The dynamics of vegetation diversity and biomass under traditional grazing in Ethiopia's Somali rangeland.
Name
Plant_Enviro_Interactions_-_2023_-_Gebremedhn_-_The_dynamics_of_vegetation_diversity_and_biomass_under_traditional_grazing.pdf
Description
visibility:open
Size
1.43 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (CRC64NVME)
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Resource type
Journal article
Date published
November 7, 2023
Abstract
Traditional grazing management practices are central to rangeland productivity and biodiversity. However, the degradation of rangelands and loss of ecosystem services have raised concerns about the future of pastoralism as a form of land use. It is imperative to understand how these practices influence vegetation attributes, e.g., herbaceous species diversity and composition, growth forms (grass, forbs), life form (annuals, perennials), tree metrics (density, canopy cover, and biomass). This study evaluates vegetation shifts under three grazing management practices‐enclosures, open grazing, and browsing lands‐in the Somali pastoral ecosystem of Ethiopia. Enclosures exhibited the highest diversity in herbaceous species, with open grazing lands favoring forbs and annuals. Distinct compositional shifts in herbaceous species were observed across regimes, especially in grass and annuals. Enclosures had three times higher herbage biomass of open grazing and double that of browsing management practice. Conversely, browsing management practices presented optimal wood biomass, density, and canopy cover. The results highlight that a transition to combined enclosure and browsing practices can elevate plant production and diversity, benefiting the Somali rangeland economy. Consequently, dryland restoration should incorporate indigenous knowledge to ensure future rangeland sustainability and biodiversity preservation.
Project(s)
Priority 1: Ecosystem Stewardship
Funder
| Funder name | Awards |
Africa Center of Excellence for Climate Smart Agriculture and Biodiversity Conservation (ACE Climate SABC), Haramaya University, Ethiopia | |
Bayer Foundation, Germany | AGNES-Bayer Science Foundation Research Grant for Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa |
Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Germany | AGNES-Bayer Science Foundation Research Grant for Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa |
British Ecological Society, United Kingdom | Ecologists in Africa 2021. Grant Number: EA21/1573 |
United Kingdom Research and Innovation, United Kingdom | Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) program, implemented by the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM). Grant Number: ES/P011306 |
Journal title
Plant-Environment Interactions
Volume
4
Issue
6
Publisher
Published by New Phytologist Foundation and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Place of publication
UK
ISSN
2575-6265
eISSN
2575-6265
Date accepted
October 23, 2023
Official URL
Rights statement
In Copyright
Additional information
IF = 1.73 (2024)