range Sheep Production Efficiency Research Unit, USAGrazing systems research has taken a notable social-ecological turn in response to recent debates, and integrative work is still needed to address gaps in our understanding of multiscalar dynamics in transhumant systems. Transhumance encompasses diverse cultures, ecological relationships, and traditions... -
From data to decisions: the potential of real-time precision technologies to enhance adaptive grazing management for livestock ranchers
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Justin D Derner --- USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Rangeland Resources and Systems Research Unit, USA J Gonzalo Irisarri --- University of Wyoming, Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, USA Edward J Raynor --- Colorado State University, AgNext, USA John P Ritten --- Colorado State University, AgNext, USA Clay A Lents --- USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Meat Animal Research Center, Livestock Biosystems Research Unit, USA Kaiyu Guan --- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Agroecosystem Sustainability Center and College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences, USA Bin Peng --- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Agroecosystem Sustainability Center and College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences, USA Lexuan Ye --- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Agroecosystem Sustainability Center and College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences, USA Greg Thoma --- Colorado State University, AgNext, USA Lauren M Porensky --- USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Rangeland Resources and Systems Research Unit, USA David J Augustine --- USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Rangeland Resources and Systems Research Unit, USAAdvances in on-animal sensors and remote sensing have generated vast data streams, but their impact on rancher decision-making remains limited due to fragmented and uncoordinated efforts. Integration of on-animal monitoring with remote sensing of the grazing resource base offers synergistic...