Grazing Areas Research Articles

Bacteriocarriage of ixodid mites on the Trans-Baikal Territory

The results of a microbiological study of sexually mature ixodid mites of the genus Dermacentor collected in the rural areas of the Trans-Baikal Territory are presented. Microbiological examination of 152 ixodid mites was carried out. Four microbial cultures of different species were identified: Listeria monocytogenes, E. coli, Salmonella typhi, Clostridium botulinum. The presence of bacteria associations of different species groups in the mite body was noted: in 32 individuals - L. monocytogenes, E. coli, S. typhi, in 56 - C. botulinum, E. coli, S. typhi, in 6 - L. monocytogenes, E. coli, in 15 - C. botulinum, E. coli. Of all the isolated microbial strains, Escherichia coli made up the largest number: this microorganism was isolated from all mites. L. monocytogenes appeared to be the least isolated: 38 of 152 mites were its carriers. Salmonellosis pathogen circulation was detected in 123 mites out of 152 examined specimens. The biological properties of all the isolated microbial cultures corresponded to their classical characteristics. Microorganisms of the genus Clostridium isolated from the mites on the Kitt-Tarozzi nutrient medium caused uniform turbidity of the nutrient medium, which indicates that this bacterial strain belongs to serovars C, D, E and В. The data obtained indicate the need for annual veterinary control of the grazing areas for the presence of natural foci, the reservoirs of pathogens which are pasture mites. During the period of ixodid mites mass attack it is necessary to carry out acaricide treatments of animals with repellent and acaricide preparations that will not only increase their productivity, but will also allow preventing infectious diseases.

The Decline and Possible Return of Silvipastoral Agroforestry in Sweden

Silvipastoral agroforestry in the form of forest grazing and wooded semi-natural pastures has historically been very important for the Swedish supply of food and wood products for local use. Since the end of the 1800s, this form of combined production system has greatly decreased and now covers only 1% of Sweden’s land area. However, in recent decades it has gained increased relevance for reasons of landscape, biodiversity and climate. Agroforestry’s decline and possible future increase are described through reviews of statistics and the literature read by farmers and politicians whose decisions are behind the development. Especially when it comes to biodiversity and climate, this review also includes the scientific literature. Surveys on Swedish citizens’ valuation of silvipastoral agroforestry landscapes compared to treeless pasture and closed forest are also reviewed. It is possible that efforts to increase Sweden’s low self-sufficiency in beef and lamb meat, the coming requirements according to the EU’s nature restoration law and the need to limit climate change through carbon sequestration in trees may again increase the area of silvipastoral agroforestry. For this to be economically feasible, large grazing areas can be created out of remaining small scattered wooded semi-natural pastures and intervening forestland, which historically may have been grazed forests.

Vegetation composition, diversity, stand structure, and carbon storage of Lolkisale Village Land Forest Reserve in the Northeastern part of Tanzania

Abstract. Mwakalukwa EE, Mwakisu A, Madundo S, Maliondo SMS. 2023. Vegetation composition, diversity, stand structure, and carbon storage of Lolkisale Village Land Forest Reserve in the Northeastern part of Tanzania. Nusantara Bioscience 15: 79-90. Little is known about the effects of human activities on the condition of the Lolkisale Village land Forest reserve located in Monduli District, Arusha region, in the northeastern part of Tanzania. This study assessed the status of woody species diversity, composition, structure, and available potential of the forest on carbon storage. The vegetation data were collected from 33 concentric sample plots of 5 m, 15 m, and 20 m radius laid systematically across the forest area of 960 ha. A total of 58 plant species belonging to 30 families were identified. Diversity indices have indicated a high woody species diversity in the forest reserve. The most important species were Commiphora schimperi (O.Berg) Engl., Dombeya rotundifolia (Hochst.) Planch., Acacia tortilis (Forssk.) Hayne, and Combretum molle R.Br. ex G. Don. Stand structure comprises 190 ± 117 stems ha-1, basal area of 7.68 ± 5.17m2ha-1 and standing volume of 64.04 ± 45.85 m3ha-1, while the mean above-ground carbon stocks and the mean below-ground carbon stocks were 19.55 ± 13.38 Mg C ha-1 and 3.91 ± 2.68 Mg C ha-1 respectively. Generally, the reserve was found to be in good condition. The observed high diversity of woody species signifies the importance of legally protecting this area as a village land forest reserve. In addition, quantifying other carbon pools, such as soil, dead wood, and surface litter, should be considered for estimating this forest's total carbon stock potential. In this regard, measures to control the use of the forest as a grazing area would be useful to allow new regrowth and young trees to attain maturity stages without being interfered with by the livestock.

Utah's Women Homesteaders

Utah's Women Homesteaders

Insights for brucellosis eradication in Italy through a model-based spread evaluation in grazing livestock - Sicily case study.

Brucellosis is one of the world's major zoonotic pathogens and is responsible for enormous economic losses as well as considerable human morbidity in endemic areas. Definitive control of human brucellosis requires control of brucellosis in livestock through practical solutions that can be easily applied to the field. In Italy, brucellosis remains endemic in several southern provinces, particularly in Sicily Region. The purpose of this paper is to describe the developed brucellosis model and its applications, trying to reproduce as faithfully as possible the complex transmission process of brucellosis accounting for the mixing of grazing animals. The model focuses on the contaminated environment rather than on the infected animal, uses real data from the main grazing areas of the Sicily Region, and aims to identify the best control options for minimizing the spread (and the prevalence) and to reach the eradication within the concerned areas. Simulation results confirmed the efficacy of an earlier application of the controls, showed the control should take place 30 days after going to pasture, and the culling time being negligible. Moreover, results highlighted the importance of the timing of both births and grazing pastures (and their interaction) more than other factors. As these factors are region‑specific, the study encourages the adoption of different and new eradication tools, tuned on the grazing and commercial behavior of each region. This study will be further extended to improve the model's adaptability to the real world, with the purpose of making the model an operational tool able to help decision makers in accelerating brucellosis eradication in Italy.

Landscape Implications of Contemporary Abandonment of Extensive Sheep Grazing in a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System

In Southern Europe, the abandonment of the traditional transhumant system where sheep graze lowland areas during winter and distant mountain systems during summer has led to an important cultural loss and still poorly understood ecological consequences. We investigate the landscape-scale implications of contemporary sheep grazing patterns in a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS). Our analysis showed a heterogeneous use of mountain grazing areas between 1990 and 2020. The areas most used by sheep had more abundance of pasture, fewer forests, and structurally different landscapes than those that had been fully abandoned by sheep. Likewise, we have detected decreasing trends in landscape diversity in those areas not used by sheep over the study period, whereas landscape heterogeneity is maintained in those areas grazed by sheep. Our study constitutes an original analysis of landscape patterns and shifts in relation to extensive sheep grazing by using novel approaches that combine interviews, updated satellite time series, and state-of-the-art landscape analysis techniques. Likewise, our results constitute a benchmark as they inform on the importance of preserving extensive sheep grazing if we aim to maintain the cultural heritage, and traditional diverse landscape and the semi-natural grasslands in the Mountains of León.

Nutritive value of selected naturally growing dry season pastures in flood plains of Kafue river in Southern Zambia

Wetlands are an important source of pastures for livestock forage in the dry season in arid and semi-arid regions. In this study forage samples were collected during the dry season (September to November) to evaluate the nutritive value for potential to supply livestock requirements during dry season under the transhumance system of livestock production in the Kafue Flood Plains in Mazabuka district of Southern Province. The frequency, height and cover of the grass species in upper and lower parts of the grazing area were measured. Proximate components, fibre fractions and in vitro dry matter digestibility were determined using standard laboratory procedures. The grass species found in the upper land were Acroceras macrum, and Vetiveria nigritana at the frequency of 60 and 56 percent, respectively. Panicum repens, Polygonum spp and Cyperus papyrus are the grass species that were found in the lower area at a frequency of 44, 52 and 80 percent. Ground cover was 69 and 100 % for upper and lower area, respectively. The Crude Protein was significantly different among the species Vetiveria nigritana (7.90%) and Polygonum salicifolium (8.46 %), Cyperus papyrus (6.12%) and were also higher than for Panicum repens (3.37%) and Acroceras macrum (3.32%) (p ˂ 0.05). Crude fiber ranged from 12.8% (Polygonum salicifolium) to 34.6% (Vetiveria nigritana). Polygonum salicifolium had higher in vitro dry matter digestibility (INVDMD) (50.8%) followed by Vetiveria nigritana (46.4%), Cyperus papyrus (44.5%), Panicum repens (39.9%) and Acroceras macrum (39.7%) at (p ˂ 0.05). These results clearly shown that the some of the grass species of the Kafue flat have good nutrition content and therefore are a good source of nutrition for ruminants in the dry season

Assessing Livestock Grazing Distribution in Communal Rangelands of the Eastern Cape, South Africa: Towards Monitoring Livestock Movements in Rangelands

In the past, rangelands were managed in a semi-nomadic manner, where pastoralists would distribute livestock to different parts of the rangeland depending on the availability of forage. However, understanding how livestock use rangelands has not been a subject of many studies as the devices to monitor livestock were not available. The objective of this study was to assess livestock grazing distribution in communal rangeland of the Eastern Cape in South Africa in order to improve livestock grazing. The study used Global Positioning Systems (GPS) that were placed on six animals including three sheep and three cattle, selected randomly from participating households. The GPS collars recorded the geographic position of the areas where animals were grazing, at five-minute intervals during the wet and dry season. Grass species composition was surveyed using line transects on areas where livestock grazing occurred. The study further identified three production domains, which were separated by bound polygons on Google Earth Pro to extract MODIS EVI where livestock grazing occurred. Livestock grazing distribution was analysed using T-LoCoH installed in R. The results revealed that both sheep and cattle spent most of their time grazing in areas associated with human features. The dominant grass species were Hyperrenia hirta and Eragrostis plana, suggesting a negative impact of the current livestock grazing distribution. Possible explanations of the current grazing distribution might be that these areas are close to homesteads and provide grazing lawns that contain a high nitrogen content. This study will help in providing an informed basis for the development of South African communal rangeland policies for effective livestock management.

Optimized soil bacterial structure following grazing exclusion promotes soil nutrient cycling and plant growth

Grazing exclusion is a common grassland restoration strategy, and the effectiveness on optimizing plant species community, increasing vegetation diversity and biomass, and improving soil fertility, has been widely documented in literatures. Soil bacterial community, as one of important ecological components, closely relates to plants and soil features. However, there is no definite conclusion of grazing exclusion effects on various ecological components, especially on soil bacterial community. To clarify this question, we compared the soil bacterial community characteristics and their corresponding vegetation characteristics and soil properties on one 40 years-grazing exclusion (GE) and three free grazing (FG) areas within a Leymus chinensis steppe of Inner Mongolia, China. Our results showed that grazing exclusion could significantly increase the soil bacterial abundance, and optimize the soil bacterial structure, with the synergistic increase of the soil bacterial diversity. The abundance of Euryarchaeota, Verrucomicrobia, Nitrospirae, Proteobacteria, Elusimicrobia, Latescibacteria, and Microgenomates phyla, some taxa of which involved in the N and P cycles, increased significantly following grazing exclusion, while the abundance of Chloroflexi, Firmicutes, Thaumarchaeota, and Pacearchaeota phyla which are often considered to contain many pathogens, decreased significantly. The bacterial phyla increased by grazing exclusion have a significant positive correlation with vegetation biomass and diversity, and soil alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen content, total nitrogen content, total phosphorus content, organic matter content and water content. The reducing of pathogenic abundance after grazing exclusion provides a healthier environment for plant growth. This work indicates that grazing exclusion optimizes the soil bacterial structure to promote the growth of plants in more sufficient soil nutrients and healthier soil environments, making the enclosed grassland soil ecology form a virtuous circle.

Veterinary Antibiotics Reduce Soil Carbon Sequestration Capacity

Livestock grazing areas sequester less carbon than those under wild herbivores.

PENYULUHAN DAN DEMPLOT PEMBUATAN SILASE JERAMI JAGUNG DI DESA URAUR KECAMATAN KAIRATU KABUPATEN SERAM BAGIAN BARAT

The area of ​​Uraur village in the lowlands provides an advantage for raising Bali cattle. This type of cattle is in demand by breeders because it can adapt well. Forage is the main feed for ruminants which has a role in survival and production. Inadequate availability of forage, both in quantity and quality, is one of the obstacles to developing a cattle breeding business in Uraur village. During the rainy season, the grazing area is flooded; during the dry season, there is a deficit of fresh forage. The aim of PKM activities is to apply feed technology to make silage of food crop waste used as animal feed. This activity includes a social approach with the Village Government and partner breeder groups regarding the aims and objectives of implementing community service so that the objectives of this activity can be achieved, counseling, and questions and answers about various practical knowledge related to the technical processing of food crop waste, distribution of livestock cultivation books as information regarding livestock cultivation including the processing of food crop waste into quality feed. Making corn straw silage using corn starch accelerator and EM4. Community service activities carried out in Uraur Village increased the knowledge and skills of farmers regarding the application of feed technology: making corn straw silage.

Climate Change Laws: The Catholicon to the Farmer-Herder Crises in Nigeria

Purpose: The weight of overwhelming scientific evidence indicates that human-induced climate change is occurring in Nigeria, with the northern areas of the country faced with massive desertification. This has forced the northern herders down south in search of green pastures and on the farms of southerners who depend on these crops for a living. The resultant incessant clashes, this time with more sophisticated arms and weapons, take their toll in lives and property. The major problem envisaged in this work is the erroneous belief by the Federal Government that the proposed establishment of cattle colonies - Rural Grazing Areas (RUGA) - and National Livestock Transformation Programme (NLTP) will curb the farmer-herder crises.
 Methodology: The study used doctrinal method of research which involve review of existing literature
 Findings: Major findings in this work include that Nigeria has joined very elite countries in the world in enacting climate change laws encapsulated in the Nigeria Climate Change Act, 2021. Effective implementation of this Act therefore remains the nepenthe to the farmer-herder crises in Nigeria.
 Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The study recommends that the Nigeria Climate Change Act should be fully implemented so that the farmer-herder crises can capsize.

Year-round use of anthropogenic food sources in human modified landscapes by adult and young Kelp Gulls

Predictable anthropogenic food subsidies attract species with generalist and opportunistic feeding habits, often resulting in conflicts with human populations. We assessed the spatio-temporal distribution and abundance of Kelp Gulls (Larus dominicanus) during the annual cycle at anthropogenic food sources located along 70 km of urban and agricultural-livestock landscapes in the lower Chubut River valley, Argentina. We quantified the seasonal abundance of adult and young Kelp Gulls through monthly counts from July 2021 to June 2022 at six identified anthropogenic food sources, complemented with strip transect sampling along cultivated land and cattle grazing areas. In addition, we analysed the differential use of waste types by adult and young Kelp Gulls at a mixed livestock waste dump where different food remains (cattle remains, poultry remains and urban waste) are disposed in independent pits. The total number of Kelp Gulls counted each month along the river valley was variable, with a mean number of 2585 ± 822.7 individuals (range = 276 in December and 8958 in June). The highest gull abundance was recorded at a pig farm (mean = 1784.5 ± 640.1 individuals). The transect survey showed a relatively low use by gulls of the cultivated land and cattle grazing areas, with a mean of 29.7 ± 11.2 individuals recorded per survey (range = 0–96). Kelp Gull abundance patterns recorded in the river valley throughout the annual cycle evidenced a contrasting seasonal use of anthropogenic food sources between the breeding and non-breeding seasons, being clearly less abundant during the former, when gulls move to their main breeding grounds and adjacent marine habitats in coastal Chubut. At the mixed livestock waste dump, Kelp Gull numbers varied among the three waste patches, with higher numbers and a significantly higher proportion of adults at the cattle remains pit. This study shows the high trophic plasticity of Kelp Gulls and their use of alternative foraging habitats. Further monitoring and evaluations of the use by Kelp Gulls of predictable anthropogenic food sources along the Chubut River valley, particularly those related to the growing livestock production, are needed to support management decisions.

Remembering the Herero-Nama Genocide in Namibia

Remembering the Herero-Nama Genocide in Namibia

Prevalence of peste des petits ruminants virus antibodies in sheep and goats sera from Central-Western Sudan.

Clinical signs suggestive of peste des petits ruminants (PPR) involved herds of small ruminants, which were described elsewhere in Sudan. Peste des petits ruminants was confirmed using an Immunocapture ELISA (IC-ELISA) assay in samples of infected and dead animals in areas of outbreaks. Therefore, to update information regarding the current situation and for assessment of the serological prevalence of PPR in small ruminants mingled at Central and Western Sudan during 2018-2019, 368 sera were collected from sheep (325 sera) and goats (43 sera) with different ages and breeds. These sera included 186 sera (173 sheep and 13 goats) from White Nile State and 182 sera (152 sheep and 30 goats) from Kordofan States. Competitive ELISA demonstrated higher prevalence of PPRV antibodies of 88.9%, 90.7% and 88.6% in both sheep and goats, goats, and sheep sera, respectively. Moreover, 100%, 94.7% and 78.5% seroprevalence values were demonstrated in South Kordofan, North Kordofan and White Nile States. The higher seroprevalence values detected in sera of unvaccinated sheep and goats indicated the wide exposure of these animals to PPRV and presence of protection following PPR viral infection. The findings of the study indicated that PPR is endemic in the surveyed areas of Sudan.Contribution:The study will contribute effectively to the global eradication programme of PPR organised by the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH, formerly OIE) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). To completely eliminate PPR from Sudan by 2030, local efforts should be directed towards effectively and wholly vaccinating small ruminants using PPRV vaccine especially in routes of seasonal animal's movement and shared grazing areas.

Soil organic carbon pool distribution and stability with grazing and topography in a Mongolian grassland

Livestock grazing and topography have long been recognized as essential factors that control soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics. However, the interplay effects of grazing and topography on SOC pool distribution and stability are not well understood, hindering the precise prediction of the organic carbon (OC) fate over the hillslope grassland. Here, we examine the relationship between grazing and topography on SOC pool distribution and stability in a Mongolian grassland. We determined a suite of OC metrics (e.g., particulate OC (POC), mineral-associated OC (MAOC), dissolved OC (DOC), and microbial biomass carbon (MBC) along a topographic gradient (e.g., upper slope, middle slope, and downslope) with grazing or not, and incubation was conducted to quantify OC stability. The results showed that POC and SOC content was 106–138% and 24–63% greater in the grazed than the ungrazed site at low topographic positions, respectively. Across the landscape, more variations in POC and SOC across the topographic gradient were observed at the grazed sites than at ungrazed sites. The MBC content of the downslope was greater in the grazing than in ungrazed sites. Furthermore, the humic-like substances in the grazing area were lower than those in the enclosed area and showed a significant and positive linear relationship with the aromaticity and humification of DOC. The aggregated boosted tree (ABT) analysis showed that the POC and MBC were the most important OC components to affect OC pool stability (accounting for 40.87%). The structural equation model (SEM) supported that the varies of POC regulated the downstream soil biochemical processes and changed SOC pool stability. Collectively, the results suggest the POC could be primarily responsible for the changes in SOC pools and stability in a hillslope grassland. These findings enhanced our understanding of the ecological mechanisms in SOC sequestration.

Effect of outdoor grazing area size and genotype on space and pasture use, behaviour, health, and growth traits of weaned rabbits

Providing rabbits with outdoor access allows them to express a large repertoire of behaviours and addresses societal expectations surrounding animal welfare in livestock systems. The aim of this work was to study rabbit growth, health, and behaviour according to genetic type and pasture area size. We distributed 192 weaned rabbits into two groups with different pasture sizes, i.e., a large pasture (LP): 60 m2 (n = 4 × 24) and a small pasture (SP): 30 m2 (n = 4 × 24). Each group contained half Californian 1001 × New Zealand 1777 rabbits (1001) and half PS119 × New Zealand 1777 rabbits (PS119). Rabbits were reared from 31 to 73 days of age. Rabbit growth and morbidity were measured individually weekly for 36 days (from 31 to 67 days of age). The rabbits’ behaviours were assessed three times a day on days 44, 58, and 70 by a direct visual scan, and the use of space was evaluated six times a week based on the rabbits’ spatial distributions. The available biomass was evaluated on days 35, 50, and 73. Finally, the amount of corticosterone was measured in hair samples from 18 rabbits of each genotype in LP and SP on day 72. PS119 rabbits were heavier than 1001 rabbits on day 67 (2 444 vs 2 113 g, respectively; P < 0.05) but we observed no effect of genotype on mortality or morbidity. The animals expressed a large variety of specific behaviours on pastures, with grazing and resting being predominant. We found a lower level of corticosterone in PS119 rabbits than in 1001 rabbits (2.19 vs 6.34 pg per mg of hair, respectively; P < 0.05). LP pastures offered herbage until the end of the fattening period, enabling the rabbits to express grazing behaviour until the end of the experiment, and grazing behaviour was more frequent in LP-group rabbits (25.4 vs 21.5% of occurrences in LP vs SP; P < 0.05). This study found that a pasture of 60 m2 for 24 rabbits enables the animals to express grazing for the entire fattening period. The rabbit genotype was found to influence some of their behaviour.

Livelihood Capitals and Opportunity Cost for Grazing Areas' Restoration: A Sustainable Intensification Strategy in the Ecuadorian Amazon.

Land use change in pastures is considered one of the leading drivers of tropical deforestation in the Ecuadorian Amazon Region (EAR). To halt and reverse this process, it is necessary to understand, among other factors, the local livelihoods, income from grazing area and the appropriate options to foster sustainable production, incorporating the land-sparing and land-sharing approach. This work was conducted using 167 household surveys along an altitudinal gradient within the buffer and transition zone of the Sumaco Biosphere Reserve (SBR) in the EAR. The results of a comparative analysis of the main capital variables (human, social, natural, financial, and physical), and the opportunity cost of grazing area assessment provides the following key findings: (a) the concepts of land sparing and land sharing should be considered as complementary local strategies, including household livelihoods and the opportunity cost of the grazing area; (b) we should encourage markets with differentiated restoration rights, based on households engaged in low grazing areas' opportunity costs, and making less impact on capitals' livelihood a key element of economic and conservation initiatives; and (c) sectoral policy implications, including moderate intensification and technological improvements to strengthen the pastureland-sparing and -sharing approach, are discussed.

Women Participation in Poultry Production. The Case of Ada’a, Lume and Akaki, East Shewa, Ethiopia

Women play essential roles in agriculture; providing inputs, working in the farm, generating off-farm income and doing the unpaid house chores, but often the gains go to the husband and children. Ethiopia is representative of countries where village poultry plays a dominant role in total poultry production. women generally contribute more labor inputs in areas of feeding and grazing of cows, watering, manage vulnerable animals (calves, small ruminants, and sick, injured and pregnant animals), cleaning of barns, dairy-related activities (milking, butter and cheese making), gathering and making dung cakes, transporting farm manure, egg collection, and sale of egg/poultry, than men and children. However, few recognitions have been given to women’s contribution to agricultural production. The study was aimed to assess the level of women participation in poultry production. The study went further to identify access and benefit of women from poultry products. Data was collected using semi- structured interview and analyzed using simple descriptive statistics. The study found that house construction was the only activity in which women participation is less than their men counter parts. Women take part in all activities concerning poultry production. Majority of the respondents 86.7% carried out watering poultry and collecting eggs followed by house cleaning 80% and recording events 80%. Taking products to market, selling products and holding money from poultry product sale are the major activities done by women by 73.3%. Based on results further researches need to be done in order to magnify the contribution of women in agricultural production.

Cows Grazing in Elliptagons

Summary If a string is looped around three or more pins placed at the vertices of a regular polygon, then the resulting curve traced by a pencil pulling the string taut is an amalgam of elliptic arcs, which we call an elliptagon. An elliptagon may be viewed as the boundary of the grazing area of a cow tethered to a loop of rope around a barn whose base is a regular polygon. We determine the grazing area for a cow, inside the elliptagon but outside the barn, as a function of the number of edges n of the polygon and the length L of the rope, and we show that elliptagons are smooth curves. We investigate the length of rope for which the grazing area is equal to the area of the base of the barn, and compute the limit of the ratio of this length to the perimeter of the barn as n approaches infinity.