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The New Tendencies Of Environmental Impact Assessment Of Livestock Production: A Road Testing Of Leap/Fao Biodiversity Assessment Guidelines In Pastoral Systems In Uruguay, F. De Santiago, G. Pompozzi, M. Simó, Oscar Blumetto

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

After the publication of the “long shadow of cattle” report, ruminant production systems have received great pressure for their contributions in greenhouse gases (GHG). However, the environmental effects of human activities are much broader than GHG production and in some cases, there are positive contributions. In order to broaden the environmental perspective and with the encouragement of governments, the private sector and NGOs, LEAP-FAO has developed environmental assessment guidelines for the world's livestock production systems. This paper presents a road-testing of the Biodiversity Assessment Guideline at farm scale for six case studies in pastoral livestock systems in Uruguay. The producers …

Assessment Of Thermographic Imaging Systems On Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (Suas) To Identify Artificial Grassland Bird Nests, L. M. Hearon, J. M. Morrison

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Grassland bird populations can be good indicator species of ecosystem health. However, their populations are declining at greater rates than any other group of birds. A well-established method of monitoring rapidly disappearing bird populations is by locating and identifying active nests. Studies quantifying grassland birds tend to have low statistical power due to low sample sizes, high labor costs, and high levels of disturbance - associated with difficulty finding nests. However, advances in small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) and thermographic imaging technologies have the potential to improve efficiency and accuracy of locating nests, while causing minimal disruption. Early research has …

Bird Community Responses To Rest-Rotation Grazing In Western Canada's Grasslands, T. F. Döbert, J. A. Randall, M. Iravani, E. W. Bork, M. S. Boyce

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Western Canada’s native grasslands support high levels of avian diversity including both resident and migrant species. Many grassland specialist bird populations, however, are in serious decline due to widespread habitat loss resulting from agricultural conversion and adverse land management. As the primary use on remaining grasslands, cattle grazing largely determines the availability and quality of bird species’ habitat, depending on the timing, intensity, and frequency of livestock use. While adaptive multi-paddock grazing (AMP, a short duration, high-intensity grazing system that prioritises plant recovery between grazing events) is growing in popularity, comprehensive assessments of bird diversity in relation to AMP grazing …

Comparing Empirical With Perceived Trends In Wildlife, Livestock, Human Population And Settlement Numbers In Pastoral Systems: The Greater Maasai Mara Ecosystem, Kenya, Juliet B. Kariuki, Joseph O. Ogutu, Shem C. Kifugo, Jully S. Senteu, Gordon Ojwang, Han Olff

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Human activities are driving wildlife population declines worldwide. However, empirical understandings of their operation and consequences for wildlife populations and habitats are limited. We explored relationships between empirical and perceived wildlife and livestock population trends in Kenya using data on i) aerial monitoring of wildlife and livestock populations during 1977-2018, ii) human population censuses; and iii) semi-structured interviews with 338 male and female respondents from 250 households from four zones of the Greater Maasai Mara Ecosystem in 2019 and 2020. Wildlife numbers declined by 72.3% but sheep and goats increased by 306.4%. Yet nearly 50% of the interviewees perceived increases …

Effectiveness Of Agricultural Extension Human Wildlife Conflict Mitigation Strategies Among Small-Scale Maize (Zea Mays) Farmers In Laikipia West Sub County, Kenya, R. O. Nyamwamu, J. M. Ombati

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Agriculture is critical in the achievement of food security, creation of employment opportunities, steering economic growth, and also a source of raw materials for agricultural industries in many Sub-Saharan countries. However, the small-scale farmers face various challenges which negatively affect farm productivity and production. Human-wildlife conflict is one of the most pressing challenges that small-scale maize farmers experience in some parts of Kenya. It arises from either people’s encroachment on wildlife habitats or the movement of wildlife from their natural habitat into the neighbouring farmland. The smallscale farmers use various agricultural extension strategies to mitigate the conflict. However, the effectiveness …

Ecotourism As A Means Of Sustaining Livelihood, Wildlife Management And Biodiversity Conservation-A Case In Nameri National Park Of Assam: India, Niranjan Das

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Community-based Ecotourism (CBET) is an emerging concept. It is being discussed as an important tool for economically benefiting communities that have a feature that fulfils a tourist’s desire for uniqueness. Ecotourism is potentially important for communities reside nearby protected areas. Here, an attempt has been made to evaluate ecotourism initiatives in Nameri National Park, steps that have been introduced by the Assam (Bhorelli) Angling and Conservation Association (ABACA). This association began naturebased tourism ventures in 1956, bringing benefits to the local populace in terms of income, improved infrastructure, employment opportunities and exposure. The community’s capacity to facilitate resourcerelated conflicts has …

Tree Legumes As Sustainable Ecosystem Services In Livestock Systems, James P. Muir, C. E. Cooper, V. Corriher-Olson

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Arboreal legumes provide multiple uses in pastures and rangelands. Trees directly and indirectly feed, house, doctor, and warm humans at minimal environmental cost through forage (fodder), timber, biofuel, medicines, as well as edible leaves, pods, and seeds. Leguminous trees, because they foster biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) and acquire deep-soil nutrients and moisture, compete less with herbaceous plants for shallow-horizon soil moisture and nutrients. Their ecosystem services (ES) are generally less obvious and quantifiable. These include converting CO₂ to sequestered C and released O₂ in N-poor soils where trees without BNF do not thrive. Other ES include shade for …

Conservation Innovation In Pastoral Lands Around The Globe: Challenges, Lessons And Opportunities, R. S. Reid

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Pastoralists and ranchers have a long history of sustained management of rangelands around the world. Several decades ago, some pastoralists and ranchers started new alliances with environmental organizations, businesses and government agencies to diversify their approaches to land management to include what can be called ‘conservation’. These efforts highlight conserving aspects of rangeland ecosystems, but often have an equal or greater emphasis on supporting pastoral livelihoods and culture. This paper asks: What types of innovations are pastoralists now pursuing in ‘conservation’? How are these innovations performing?

This paper provides a synthesis of some of the types of conservation innovations being …

The Importance Of Forage Legume Inclusion In Agricultural Swards To Enhance Earthworm Activity And Water Infiltration Rates, A. Shnel, S. Tracy, O. Schmidt, P. Murphy, M. B. Lynch, C. Grace, T. M. Boland, H. Sheridan

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Increased grassland productivity in temperate regions has largely been achieved through perennial ryegrass Lolium perenne (PRG), coupled with large quantities of nitrogen fertiliser. However, concern is growing regarding the negative implications of excessive dependence on nitrogen fertilisers. Research has demonstrated the benefits of legume inclusion on primary productivity, however, their potential to influence other processes is less well established.

Sampling was undertaken in autumn 2017 on twenty randomised plots representing five sward types, replicated four times. These had been established and managed by cutting since 2013. Sward types included: 1) PRG (250kg N ha^-1 yr^-1 ); 2) PRG; …

Socially Differentiation In (Agro)Pastoral Climate Change Adaptation: Intersectional Perspectives On Socio-Technical Change In Kenya And Burkina Faso, Todd Crane, Lisa Nebié, Teresiah Ng’Ang’A

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

No abstract provided.

Revitalizing Pastoral Calendars: Snowcover, Seasonal Migration, And Pastoral Decisions From Alai Valley Of Kyrgyzstan, Daler Kaziev

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Herding practices among semi-settled agropastoral communities in the Pamir-Alai Mountains of Central Asia are subject to seasonal variations, making climate change adaptation urgent. Livestock keeping is an essential part of the local economy in the Alai Valley of Kyrgyzstan. Focusing on collaborative efforts to develop traditional ecological calendars in the village of Sary-Mogol, Alai valley, Kyrgyzstan, this study seeks to demonstrate the relationship between snow and herding practices.There are four distinct seasonal migration patterns such as baarloo spring, summering jailoo, autumn kyzdoo and wintering kyshtoo. The relationship between these migration patterns and biophysical events such as snow accumulation …

The Response Of Selected Temperate Forages To Increasing Summer Drought Conditions And High Summer Temperatures In Northern Victoria, Australia, M. E. Rogers, A. R. Lawson, K. B. Kelly, W. J. Wales, J. L. Jacobs

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In the dairy region of northern Victoria, Australia, the performance of temperate perennial dairy pastures is often poor over summer due to a combination of high temperatures and limited water availability that can restrict dry matter production and plant survival. A series of field experiments examined the effects of heat and restricted irrigation (as a consequence of drought) on the growth and nutritive characteristics of selected forage species, and whether survival under experimental conditions was influenced by plant genotype, irrigation and grazing management strategies, as well as endophyte presence. The major focus was on perennial ryegrass.

Detailed sampling of perennial …

Effect Of Drought Stress On Fibre Digestibility Of Corn For Silage, G. Ferreira, C. L. Teets, A. M. Kingori, J. O. Ondiek

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Limited information exists about the impact of drought stress on corn silage digestibility. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of irrigation on in situ NDF digestibility of corn tissues grown under controlled conditions in a greenhouse. Five commercial corn hybrids were planted in pots and grown in a greenhouse. Pots were subjected to an abundant or restricted irrigation regime. Leaf blades and stem internodes were collected from the upper and bottom portion of each hybrid. Tissue samples were incubated in the rumen of 3 rumen-cannulated cows for 0, 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, 96, and 240 …

Soil Organic Carbon And Total Nitrogen In A Leucaena Leucocephala Silvopastoral System In The Chaco Region, Argentina, N. R. Banegas, N. Viruel, A. Radrizzani

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The introduction of leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala) into hedgerow silvopastoral systems increases animal production and improves soil fertility, through biological nitrogen fixation and deep-rooted leguminous trees. There is limited information on carbon and nitrogen dynamics in hedgerow silvopastoral systems, particularly in long term periods and subsoil profiles. The concentrations and vertical distribution of organic carbon (OC) and total nitrogen (TN), and their fractions (particulate and associate forms) in the soil profile (0‒100 cm), with and without leucaena were compared 10 years after leucaena establishment into a 24-year-old tropical pasture (Urochloa brizantha-Chloris gayana). Leucaena increased the OC concentration …

Perceptions Of Gauteng Beef Farmers On Significance Of Practising Climate Smart Agriculture, S. T. Jiyana, K-J. Leeuw, Abubeker Hassen, Ignatius V. Nsahlai

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Farmers are crucial role-players in agriculture, especially in beef farming. Daily farm activities affect climate change, either negatively or positively. Therefore, farmers’ ability to relate climate change with farm activities is highly imperative. A study was conducted to investigate perceptions of Gauteng beef farmers on significance of practising climate smart agriculture (CSA). Semi-structured key informant interviews were conducted with 57 beef cattle farmers from three areas (Bronkhorstspruit, Rust de Winter and Cullinan) of Tshwane region (Gauteng province). A fully detailed ethical statement was used to explain the study and request farmers’ participation. Data analysis was done using a Statistical Package …

Legumes As A Strategy For Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions Of Forage-Livestock Systems, N. Dilorenzo, José C. B. Dubeux Jr., L. Garcia, R. D. Guevara, S. Lagrange, J. Macadam, J. J. Villalba

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Incorporation of legumes into forage systems has been a widely adopted strategy to increase pasture productivity and forage nutritive value, while reducing N inputs. Considering the population growth, and the diminishing land resources for food production, the need to increase the food supply will have to be balanced with the environmental impact of these systems, particularly their carbon footprint. Enteric methane production represents the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions from livestock. Certain forage legumes have evolved plant secondary compounds, such as tannins and other polyphenols, which have been associated with reductions in enteric methane emissions. Studies were conducted at …

Forage Legumes In Tropical Regions: Recent Advances And Future Challenges, D. R. Casagrande, B. G. C. Homem, R. M. Boddey

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Nitrogen input in tropical pastures increases forage and animal productivity. Forage legumes can fix atmospheric nitrogen and are the most economical way to add this nutrient to the soil. Our objective was to report the benefits of forage legumes in tropical pastures and possible strategies to implement different forage legumes. In tropical conditions, such as in Brazil, the use of forage legumes is still scarce. Even with low legume adoption on tropical pastures, forage legumes can provide ecosystem services. Increased animal productivity is the first ecosystem service provided by these legumes, mainly due to the addition of nitrogen that is …

Interventions For Mitigating Drought-Related Livestock Mortality In Africa’S Pastoral Areas: A Review Of Their Relevance And Effectiveness With Special Reference To Kenya, Hallo Dabasso Bulle

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

One of the key challenges facing pastoral livestock production in Africa’s drylands is the recurring drought which triggers shortage of grazing resources and massive losses of livestock. Though the pastoralists have traditional drought coping mechanisms, the changing land use, insecure land-tenure arrangements, and the declining natural resource base, have undermined the effectiveness of the mechanisms and worsen the drought impacts. Several interventions have hence been implemented over the years to mitigate the increasing drought impacts and to create more resilient pastoralist societies. Focusing on Kenyan pastoral areas, this study reviewed the relevance and effectiveness of various interventions in reducing the …

Importance Of Grazing Management In Improving Water Use Efficiency Of Tropical Forage Grasses, Juan A. Cardoso, J. D. L. C. Jiménez, Mauricio Sotelo, Idupulapati M. Rao, Michael Peters

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The growing number of extreme weather events has created the need to identify tropical forage grasses with greater water use efficiency (WUE) to cope with water-limited conditions. WUE can be defined as the ratio of forage biomass produced per unit of water used. However, WUE is a dynamic ratio that changes according to environmental gradients (e.g., water or nutrient availability) or ontogenetic drift (e.g., changes in root to shoot biomass allocation across phenological stages). Furthermore, genetic improvement leading to greater WUE is likely to result in smaller plants that produce less than the required forage biomass to sustain good animal …

Risk Of Climate-Related Impacts On Global Rangelands – A Review And Modelling Study, C. M. Godde, R. B. Boone, A. Ash, K. Waha, L. Sloat, P. Thornton, D. Mason-D’Croz, D. Mayberry, M. Herrero

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Climate change threatens the ability of global rangelands to provide food, support livelihoods and deliver important ecosystems services. The extent and magnitude of potential impacts are however poorly understood. In this study, we review the risk of climate impacts along the rangeland systems food supply chain. We also present results from biophysical modelling simulations and spatial data analyses to identify where and to what extent rangelands may be at climatic risk. Although a quantification of the net impacts of climate change on rangeland production systems is beyond the reach of our current understanding, there is strong evidence that there will …

Quantifying Greenhouse Gas Emissions Attributable To Smallholder Livestock Systems In Western Kenya: Cradle To Farm Gate Life Cycle Assessment, P. W. Ndung’U, T. Takahashi, C. J. L. Du Toit, M. Robertson-Dean, K. Butterbach-Bahl, G. Mcauliffe, L. Merbold, J. P. Goopy

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Ruminants are central to the economic and nutritional life of much of sub-Saharan Africa, but cattle are now blamed for having disproportionately large negative environmental impact through (amongst other things) emissions of greenhouse gases. However, the exact mechanism behind these emissions is not well-understood and indeed accurate estimates themselves are lacking due to a paucity of reliable data. Employing individual animal records obtained at regular farm visits, this study quantified emissions intensities (EIs) of smallholder farms in three counties of Western Kenya through life cycle assessment (LCA). Crude protein (CP) was chosen as the functional unit to capture outputs of …

Long-Term N Addition, Not Warming, Increases Net Ecosystem Co2 Exchange In A Desert Steppe In Northern China, Guodong Han, Qian Wu

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Grasslands cover a major part of the global terrestrial area and provide important ecosystem functions such as sequestration of carbon (C). Desert steppes are unique ecosystems with properties in between desert and grasslands. They are considered to be vulnerable ecosystems that are at risk of desertification due to global change. To provide a robust prediction of the effect of climate warming and increased nitrogen (N) deposition on desert steppe, long-term studies that capture the annual variation in precipitation are needed. We conducted a 12-year field experiment in a desert steppe which showed that warming did not change ecosystem C exchange …

Towards Early Warning Signals For Desertification, Sara Klingenfuss, Sara Heshmati, Jan C. Ruppert, Katja Tielbörger

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Dryland ecosystems cover a large share of the world’s terrestrial surface. Deficiency and spatio-temporal variability of precipitation as well as low vegetation growth rates make dry rangelands prone to degradation, especially under changing climate and intensified land use. Degradation often occurs gradually but sometimes, a sudden and surprising shift from a healthy to a degraded rangeland can be observed, where perennial grasses are lost, and bare soil is exposed. If such changes are sudden and irreversible, they are coined a tipping point. Due to their abrupt appearance, it is a great challenge to discover early warning signals that precede the …

Why We Need A Ruminant Revolution: Combating Malnutrition And Metabolic Illnesses To Enable Sustainable Development, Peter J. Ballerstedt, David B. Hannaway, T. D. Noakes

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Animal source foods (ASF) are essential for proper human development and function. Livestock in general, and ruminants in particular, are essential components of our sustainable global food systems. Of significant worldwide impact, diets with higher-than-recommended levels of ASF can correct the symptoms of metabolic illnesses, offering hope in arresting the current worldwide epidemic of diabetes and other metabolic diseases. Most dietary policy and recommendations are based on the ill-founded belief that plant-based, high-carbohydrate diets are “healthy.” High-quality scientific evidence does not support the belief that vegetarian diets are healthier than omnivorous or animal-based diets. A Therapeutic Carbohydrate Reduction (TCR) lifestyle …

Where Is The Livestock Future – Plate- Or Land-Based? The Potential Of Knowledge-Based, Holistic Grazing Concepts For Altering Grazing Livestock Systems, Juliane Horn, Johannes Isselstein

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In those days, livestock production heavily depends on feed grown on arable land. Pork production needs most of arable land to gain one kilogram of human-edible protein, followed by chicken, beef production and the dairy sector. In many European countries there is a sharp decline in livestock grazing. Many dairy farms are under pressure to maximize the total annual milk output per cow resulting in increased herd sizes by occupying a minimum of land and feeding of conserved forage of silage and concentrates. Such practices reinforce the competition for arable land for animal feeding as well as grassland intensification by …

Food Security In Crop, Livestock And Mixed Farming Systems In Mali, C. Reiber, A. Carbajal, S. Traoré, R. Birner, M. Chagunda

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

This study evaluates the food security status, its determinants and the coping strategies in crop, livestock and mixed crop-livestock systems in southern Mali. Interviews were conducted with 258 households that were categorized into the three farming systems based on the revenue from livestock and crop production. A linear mixed model was used to analyse the effects of household characteristics on food security using the food consumption score (FCS), household dietary diversity score (HDDS), a modified household food insecurity access scale (mHFIAS) and coping strategies as indicators. Food consumption score was significantly influenced by the farming system with highest FCS for …

Involving Stakeholders In Crop-Livestock Systems Analysis: Innovation Platforms In Burkina Faso And Niger, West Africa, V. Bado, Andre Van Rooyen, C. Umutoni, A. Whitbread

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The development of markets and agricultural productivity need participative research approaches that involve farmers, stakeholders and actors in the value chains of agricultural products and inputs. This study illustrates the use of multi-stakeholder platforms to address critical issues that often curtail effective implementation of development strategies and achievement of objectives. The process used to facilitate stakeholder participation and achieve enhanced understanding of collective actions to achieve objectives is illustrated by case studies in Niger and Burkina Faso. The process that determines the causal relationships among the various problems is also presented; results from the process can be used to determine …

Simulation Of Alternative Plans For Community Based Goat Breeding Program In Arid, Semi-Arid And Mixed Production Systems In Ethiopia, T. Jembere, Barbara Rischkowsky, T. Dessie, K. Kebede, A. Okeyo Mwai, T. Mirkena, A. Haile

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

On station small ruminant researches in Ethiopia were ineffective due to various factors. As alternative, community based breeding program (CBBP) has emerged. In the current CBBPs, sire side selection only (SN1) is practiced. The objective of the present work was to compare SN1 by simulating alternative breeding scenarios for Abergelle (AB), Centeral Highland (CH) and Woyto-Guji (WG) goat breeds in Ethiopia. Three scenarios including selection on dam side (SN2) in addition to SN1, application of genomic selection (SN3) onto SN1 and use of sires from SN1 for mating in additional flocks (SN4) were simulated and compared with SN1 based on …

Ewe Daily-Weight Gain Grazing Leucaena Leucocephala-Megathyrsus Maximus Cv Mombasa Silvopastoral System And Tropical Native Unimproved Range, L. K. Trejo-Arista, Enrique Cortés-Díaz, P. A. Martínez-Hernández, J. A. Cadena-Meneses

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Silvopastoral systems are a viable option to increase livestock productivity, The silvopastoral arrangement of Leucaena leucocephala associated with Megathyrsus maximus CV Mombasa (LMS) is successfully cultivated in tropical environments.. The objective of the study was to determine ewe daily-weight gain grazing LMS and a tropical unimproved native range. Two LMS were tested: high and low leucaena densities, 4700 and 2383 plants/ha, respectively. Grazing was rotational, lasted 150 d (rainy season) at equivalent stocking rate of 59 ewes/ha/150 d. Experimental design was a completely random design with three replications, the experimental unit was a 192 m² plot. Variables measured on …

Assessing The Potential Of Diverse Forage Mixtures To Reduce Enteric Ch4 Emissions, C. Loza, S. Verma, S. Wolffram, A. Susenbeth, R. Blank, Friedhelm Taube, Ralf Loges, M. Hasler, C. S. Malisch

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Enteric methane (CH₄) is a main source of agriculture-related greenhouse gasses. Conversely, pasture is increasingly demanded by customers due to both perceived and real benefits regarding animal welfare, environmental aspects and product quality. However, if implemented poorly, CH₄ emissions can increase, thus contributing to climate change. One promising option to reduce enteric CH₄ emissions are plant specialized metabolites (PSM), and particularly tannins. Consequently, we conducted two complementary experiments to determine to what extent enteric CH₄ emissions can be reduced, and how this affects milk yields: a) an in vivo experiment with grazing Jersey cows, where …