Upland Grazing Research Articles

The Production, Utilization and Management of Upland Grazings on Plynlimon, Wales

Techniques for the determination of production, utilization and litterfall for grazed upland vegetation are presented, and are then applied to a study of the ecological characteristics of six vegetation types on Plynlimon, Mid-Wales, for the period May 1973 to March 1974. Mean dry matter yields ranged from 489gmm2 on improved swards to 278gm-2 for both Moliniadominant mires and wet Calluna heaths. Semi-natural grasslands and formerlyimproved swardsrecorded intermediate levels of production. Utilization of production by grazing stock varied from 1 1% on Molinia sites to 80% or more on improved swards, but for most of the semi-natural grasslands a low level of summer utilization is reflected in the poor quality of the standing crop for much of the remainder of the year. Reference is made to other work suggesting that benefits might be gained from higher levels of summer utilization of these widespread vegetation types, in terms of reducing the accumulation of senescent herbage and maintaining a more varied plant community with more palatable and winter-persistent species. Highly seasonal, rather than inherently low productivity, is identified as the major land-use problem of upland environments such as Plynlimon.

The Mapping of Abandoned Farmland in Upland Britain: An Exploratory Survey in South-East Scotland

Little is known of the extent and distribution of former cultivation now aban? doned to rough grazing in British uplands, although such land might reward future reclamation. This paper outlines a method of mapping abandoned farmland, and illustrates its use and confirms its accuracy by reference to former cultivation in the Lammermuir Hills in south-east Scotland. About 21 per cent of present moorland in these hills was once improved but has since reverted, 9 per cent being abandoned before 1860 and 12 per cent during the last century. The extent of abandonment suggests that an investigation of uplands elsewhere in Britain might be well rewarded.

Native Pastoralism in the South Andes

Although it has usually been recognized that the Andean llama and alpaca (Lama glama and Lama pacos, respectively; Gilmore I950) were aboriginal domestic herd animals, it has been widely assumed that pastoralism never became a primary mode of adaptation in the New World, and that even subsequent to the conquests it was anomalous and restricted to European animals. Ethnographers of the Central Andes have considered the herding of lamoids a subsidiary enterprise undertaken by communities based primarily on cultivation. The early chronicler Poma asserted that it was invariably a task of age-grades, and in I93I Troll was sure that no pastoral economy had developed anywhere in the Andes apart from tuber cultivation (Murra I965: I88-I89). Murra's research has revealed the important role of alpacas and llamas in the economy, social stratification, and ritual of the aboriginal Andean states, but he too concludes that herding was always carried out in upland grazing stations by kin, retainers, or a social class based in agricultural communities. However, because control of herds was a key basis of wealth and prestige in the south central Andean plateau and Titicaca basin, such hierarchical situations were likely to develop under the centralized regimes of this area whether or not pastoralism was previously an independent enterprise in some communities. Even under these regimes independent pastoral communities could have continued in the harsh puna uplands or remote cordillera flanks, jurally subservient but in de facto control of their herds. The elitist bias of most colonial reports, usually overlooking provincial situations, could have continued to obscure the existence of such communities. I suspect that a similar research bias has perpetuated our ignorance until recently. Gade (I969) has reconsidered several misconceptions regarding the Andean lamoids, but does not directly consider the question of pastoralism. This matter remains to be resolved by ethnography and ethnohistory. Recent evidence in Andean ethnography substantiates the contemporary existence of pastoral communities based on herding of native lamoids, and strongly suggests that similar adaptations were ancient. Lynch (I97I ) has analyzed archeological data from the Callejon de Huaylas of the north central Andes which suggests that pastoral transumance may have developed in preceramic times and furnished an appropriate human ecosystem for the domestication of cultigens. Insofar as this area is peripheral for the distribution of the llama and probably outside the range of the alpaca one suspects that these lamoids were neither late domesticates nor nec-

Some Observations on the Ecology of an Upland Grazing in North-East Scotland with Special Reference to Callunetum

Some Observations on the Ecology of an Upland Grazing in North-East Scotland with Special Reference to Callunetum

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF GRAZING AND FODDER RESOURCES

Following a report by Oram on “The Use of Pastures and Fodder Crops in Rotations in Mediterranean Agriculture”, which was presented to the Fourth Meeting of the F.A.O. Working Party on Mediterranean Pasture and Fodder Development at Lisbon in 1955, a further study was carried out by the writer on the integration of livestock husbandry with the grazing and fodder resources in the region, and with crop husbandry in general. This study was based on a three‐month survey carried out at the end of 1955 as an F.A.O. assignment, and visits were made to Libya, Cyprus, Israel, Greece, Turkey, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Algeria and parts of Southern Italy.The survey dealt with prevailing conditions in these countries, with particular reference to existing research and extension programmes in both agronomy and animal husbandry. Following this, a report (5) was prepared for the Fifth Meeting of the Working Party held at Tel Aviv in May, 1957. The report covers the general principles of animal husbandry, with special reference to the Mediterranean environment, and stress is laid on the need for increased efficiency in both the production and use of pasture and fodder crops, especially in view of the fact that an increasing livestock population will in future probably have to be maintained on a steadily diminishing area, owing to the progressive encroachment of food‐ and cash‐crop production on land previously used for grazing. As far as practicable, grazing pressure must be transferred from “natural” pastures and upland grazings to the cultivated land, on which improved systems of rotational cropping will be necessary. Wherever possible these should incorporate both supplementary fodder crops and sown pastures. This should benefit both the livestock and the over‐cropped cultivated soils. In turn, any reduction in stocking rates on the natural pastures and on the upland and forest grazings should facilitate their improvement and the introduction of erosion control. Any improvement scheme designed to achieve these ends will require much closer co‐operation between cultivators and pastoralists and more effective integration of research and extension work in both agronomy and animal husbandry.This article describes some of the many difficulties confronting workers in both these fields in a Mediterranean environment, and suggestions are made as to how some of these problems may possibly be overcome.

Cardiovascular and pulmonary calcification apparently associated with dietary imbalance in Jamaica

Summary A description is given of a wasting disease affecting chiefly cattle, but also goats and other animals, in Jamaica. The clinical picture is of a “rheumatic” character, indicated by stiffness and pain on movement of joints and severe cardiac incompetence. The pathology is marked by extensive plaque-like calcification involving the internal surfaces of the heart, aorta and other arteries, and the jugular veins. The lungs are often extensively calcified and sometimes ossified. Articular surfaces in the limbs show ulceration. Histologically, calcification is associated with elastic and collagenous elements in various tissues. The condition is prevalent only among animals on upland grazing of a peculiar soil-type, the influence of which is discussed. Analyses of blood samples revealed no significant differences in the major elements between affected upland and “normal” lowland cattle, calcium figures being high and phosphorus low in each case.

Raising Beef Cattle on the Welsh Hills

I am not setting up to be an expert on the raising of store cattle in general and I propose now to tell you something of my own experiences from the Hill Farmers', angle and to air my favourite theory that a tremendous increase in beef production (as well as in other commodities) could come from the upland grazings of this island. The question I asked myself ,right away, back in 1930, was would cattle live on the hills during the winter? All that I ever saw on the hills were just the local small.herds in summer on the rough grazings on what we call in Wales, Ffridd land, in Scotland, and North of England, Inbye land; enclosed by a fence or a stone wall, near the homestead.

Hill Sheep Farming

THE Agricultural Improvement Council for England and Wales has set up a Committee “to investigate the present position of hill and upland sheep farming in England and Wales and in the light of modern scientific knowledge to suggest measures that might be taken to improve the condition of hill and upland grazings, the health and hardiness of sheep stocks and systems of stocking and management”. The Committee is constituted as follows: Lord De La Warr (chairman) ; Mr. J. C. F. Fryer, Mr. Moses Griffith, grassland adviser at the Plant-breeding Station, Aberystwyth ; Mr. David Lewis ; Dr. R. F. Montgomerie ; Prof. G. W. Robinson, professor of agricultural chemistry in the University College of North Wales, Bangor ; Dr. R. W. Wheldon, lecturer in agriculture at King's College, Newcastle-upon-Tyne ; Mr. W. Wilson. Mr. D. H. Dinsdale, adviser in agricultural economics, King's College, Newcastle-on-Tyne, will act as technical secretary to the Committee, and the administrative secretary will be Mr. J. H. Banbury, of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Lindum Hotel, St. Annes-on-Sea, Lanes.