Rangeland Research Research Articles

Combating desertification in the southern Kalahari: connecting science with community action in South Africa

Recent political changes in South Africa have required a new approach to project management, one that includes community involvement at all levels of project planning, decision-making and execution. This paper describes the challenges encountered and the lessons learned during the development and execution of a project addressing rangeland degradation and rehabilitation in the Mier Rural Area, South Africa. Discussed are difficulties encountered during the participatory execution of the project, many resulting from the conflict between community social requirements on one hand and ecological principles and financial constraints on the other. Another problem has been the community's apathy to threats of desertification. Because of higher priority problems such as medical care, education and the provision of water, sections of the community are questioning the applying of scarce financial resources to ‘lower priority’ projects such as rangeland research and restoration. Furthermore, political and ideological differences within the community have resulted in various degrees of project acceptance and participation. A holistic approach to project management, with complete and open flow of information and joint decision-making, is vital to ensure full participation of all stakeholders affected by desertification.

Mental Models in Rangeland Research, Communication and Management.

There are disagreements among pastoralists, researchers, management agencies and other users of rangeland resources about how rangeland systems work, and how they should be valued, used and managed. The psychological concept of mental models helps explain how individuals and groups come to view the same ecological system so differently, and why communication among people holding different views is difficult. We present a study of the mental models of some researchers, pastoralists and extension officers to illustrate a method for eliciting, comparing and combining their views of landscape water processes. In this specific case we found there were substantial differences between the mental models of individuals and groups. Variation between individuals was the greater. The method we developed has good potential for exploring and combining differing mental models and formal disciplinary theories of science. Disciplinary theories are intended for general application rather than local management. so to address specific problems, combination of scientific theory with local mental models can enhance understanding. Sharing of mental models also improves communication, and ultimately, we predict. management. The method we developed is one of a number of approaches adaptable to the rangelands. We review these methods briefly, and discuss the application of the mental model concept to improve communication about rangeland research and management within an agricultural knowledge and information system. Keywords: mental models; perceptions; research; extension; communication; rangelands; influence diagrams

Actinorhizal Plants in Rangelands of the Western United States

Actinorhizal plants are a diverse group of trees and shrubs that have the ability to form a dinitrogen-fixing symbiosis with Frankia bacteria. Actinorhizal plants are found throughout the world and are a significant component of rangelands in the western United States. Many actinorhizal species play important ecological roles in the habitats where they occur. Actinorhizal shrubs such as bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata [Pursh DC.]), mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus spp), and Ceanothus spp. are among the most important wildlife browse species in the western U.S. Other actinorhizal taxa such as alders (Alnus) and dryads (Dryas) play important roles in soil development and community succession following disturbance. Despite their importance, the biology of these plants in rangeland ecosystems is poorly understood. Particularly lacking is understanding of the dinitrogen-fixing ability of these plants and how symbioses with Frankia bacteria affects the ecology of these plants in western U.S. rangelands. Difficulty in isolating and culturing Frankia bacteria and in measuring inputs of fixed N from actinorhizal plants has contributed to slow progress in this field. In spite of these shortcomings, the actinorhizal plants of western U.S. rangelands represent a valuable resource for expanded utilization. This review is a summary of current knowledge of actinorhizal range plants and their Frankia symbionts. It is intended to provide a scientific basis for the study and utilization of this symbiosis for those involved in rangeland research and management.

Comparing Techniques for Determining Steer Diets in Northern Chihuahuan Desert

Diets determined by bite count and microhistological analysis of esophageal extrusa and feces were compared for steers grazing on grass-shrublands in the northern Chihuahuan Desert. The study was conducted on the Chihuahuan Desert Rangeland Research Center near Las Cruces, New Mexico. The purpose was to determine the similarity of 3 dietary techniques on arid, heterogeneous rangeland. It was proposed that the number of bites of each species eaten was directly proportional to the weight eaten as determined by the 2 microhistological techniques. Samples of diets were collected in 4 seasons from 2 steers grazing in a continuous yearlong pasture and in season-long rotation pastures. The 3 dietary techniques did not give similar (p<O.10) estimates of the diets eaten by the steers. Mean similarity indices were highest (77%) comparing diets from analysis of esophageal and fecal material. Lowest mean similarity indices (57%) were from comparing diets from bite count and fecal analysis. Much of the discrepancy between techniques was because of different size plants being eaten and heterogeneity of plant distribution. An importance ranking of dietary species using the 3 techniques showed that the top 3 species comprised over 68% of the total diets. Any of the 3 techniques can be used to determine the common species in the diets which may be all that is necessary for some management and analysis needs.

The application of spatial technologies for rangeland research and management: State of the art

Abstract Researchers and managers have used remote sensing to evaluate rangelands since the late 1930's. Images have provided managers with information concerning weed detection and mapping, grazing impacts, and production estimates. However, the available data have not been fully exploited. Two newer technologies, geographic information systems (GIS) and global positioning systems (GPS) greatly enhance the utility of remote sensing products. When used in combination, GIS, GPS, and remote sensing technologies provide the spatial framework, data analysis, and location assessment tools needed to combine information sources, create new information, validate results, and provide visual representations of the spatial dynamics for an area. This paper provides a brief review of remote sensing, GIS, and GPS and attempts to develop some insight into how these technologies are developing to meet the needs of field managers as we approach the 21st Century.

Use of the SHE hydrological modelling system to investigate basin response to snowmelt at Reynolds Creek, Idaho

The first test of the snowmelt component of the Système Hydrologique Européen (SHE) hydrological modelling system is reported, in which the SHE is used to simulate a 12 1 2 day period of snowmelt runoff for a 40 ha subbasin of the Reynolds Creek rangeland research basin in Idaho. The results show the SHE to be capable of successfully simulating hydrograph responses caused by snowmelt generated by heat inputs, especially net radiation and sensible heat transfer. The results also show how, in the absence of previous field studies of basin response, the SHE can be used to investigate different hypotheses of basin behaviour. In this case, four hypotheses of basin response are examined, based on different representations of the soil permeability and subsurface flow pathways: (1) impermeable (frozen) ground surface; (2) fully permeable soil profile throughout the basin; (3) reduced soil permeability away from the channel; (4) rapid, near-channel subsurface response. Comparison of the measured and simulated hydrographs supports Hypothesis 4, with a possible cause of the response being the rapid conversion of a near-surface, tension-saturated capillary fringe into a pressure-saturated zone by the infiltrating meltwater. In the absence of direct measurements of net radiation and wind gradient, indirectly derived values are used as input to the snowmelt component. The implications which the uncertainty attached to these values holds for the simulation results is investigated in sensitivity tests which show that, with sensible heat transfer forming the major heat flux to the snowpack, greater uncertainty is introduced into the simulation results by the uncertainty in the wind gradient than by the uncertainty in the net radiation. The snowmelt simulations are based on an energy-budget option: a test of a temperature-based (degree-day) option shows comparable accuracy but only through empirical fitting. Overall the study shows that a greater hydrological expertise is required in operating SHE-type models compared with simpler models.

Analysis of maize–common bean intercrops in semi-arid Kenya

SummaryMaize (Zea mays L.) and common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) were each sown at four plant densities, including zero, in a bivariate factorial design at Kiboko Rangeland Research Station, Kenya during the long and short rains of 1990. The design gave nine intercrops with different proportions of maize and beans, and six sole crops, three of maize and three of beans. Seed yields in both the sole crops were not significantly affected by plant density, so the mean yield was used to calculate the Land Equivalent Ratio (LER), which averaged 1·09 in the long rains but only 0·87 in the short rains. These low values were apparently due to the fact that beans failed to nodulate and fix nitrogen in the study area. The difference in LER between seasons was probably caused by differences in the amount and distribution of rain in relation to crop growth. Maize was more competitive than bean, each maize plant being equivalent to between 0·7 and 3·4 bean plants depending upon the treatment and the season.

Changing Community Attitudes.

This paper argues the case for participative ecodesign as a means of conducting future rangeland research and development. To embark on this path it will be necessary for the rangeland science community to critically question traditions and myths which shape current practices. These include current conceptions of extension, "technology transfer", community and human communication. Research has shown that attitudes of rangeland decision-makers are rarely a constraint to dealing with issues of land degradation and management and technology "adoption". Attempts to change attitudes are likely to be of little value. A recognition of the unequal power relations implicit in traditional practice is a necessary precondition to the emergence of participative processes which reverse the history of subjection of grazier knowledge and values by institutionalised authority. A set of values and guiding principles are proposed for participative ecodesign. These include (i) reinterpreting our relationship with land; (ii) policy development based on citizen as opposed to individual values and (iii) acknowledging power in the design process.

Environmental Impact of Seismic Exploration Activities in Pels 5 &amp; 6, Sa – A Department of Mines and Energy Perspective

The South Australian Department of Mines and Energy, with Delhi Petroleum Pty Ltd and SANTOS Ltd, the operators of PELs 5 and 6, adopted a Joint Operations Management Group (JOMG) approach to the consideration of seismic operations in the Cooper Basin as part of a jointly managed self regulatory environmental control process.The JOMG, comprising representatives from the Department and the Operators, has developed codes of environmental practice that have been field tested, modified and updated to suit exploration techniques and environmental conditions in PELs 5 and 6. The JOMG has also reviewed programs and monitored effectiveness of these codes.Recent changes to the Regulations under the Petroleum Act in SA have introduced a requirement for a code of environmental practice to be submitted before an operation is commenced under a licence, and for a declaration of environmental factors to be submitted for approval before the commencement of a geophysical program (Appendix 1). The joint code of environmental practice developed by JOMG over the years will form the basis of a new code produced solely by SANTOS which will now be legally enforceable in PELs 5 and 6. A recent review of exploration activities and their management in PELs 5 and 6 by the CSIRO Division of Wildlife and Rangelands Research, utilizing Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) imagery combined with field inspections, indicated that the JOMG has been singularly successful in minimising environmental impact of seismic operations in the Cooper Basin.

An economic perspective on future research directions for the Australian sheep-grazed rangelands.

This paper reviews the current structure and major economic constraints to sheep production in the Australian rangelands and identifies some important areas of research tbat could produce significant payoffs for the industry and the nation. The major areas of potential research payoff identified are in preventing further land degradation, developing economic options for restoring degraded land, improving livestock and labour productivity, developing information technology for pier decision-making and devising better incentive systems for land management. Limited effort has been made to quantify the gains from research in Australia, so the information base on which to assess the net payoff from rangelands research projects is weak. It is not possible to determine which of the options identified above offers the highest expected payoff to the scarce research dollar given existing information Because such assessments are difficult to make, further collaborative efforts involving rangeland scientists and economists are needed to apply benefit-cost analysis techmques to setting research priorities. Considerable scope exists for collaborative inter- discipbmy research teams to address the problems identified.

Economic Analysis of Relationships between Pastoralism and Tourism in the Flinders Ranges of South Australia. R. J. Delforce, J. A. Sinden and M. D. Young. Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Wildlife and Rangelands Research, Lyneham, Australia. 1986. 61p

Economic Analysis of Relationships between Pastoralism and Tourism in the Flinders Ranges of South Australia. R. J. Delforce, J. A. Sinden and M. D. Young. Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Wildlife and Rangelands Research, Lyneham, Australia. 1986. 61p

The case for prescribed burning to control shrubs in eastern semi-arid woodlands.

of the paper highlights his willingness to contribute his experience freely to the discussion of issues confronting rangeland managers: "In this paper I hope to lead you through the financial history of Willangee Station. Through decisions we made, the mistakes we have made, the lessions we have learnt, the debts we have taken on and the profits we have made. Our aim is to expose all of these factsso people may learn from them'. The paper, along with others presented at the Seminar, was published in the Australian Rangeland Journal. In 1980 Bill hosted a tour of Willangee by the Barrier Environment Group during a Conference on the theme'% the West Darling becoming a Desert?" By his actions, conservationists and graziers were brought together duringa period when conservation of Australia's arid lands was becoming a major issue. Through his leadership of the Broken Hill Branch of the Australian Rangeland Society, Bill has contributed greatly to the exchange of ideas between academics, the pastoralist community and conservationists. With such a wealth of knowledge of the district and its people Bill has been aguiding influence to the Broken Hill Branch, the Committee and its members. Aust. Rangel. J. 7(2) 1985, 64- 74 THE CASE FOR PRESCRIBED BURNING TO CONTROL SHRUBS IN EASTERN SEMI-ARID WOODLANDS K.C. Hodgkinson and G.N. Harrington CSIRO Division of Wildlife and Rangelands Research, Private Bag, P.O., Deniliquin, N.S. W. 2710 Abstract A theor) for shrub control by prescnbed burn~ng In semi-and woodlands of eastern Australla IS outlmed. Th~s theory IS based on ~nev~table shrub Increases wh~ch occur pnnc~pally by ep~sod~c, w~despread, mass establ~shment events Wet per~ods whlch foster shrub establ~shment also promote abundant grass growth pred~sposlng the plant community to be~ng burnt Fue then k~lls nearly all recently establ~shed shrubs and many of theadult shrubs, thereby con- trollmg the shrub populat~on Today, fire IS much less frequent and IS prevented altogether In some areas. Prescr~bed burn~ng before any potential wddflre season w~ll both control shrubs and hm~t the spread of wddfires Three constraints to the adopt~on of prescrtbed burn~ng are recogn~sed economlc benefits are ma~nly real~sed over a 10-20 year term: * grazlers have l~ttle experience and Infrequent opportunltles to learn about fire; grazlers are reluctant to accept the nsks associated with burnmg. If semi-and woodlands are to be burnt at a frequency necessary for shrub control. grazlng pressures may need to be reduced to husband the vlgour of perenn~al pasture plants Opponun~st~c burnlng should take place at times of w~despread shrub seedl~ngestabl~shment. Prescribed burnlng IS the only known method for broad-scale shrub control and relevant State departments and grazlers are urged to collaborate In prescr~bed burn~ng to a regonal strategy. rather than property by property

Research and Education Opportunities in Livestock Grazing

About 323.8 million ha of the lower 48 states are rangeland, and the major economic use of this vast area is range livestock production. Despite this fact, the contribution to research and education by governmental agencies and universities is disproportionately low. The 11 Western Land-Grant Universities in 1975 had only 18 Full-Time-Equivalent (FTE) scientist years devoted to rangeland research. In that same year, contributions of all USDA federal research organizations totaled 27 FTE scientist years. This effort is miniscule when one considers the magnitude of the rangeland resources and what the rangelands offer socially and economically to the Western states. In comparison with the 27 federal scientist years in range research, there were 1,331 FTE federal scientist years devoted by USDA to forestry research in 1975. This difference is staggering. Universities have not fully recognized the desirability of having research and educational programs in range science and livestock grazing of a size in keeping with the need. Range science has historically resided as small programs at Western Land-Grant Universities in such departments as forestry, agronomy, plant science, botany and animal science. Because animal science departments universally have larger staffs, bigger budgets and more flexibility in recruiting and hiring scientists and teachers than do range science departments or programs, they should take the opportunity to lead a major effort in Western grazing research and education. It seems obvious that animal and range science programs could both benefit from more serious efforts at collaboration than have occurred in the past. Quality teaching and research on grazing interactions between livestock and the range environment will require more collective efforts between animal and range scientists. In almost all such undertakings, it must be recognized that range livestock grazing and production is a unique and specialized area demanding the best of both animal and range scientists.

National Conference on Forest and Rangeland Research Planning

National Conference on Forest and Rangeland Research Planning

The conservation and improvement of resources: the grazing animal

A comparison of livestock productivity in the arid zones of central Australia and sub-Saharan Africa is used to illustrate the ecological, social and economic factors which together determine the contrasting ways in which animal resources may be developed. Severe ecological restraints necessarily result in fluctuating animal populations and in the need for effective measures to control soil erosion, to prevent serious over-grazing, to vary stocking rates and to maintain the water supply. The aims, attitudes and needs of livestock owners also need to be recognized. Australian cattlemen primarily want to produce meat in order to make money; many African nomadic pastoralists primarily want to produce milk in order to feed their families. Degrees of achieving these aims and, at the same time, of preserving the necessary measure of ecological stability depend also upon a range of structural, economic and fiscal policies and opportunities. The need to coordinate livestock and rangeland research, planning and development on a multi-disciplinary basis is emphasized and the difficulties of doing so discussed.

Current Rangeland Research Projects in East Africa

Current Rangeland Research Projects in East Africa