Allsopp, Nicky

Hoffman, Timm

Samuels, Igshaan

English

University of Kentucky

University of Kentucky UKnowledge International Grassland Congress Proceedings 21st International Grassland Congress / 8th International Rangeland Congress Temporal Mobility Patterns of Livestock in Semi‐Arid Communal Rangelands in South Africa Igshaan Samuels University of Cape Town, South Africa Nicky Allsopp University of the Western Cape, South Africa Timm Hoffman University of Cape Town, South Africa Follow this and additional works at: https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc  Part of the Plant Sciences Commons, and the Soil Science Commons This document is available at https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/21/9-2/22 The 21st International Grassland Congress / 8th International Rangeland Congress took place in Hohhot, China from June 29 through July 5, 2008. Proceedings edited by Organizing Committee of 2008 IGC/IRC Conference Published by Guangdong People's Publishing House This Event is brought to you for free and open access by the Plant and Soil Sciences at UKnowledge. It has been accepted for inclusion in International Grassland Congress Proceedings by an authorized administrator of UKnowledge. For more information, please contact UKnowledge@lsv.uky.edu. 　 Multifunctional Grasslands in a Changing World 　 Volume Ⅱ 　 瞯 ]89　 瞯Grasslands/Rangelands Production Systems——— Livestock Production SystemsTemporal mobility patterns of livestock in semi‐arid communal rangelands in South AfricaIgshaan Samuels 1 ,2 ,N icky A llsop p 2 & T imm Ho f f man11 Plant Conserv ation Unit ,University o f Cape Town ,Priv ate Bag ,Rondebosch 7701 ,South A f rica2 A RC‐L ivestock Business Div ision : Range & Forage Unit ,University o f the Western Cape ,Priv ate bag X17 ,Bellv ille 7535 ,South A f ricaIntroduction Historically ,indigenous communal livestock farmers in Namaqualand ,South Africa followed seasonal transhumantpatterns between upland areas and coastal plains .They established themselves around permanent water points on the uplands insummer and dispersed down to the coast in winter .Af ter the colonization of Namaqualand ,communal farmers were forced to usesmaller grazing areas and their traditional grazing patterns were disrupted .This study investigated how communal farmers inNamaqualand have moved their herds around the confined grazing areas for the past ten years .The study also established thetime and reasons for movement of animals .Materials and methods The study area was the Leliefontein communal area which is approximately １９２ ０００ ha in size .Thetopography varies from １５０ m to １ ５００ m above sea level .Temperatures rarely surpass ４０ ℃ and the uplands areas often receivebelow freezing point conditions during winter . Mean annual precipitation varies from ３００ mm in the uplands to ９０ mm on thecoastal plains .Vegetation comprises of grasslands in the east and shrublands in the uplands and the coast .Herds comprise ofgoats and sheep or either goats or sheep .Herd sizes range from ten to １ ０００ animals and are herded from semi‐permanentstockposts scattered around the commons .Data for the study were collected through semi‐structured interviews with about ３００livestock keepers from ten villages in the Leliefontein communal Area .During the interviews ,information was collected on whenand why farmers move their stockposts around the commons .Results The results indicate that both environmental and social factors are considered when stockposts are relocated .Environmental factors include temperature ,seasonality ,water , forage availability , toxic plants and croplands .Social factorsconsidered include herder health , animal condition , overcrowding , conflict avoidance , stakeholder relationships and herdercomfort .Stockpost movement due to environmental factors is mainly seasonal whereas movement due to social factors isunpredictable .In villages where dryland cropping is still practiced ,farmers move their stockpost away from the croplands duringthe growing season and return af ter harvesting to allow animals to graze on crop residues .Livestock keepers in the upland areasmove every winter down the mountain due to cold temperatures .Movement due to forage availability and water is opportunisticand mainly occur during the dry season .Avoidance of croplands and areas with high abundance of toxic plants by herders alsooccurs mostly during dry periods .Stockpost relocation due to social reasons occurs throughout the year but the time ofmovement differs between herds and villages . Although communal farmers have restricted grazing space , they continue topractice mobility as an adaptive strategy to maximize efficiency for survival .

Temporal Mobility Patterns of Livestock in Semi‐Arid Communal Rangelands in South Africa

https://uknowledge.uky.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3054&amp;context=igc

Temporal Mobility Patterns of Livestock in Semi‐Arid Communal Rangelands in South Africa

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