Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons^™

Wildlife Conservation Innovations In A Rangeland Under Rapid Change In Maasailand Of Kenya, N. Parmisa, R. S. Reid

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Conservation efforts have often been designed without the benefit of the long-term, local knowledge held by pastoral people about rangelands and wildlife. Here, we present a case study of a rapidly changing pastoral landscape in Maasailand of Kenya, just south of Nairobi National Park. We will focus on pastoral innovations that both support pastoral livestock production and conserve wildlife at the same time, through biodiversity payment schemes (through land leasing), education, policy and appropriate technology.

The community described here established a land leasing program in 2000, to pay pastoral land owners to keep fences down and remove poaching snares to …

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 …

Social-Ecological Innovations And Outcomes Of Community-Based Conservation In Africa: Implications For The Future, K. A. Galvin

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Community-based conservancies (CBCs) are growing in numbers throughout Africa, particularly in the arid and semi-arid (ASAL) regions where pastoralists raise livestock and live among much of Africa’s remaining wildlife. CBCs emerge around national parks and other protected areas of wildlife spaces apart from people. Community conservancies, in contrast to national parks, are land tenure and land use governance arrangements to conserve wildlife while providing for the livelihoods of African pastoralists. Some conservancies develop by communities in partnership with public agencies, while others are associated with non-government organizations and/or the private sector. Others are more top-down in origin, supported by large …

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 Effect Of Water Deficits During Flowering And Seed Production On Cultivars Of Subterranean Clover And Annual Medic, E. C. Wolfe, W. J. Collins, R. C. Rossiter, W. R. Stern

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In improved pastures in inland southern Australia, the persistence and growth of annual pasture legumes depends in part on their ability to produce and conserve abundant seed for regeneration and production. For near-maximum seed production in spring, adequate soil water is needed for at least 70 days in subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum) and medic (Medicago) species. Water deficits during spring are a common occurrence, and they appear to be increasing in frequency. The effect of relatively short periods of water deficit during reproductive development has received some attention but the findings conflict. The present experiment was …

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 …

Trade-Offs And Optimisation Of Land-Use For Pastoralism And Carbon In Southeastern Australia, Cathy M. Waters, D. M. Summers, B. Wang, J. Connor, D. L. Liu, M. Simpson

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Globally, pressure to ensure future food security is being challenged by competing needs for multiple land-uses in agricultural systems. Rangelands are both a source of greenhouse gas emissions as well as providing opportunities for emissions reduction. Carbon farming is a new land-use option that sequesters carbon in vegetation and soils. National incentive programs in Australia for this option have resulted in significant recent land-use change across Australian rangelands.

Beyond the mitigation benefits, the potential for carbon farming income to enhance socio-ecological resilience in rangelands has been identified. However, there are major uncertainties about the impacts of climate change on sequestration …

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 …

Differential Effects Of Changed Precipitation Patterns On Co-Existing Dominant Species In Inner Mongolia Typical Grassland: Significance For Drought Management, S-X. Zhou, D-X. Wu

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

More extreme precipitation patterns are occurring worldwide in the context of global climate change. These patterns are characterized by larger event size separated by longer within-season drought periods, which are novel climatic conditions to many ecosystems while their consequences are largely unknown. Consequences of changed precipitation patterns on grassland could be complex since the effects of precipitation interval and total precipitation quantity can interact greatly with each other, and can differ among co-existing dominant species. Meanwhile, few researches explored the impacts of changed precipitation patterns on the hidden half – grassland root system. The objective of this study is to …