Institutions and governance of communal rangelands in South Africa

The creation of local institutions with a mandate over land access and control is seen as a prerequisite for successful decentralisation of land tenure and effective local resource management in sub-Saharan Africa. However, with land tenure reform in South Africa currently at a state of legislative impasse, real uncertainty now exists over land rights and governance of rangeland in many communal areas. This paper draws on case study material from Eastern Cape province to illustrate how this ongoing uncertainty has resulted in the operation of a range of traditional authority and civil society institutions in different communal areas with varying degrees of legitimate authority over land administration and highly variable performance in managing rangeland resources. Collective management of rangeland resources seems most difficult in environments where land rights are contested because of the coexistence of traditional leaders and civil society institutions. On this basis an approach to tenure reform is advocated, which vests all powers over local land administration in democratically elected and accountable civil society institutions. Some successful examples of this already exist and might serve to guide policy formation, which must be flexible enough to accommodate collective management approaches that emphasise cooperation both within and between communities.Keywords: common property, land tenure, natural resource management, traditional leadersAfrican Journal of Range & Forage Science 2013, 30(1&2): 77–8

The relative contribution of overstocking and selective grazing to the degeneration of tall grassveld in Natal

Overstocking has for long been blamed for the deterioration of South African grasslands and, in the Tall Grassveld of Natal, it certainly leads to rapid deterioration of both herbage production and species composition. In this veld type, however, selective grazing also has a profound effect on species composition in that it encourages the encroachment of Aristida junciformis, a species which is largely avoided by animals and therefore contributes little to animal production.Keywords: overstockings|selective grazing|degenerations|tall grasses|veld|KwaZulu Natal Province|grazing|herbage production|species compositions|veld types|encroaching species|grasslands|grasses|tall grassvelds (ill

Environmental control of the growth distribution index of vegetational grass plants

One of the ways in which grasses respond to varying conditions is by adjusting the growth rates of their different component parts relative to their overall growth rate. When plants are grown in constant conditions, increasing age brings about a decline in the growth rate of the leaf lamina component and an increase in the growth rate of the root component relative to the plant growth rate. Variations in temperature, photoperiod and in the daily amount of radiant energy received by the plant do, however, influence the distribution pattern of growth within the plant.Keywords: laminae|temperatures|photoperiods|radiant energy|energy|Aberystwyth|plants|distribution patterns|growth rates|grasses|vegetation|growth|growth distribution indices|environmental controls|leave

Education and research in animal and grassland production

No Abstrac

Milk production off pastures in New Zealand

The management of the predominantly ryegrass-white clover pastures for milk production in New Zealand is determined by five main factors:Keywords: milk yields|pastures|management|ryegrass|white clover|seasonal patterns|dry matter production|species compositions|seasonal aspects|temperature regimes|plants|morphological components|physiological condition|animal production|calving|dairy cows|nutrient requirements|lactating|pasture managemen

Environmental control of flowering in tropical - subtropical grasses

Tropical-subtropical grasses have shown a wide range of response to photoperiod. Some of the response patterns which they exhibit are extremely complex and often seem unrelated to the conditions to which the plants are adapted. However, there is an increasing realisation of the possible role of factors of the environment other than photoperiod in controlling the flowering process.Keywords: photoperiods|flowering processes|inflorescence development|inflorescences|species lists|plant hormones|flowering stages|initiations|response patterns|subtropical grasses|plants|tropical grasses|grasses|flowering physiology|environmental controls|response

An analysis of the objectives of resting grassveld

The objects of various types of rests which may be applied to grassveld are analysed and an attempt is made to define the different types of rests which are at present in use. These are categorized into six major groups:Keywords: analyses|resting|grasslands|veld|grasses|seeding|seedlings|tillering|herbage|forages|hay|defoliations|bush encroachments|stresses|rotational grazing systems|animal

Recent trends in grazing management philosophy in South Africa.

Reasoned argument by researchers in veld management in South Africa and elsewhere has not generally supported a number of contentious recommendations made in recent years in the popular and semi-popular press. The only major changes to general management thinking has been that high performance grazing (or controlled selective grazing) is, except for a few notable exceptions, more appropriate than high utilisation grazing (non selective grazing). In contrast, considerably more evidence has emerged to support the general philosophy which has built up over the years on such issues as optimum stocking rates, periods of absence, stocking densities and the required number of camps in grazing layouts.Keywords: change; grazing intensity; grazing management; herd effect; management; number of camps; optimum stocking rate; performance; period of absence; selective grazing; south africa; stocking density; stocking rates; veld managementJournal of the Grassland Society of Southern Africa

Long-term effects of different rotational grazing schedules on the productivity and floristic composition of Tall Grassveld in KwaZulu-Natal

Nine simulated rotational grazing systems, comprising combinations of three different periods of occupation (2, 10 and 20 days) and three periods of absence (20, 40 and 60 days), were applied to Tall Grassveld for 24 years (1967-1991), using sheep. All camps were rested every fourth year during which recovery growth yields were measured. Differences in floristic composition between camps at the end of the trial were small and were associated with spatial variations in composition on the experimental site rather than with the applied grazing treatments. Although palatable grasses, such as Themeda triandra and Tristachya leucothrix, were still dominant in 1991, the unpalatable grass Aristida junciformis increased in abundance in all treatments during the last seventeen years of the trial. The extent of this increase did not, however, vary (P > 0.05)between treatments. The mean recovery yield over all rest years did not differ (P > 0.05)between treatments because of inconsistencies in treatment effects between years, particularly during the last three grazing cycles (1977-1988). It is concluded that multi-camp systems employing short periods of occupation and long rests between grazings, cannot be justified in terms of their purported ability to improve plant productivity and veld condition. However, a limited degree of camping may facilitate management of temporal and spatial variations in vegetation composition and productivity.Keywords: abundance; aristida junciformis; botany; floristic composition; grasses; grassveld; grazing management; grazing systems; grazing treatments; multi-camp systems; non-selective grazing; period of absence; period of occupation; pietermaritzburg; productivity; recovery; rotational grazing; sheep; south africa; spatial variation; tall grassveld; themeda triandra; tristachya leucothrix; ukulinga research station; vegetation composition; veld condition; yieldAfrican Journal of Range & Forage Science, 13(1): pp. 24-2