The study was conducted in the Eastern Kalahari sandveld of Botswana on a shrub savanna vegetation type dominated by Terminalia sericea / Boscia albitrunca / Grewia flava and Dichrostachys cinerea woodland. It was initiated in an attempt to determine the impact of livestock grazing within piospheres on soil nutrients, range condition and the influence of season on forage quality and diet composition of livestock. The study was centered around the water points and conducted on both free range grazing and controlled conditions. Measurements on soil and vegetation attributes were recorded at particular points along the transects from the water point. Vegetation and livestock diets were measured seasonally over a period of two years. Chemical analyses of soil revealed the low background fertility of the Kalahari sandveld. The impact of dung and urine on soil chemistry was localized in the area immediate to the vicinity of the water point. Phosphorus, pH and cation exchange capacity were the most responsive attributes to variation along the transect from the water point. High livestock units carried at any particular borehole had an influence on the level of soil nutrient status. Management plans should aim at a more even spread of nutrients by improving the distribution of water points. The zonation of vegetation along the transect from water point reflected the type of management, indicating different class of range condition which can be used in range evaluation and planning. Heavy grazing pressure and trampling in the vicinity of the water point kills sensitive perennial grasses resulting in a zone dominated by annual plants. High amount of available biomass were recorded during summer and autumn and low biomass occurred in spring. The 3 - paddock system produced less biomass compared to other systems, while biomass of palatable species was favored by the 9 - paddock system. Forage utilization was higher following drought years, when grazing pressure was concentrated on reduced forage availability. Utilization of forage was greatest in spring and lowest in summer. Utilization along the transect from water did not taper off until after 4000m from the water point in the free range grazing situation suggesting that forage availability was limiting factor, while in the controlled conditions the influence of grazing tapered off at 1200m. Piosphere size as determined by the distance livestock can travel was greater in the free range grazing management area than in the controlled management conditions. Canopy volumes and leaf dry mass values reflect quantitative variations in the contribution of relatively small number of woody species. In general, both leaf volume and leaf mass decrease with the increase in distance from water due to the reduced plant density. Grewia flava and D. cinerea contributed substantially to the total leaf dry mass within the height below 2m. Leaf dry mass above 2m was largely contributed by Acacia gerrardii, T. sericea and B. albitrunca. Woody species diversity increased with the increase in distance from the water point. High density of G. flava was concentrated to the immediate vicinity of the water points, while species such as Bauhinia petersiana and Croton gratissimus occurred only at further distances from water. There was no clear pattern in the density distribution of D. cinerea along the transect from the water point. Plants exhibit variations in the concentration of nutrients between species and season. High levels of crude protein, phosphorus and low crude fibre content occurred in summer for most species and the opposite was observed during winter or spring. Crude protein and phosphorus during dry periods were believed to be the limiting nutrients in maintaining nutritional quality in grazing animals. Mature forage generally is deficient, and may require supplementation of crude protein or phosphorus. Crude protein, phosphorus and crude fibre were not influenced by the grazing systems. The nutrient enrichment through cattle dung and urine in the vicinity of the water point was reflected in the forage nutrient content. The micro - histological technique proved to be a useful tool for estimating the botanical composition of livestock diets. The technique, however, under-estimates the forbs in the diet of livestock. Diets of cattle were dominated by grasses all year round with a high proportion of woody plants occurred during the spring when available herbaceous biomass was low. Diet of goats was 72% and 82% browse in summer and spring, respectively. Competition for herbaceous plants was high between cattle and sheep. Seasonal species diversity was high in summer and lowest in spring. Goats are more diverse in their diets compared to cattle or sheep which have a strong similarity in their diets. / Dissertation (PhD(Plant Production and Soil Science: Pasture Science))--University of Pretoria, 2002. / Plant Production and Soil Science / unrestricted

Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Queensland, 2005. / Includes bibliography.

The objectives of this study were to 1) determine the effects of livestock grazing and periods of rest from grazing on infiltration and erosion rates of unchained woodland; chained, debris-in-place; and chained, debris-windrowed pinyon-juniper sites; and 2) utilize these measurements in developing guidelines for grazing management of pinyonjuniper rangelands that protect or improve the hydrologic condition of the watershed. The study was conducted on sandy loam soils in southeastern Utah during the summers of 1971 and 1972. Runoff and erosion were artificially induced from small plots by simulating rainfall with the Rocky Mountain infiltrometer. Infiltration rates, erosion rates, and selected vegetative and edaphic parameters were measured on each plot. Forage removal by clipping and soil compaction subtreatments were applied to randomly selected plots in an effort to simulate the forage removal and trampling activities of livestock. Analysis of variance techniques were used to determine the effect on infiltration and erosion rates of forage removal and soil compaction subtreatment, grazing and varying periods of rest from grazing, and chaining treatments with similar grazing histories. Multiple regression techniques were used to evaluate the influence of vegetative and edaphic factors on infiltration and erosion. Forage removal and soil compaction subtreatments had no consistent effect on infiltration rates. However, the clipping and compaction subtreatments were an instantaneous application of forage removal and soil pressure and thus may not adequately represent long term, accumulative conditions imposed by actual grazing. Areas rested from livestock grazing since 1967 had significantly higher infiltration rates than grazed areas on unchained woodland and chained, debris-in-place sites. Grazed plots consistently had the lowest infiltration rates although this lower rate was not significantly different from infiltration rates measured on areas protected from grazing since 1969 or 1971. Grazing did not consistently affect infiltration measured on chained, debris-windrowed sites. Infiltration rates increased on all three vegetative conditions as the period of rest from grazing increased. None of the 21 soil and vegetative variables included in this study were identified by multiple regression models as consistently explaining significant amounts of variation in infiltration rates. Results of this study indicate that the primary value of multiple regression models is not to predict changes that will occur in infiltration because one management alternative is selected over another, but to help explain significant differences measured between treatments. Erosion rates were not significantly affected by forage removal subtreatments, but a trend indicates that erosion increases on plots when above ground vegetation is removed by clipping. No consistent relationship between -erosion rates and soil compaction subtreatments was found. A trend toward increased erosion rates on grazed areas was found. No consistent relationship between erosion rates and the various periods of rest from grazing was recorded. Thus, any rest from grazing appears to reduce the erosion potential from pinyonjuniper sites. In summary, pinyon-juniper rangelands can be improved for livestock by chaining and seeding without causing a deterioration in watershed condition. However, to achieve these objectives, the sites to be treated must be carefully evaluated and the appropriate chaining, plant debris disposal, and seeding techniques identified. And following vegetative conversion, the areas must be properly grazed.

Magister Scientiae (Biodiversity and Conservation Biology) / Desertification deteriorates the landscape functionality of rangelands, affecting the resilience of biome boundaries which have a cascade effect not only in vegetation composition and characteristics but also in animal communities. The balance between plants and small mammals are essential in maintaining the functionality (i.e. nutrient cycling, soil stability, and water infiltration) of rangeland which includes the arid Steinkopf communal rangeland. However, the landscape functionality of rangelands has not been extensively studied, especially in communal areas where desertification is a serious concern since many people farm with livestock to survive. The aim of this study was to assess landscape functionality along an arid biome boundary and its relationship to small mammal assemblages. This study further aimed to provide a local landscape perspective of the current desertification process and projected expansion of the Desert Biome into more mesic biomes in South Africa. Three replicates for three Desert Biome, ecotone and Succulent Karoo Biome sites (27 sites in total) were selected to assess landscape functionality and survey small mammal assemblages over a one-year period. The change in landscape functionality between the three areas was assessed to determine the resilience of the biome boundary to desertification. For each small mammal survey, 216 live Sherman traps were set up during the summer and winter seasons to account for breeding, mortality, and possible migration. With the data, the body condition index, population density, and diversity were quantified.

Magister Scientiae (Biodiversity and Conservation Biology) - MSc (Biodiv and Cons Biol) / The Overberg renosterveld rangelands of the Cape Floristic Region (CFR) has become well associated with commercial and communal agricultural practices, namely crop and livestock production. This Mediterranean region is characterized as being a semi-arid, winter rainfall area with nutrient-limited soils. Livestock farmers rely largely on introduced legume species such as lucerne (Medicago sativa) as high quality forage to sustain their livestock’s diets. Generally, these introduced species are reliant on the accessibility of water and nutrients, due to the specific climatic and edaphic conditions of the region. The availability of high quality forage has always been a major concern to farmers when it comes to managing their livestock, since livestock productivity is determined by the quality of the forage consumed.

Medusahead (Taeniatherum caput-medusae (L.) Nevski) is currently one of the biggest threats to rangelands and livestock operations in the Western US. High silica concentrations in medusahead contribute to its invasiveness. I developed a model to explain how silica is involved in the invasion process, and attempted to manipulate silica to increase use of the grass by livestock. Experiments were conducted to determine: 1) whether rotational grazing on established forages of improved nutritional quality would provide supplemental nutrients to increase cattle use of medusahead; 2) evaluate intake of and preference for medusahead treated with a glyphosate herbicide at different rates by sheep; and 3) evaluate intake and selection of medusahead by cattle by separating the effects of a glyphosate herbicide (Roundup®) from other chemicals in the formulation (salt, adjuvant). Additionally, experiments were conducted to 4) determine the nutritional value and digestibility of medusahead treated with Roundup® at different rates and at different plant particle sizes; and 5) determine if cattle grazing with trampling can increase seeding success on medusahead-invaded rangelands. Rotational grazing from supplemental pastures to medusahead-invaded pastures increased medusahead use by cattle during the second year of the study. Furthermore, glyphosate did not increase medusahead consumption in a choice between three glyphosate treatments, but did in a two-way choice test. Cattle grazed glyphosate-treated medusahead more than that of the non-treated grass and completely avoided the salt-treated grass. The active ingredient in a glyphosate herbicide increased consumption of medusahead while other ingredients in the herbicide (i.e., salt and adjuvant) had no influence on this choice. A smaller particle size increased the digestibility of medusahead compared to larger particle sizes. Glyphosate also increases digestibility, but not as much as particle size. Finally, cattle trampling did not help establish seeded plant species, and the seeding attempt was unsuccessful. Thus, grazing rotations between improved pastures and medusahead-infested rangeland, and the combined glyphosate application-grazing are new approaches for medusahead control, as they prepare a seed bed for revegetation and increase the nutritional quality of the grass for improved livestock nutrition.

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No description available.

abstract: The introduction of livestock to the vast majority of public lands may be used to simulate the conditions provided by herbivorous grazers in the past, however little data has been collected on the effects of livestock grazing in Sonoran desert habitats. Vegetative species that are characteristic of the Arizona Upland subdivision of the Sonoran desert did not evolve with extensive grazing by large ungulate populations, and therefore the response to livestock grazing is of particular interest. Four historic Parker 3-step clusters in south-central Arizona were sampled in three cohorts between 1953 and 2016 to interpret changes in rangeland health using soil coverage data, species richness and frequency, and long-term photo point comparisons. Cattle grazing was active across the allotment until 1984, allowing approximately 30 years of rest before the third and final cohort was measured. Over the entirety of this study, there was a 66.67% increase in perennial basal hits, a 56.29% increase in rock, and a 44.55% increase of forage basal hits. Decreases were seen in litter (-57.69%) and bare soil hits (-8.76%). Cluster 3 consistently had a lower percent of cover across all classes of vegetation in the 2014 cohort (-81.61%), however the average percent of cover increased by 63.16% (40 hits) across the allotment. Available species richness data from 1971 and 2014 cohorts indicates a 112% increase in unique species; however, species richness increases in the 2014 cohort are largely based on recruitment of non-palatable species (71%). Although the status of some species were undetermined, all individuals identified to species in the invader class (non-palatable) were determined to be native to the study site. Perennial grass frequency became less abundant over the duration of this study, while growth was predominantly observed in shrubs. Increases in species frequency was detected on two of the four clusters measured in the 2014 cohort; the growth was primarily observed in jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis), oak (Quercus spp.), and catclaw acacia (Senegalia greggii) in C4, and hopseed bush (Dodonaea viscosa) in C2. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Applied Biological Sciences 2018

No description available.