Fabaceae plants contribute greatly to a high quality of pasture in rangelands, because of high levels of protein in their tissues. Despite this established importance, only a few southern African legumes have been evaluated for nutritional value and domestication. The Overberg renosterveld vegetation of the Fynbos biome occupies undulating landscapes that have multiple slope aspects, creating variable

Inadequate information about the long-term effects of grazing strategies on native grass production and animal growth poses limitations to sustainable management of beef cattle. A 20-year simulation study was conducted using the Sustainable Grazing Systems model to analyse implications of different stocking rates (SRs) and simple rotational grazing systems (SRGSs) for rangeland-based Brahman steers

Simulation modelling of grass biomass production has gained huge attention since the early 2000s, but it has rarely been applied to southern African rangelands, due to limited data availability for model calibration and evaluation. This study was conducted to calibrate the Sustainable Grazing Systems (SGS) pasture model using measured and sourced data, to assess the reliability of model predicted biomass

(2021). Primer of Ecological Restoration - Karen D Holl, published in cooperation with the Society for Ecological Restoration. African Journal of Range & Forage Science. Ahead of Print.

Selecting the appropriate vegetation index for accurate biomass estimation is a prerequisite before and during the ecosystem management project. This study, aims to compare Vegetation Indices (VIs) that are combining both Visible and Near Infrared OLI bands (VNIR-VIs), Visible and Short Wave Infrared OLI bands and also NIR and Short Wave Infrared OLI bands (SWIR-VIs) in order to accurately model the

Extensive pasture systems established in highly weathered tropical soils on steep slopes are vulnerable to soil degradation. Soil degradation can be monitored using an soil quality index (SQI). The SQI can assess both environmental aspects and indices related to pasture productivity within specific environments. A framework to evaluate and map a soil quality index for Ferralsols was developed in this

Globally, grasslands are under threat from woody encroachment by invasive alien plants and this undermines grass production. The study sought to determine the effects of Acacia mearnsii clearing on soil physico-chemical properties and grass production. Soil samples were collected from three A. mearnsii invasion statuses and analysed for representative physico-chemical variables. Using line transects

(2021). Montane rangelands in a changing world. African Journal of Range & Forage Science: Vol. 38, Montane Rangelands in a Changing World, pp. iii-vi.

Legislation and policy are key tools used by governments to change the socio-economic and political landscape of agrarian systems with consequences for mobile pastoralism. This study used the social-ecological systems framework to examine how pastoral mobility in the semi-arid, montane communal rangeland in South Africa adapted to the changing socio-political landscape. It analysed the impact of apartheid

Marked tillers of Heteropogon contortus, Trachypogon spicatus, Tristachya leucothrix and Harpochloa falx were sampled regularly over a two-year period in Highland Sourveld burnt annually in winter and biennially in spring. Parameters recorded were height of shoot apex, tiller mass, number of new lateral tillers and time of flowering. Monitoring of marked tillers before and after each burn enabled the

Rangeland conditions in the Lesotho highland dam catchment areas is important for local livelihoods and regional water supply. We investigated changes in land cover and condition from 1991 (before construction) to 2013, using Landsat imagery. The Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) decreased in the catchment areas, while increasing within two protected areas. NDVI decreases were greatest

Communal livestock grazing is expected to impact botanical composition and plant diversity of Drakensberg montane grasslands. Accordingly, a grazing gradient extending outward from kraals, and fence-line contrasts between communal rangeland and protected areas (Golden Gate Highlands National Park and Royal Natal National Park), were studied in the QwaQwa region of South Africa. Presence of a grazing

We investigated long-term changes, from 1979 to 2015, in the abundance of Protea roupelliae subsp. roupelliae trees growing in a montane grassland of the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg mountains. The study involved counting the numbers of adults and juveniles (saplings and seedlings) in six groves on three occasions over 36 years, documenting the fire-return intervals and the seasons when fires occurred in

Climate change is one of the main challenges facing humanity in the coming century. To understand the impact of climate change on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, we urgently require a better understanding of plant responses to climate change. To address this knowledge gap we established a full-factorial warming experiment using open-top chambers (OTCs) inside a long-term fire-manipulation experiment

The Lets’eng-la-Letsie wetland is an official Ramsar site, but the wetland and upland catchment areas suffer from overgrazing, erosion and over exploitation. Chrysocoma ciliata has a reputation as an unpalatable invader and is particularly common on the drier northern slopes. The objectives of the study were to quantify the phytomass of this shrub with the aid of a developed allometric phytomass quantification

Wetlands are globally valuable ecosystems as they provide many important services to the human society, yet the ecology of some of them is yet to be understood. This study assessed the functionality of Letšeng-la-Letsie wetland in Lesotho, using the Landscape Function Analysis (LFA) technique and soil quality indicators. LFA threshold values for stability, infiltration and nutrient cycling were found

The mountain rangeland chain of Matmata (southern Tunisia) is characterised by an arid Mediterranean climate with severe droughts and high temperatures, combined with substantial human disturbance. In order to withstand these harsh conditions, plants have developed adaptive strategies and functional traits to survive. This study aims to evaluate the impact of three grazing regimes (grazing exclusion

This case study assessed changes in vegetation composition of a 0.8 ha rangeland site over the past four decades, in relation to changes in temperature and to an increase in grazing pressure. The frequency and standing crop (biomass) of species and functional groups were sampled in the spring of 1979 and 2016. Mean annual temperature increased, whereas changes in frequency varied between species and

(2021). A Scientific Bibliography of the Drakensberg, Maloti & Adjacent Lowlands. African Journal of Range & Forage Science: Vol. 38, Montane Rangelands in a Changing World, pp. 137-138.

Climate change and degradation of natural resources pose daunting challenges in arid and semi-arid rangelands of southern Mediterranean region. Overcoming these challenges requires considerable management actions efforts. In this context, the current two-year (2017/2018 and 2018/2019) study investigated the effects of soil surface scarification and reseeding of rangelands with sulla (Hedysarum coronarium

Lantana camara is primarily a bird-dispersed invasive plant species that has spread quickly across South Africa in disturbed areas. We re-examined the distribution of Lantana at Rodger and Twine’s (2002) study site (R&T) in a highly grazed communal area and an adjacent conserved area in 2019. R&T found that Lantana was more common in the communal area than in the conserved area. Glyphosate herbicide

This case study assessed changes in vegetation composition of a 0.8 ha rangeland site over the past four decades, in relation to changes in temperature and to an increase in grazing pressure. The frequency and standing crop (biomass) of species and functional groups were sampled in the spring of 1979 and 2016. Mean annual temperature increased, whereas changes in frequency varied between species and

(2021). Miombo Woodlands in a Changing Environment: Securing the Resilience and Sustainability of People and Woodlands. African Journal of Range & Forage Science. Ahead of Print.

Wetlands are globally valuable ecosystems as they provide many important services to the human society, yet the ecology of some of them is yet to be understood. This study assessed the functionality of Letšeng-la-Letsie wetland in Lesotho, using the Landscape Function Analysis (LFA) technique and soil quality indicators. LFA threshold values for stability, infiltration and nutrient cycling were found

Marked tillers of Heteropogon contortus, Trachypogon spicatus, Tristachya leucothrix and Harpochloa falx were sampled regularly over a two-year period in Highland Sourveld burnt annually in winter and biennially in spring. Parameters recorded were height of shoot apex, tiller mass, number of new lateral tillers and time of flowering. Monitoring of marked tillers before and after each burn enabled the

The vegetation of Mushingashi Conservancy in central Zambia was classified and mapped to provide a template for wildlife management. Putative vegetation types were delineated using Landsat 8 imagery, then sampled with 73 plots for vegetation composition and structure, and topo-edaphic properties. Classification followed a four-stage process. Valley dambo and floodplain grasslands were first separated

We investigated long-term changes, from 1979 to 2015, in the abundance of Protea roupelliae subsp. roupelliae trees growing in a montane grassland of the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg mountains. The study involved counting the numbers of adults and juveniles (saplings and seedlings) in six groves on three occasions over 36 years, documenting the fire-return intervals and the seasons when fires occurred in

Communal livestock grazing is expected to impact botanical composition and plant diversity of Drakensberg montane grasslands. Accordingly, a grazing gradient extending outward from kraals, and fence-line contrasts between communal rangeland and protected areas (Golden Gate Highlands National Park and Royal Natal National Park), were studied in the QwaQwa region of South Africa. Presence of a grazing

Legislation and policy are key tools used by governments to change the socio-economic and political landscape of agrarian systems with consequences for mobile pastoralism. This study used the social-ecological systems framework to examine how pastoral mobility in the semi-arid, montane communal rangeland in South Africa adapted to the changing socio-political landscape. It analysed the impact of apartheid

Despite shrinking pastureland in the central highlands of Ethiopia, as a result of cropping, there has been little detailed work to evaluate effects of traditional grazing land management practices on vegetation and soil attributes. This study aimed to quantify vegetation structure, aboveground biomass yield and soil quality, as a result of the impact of enclosure and open access management practices

(2020). Field Guide to Renosterveld of the Overberg. African Journal of Range & Forage Science. Ahead of Print.

Grasslands of the Maputaland coastal plain are biologically diverse and provide a variety of ecosystems services. Yet grasslands in this region are vulnerable to continuing development by plantation forestry that provides economic benefits to local communities. In order to provide a framework for land use that maintains grassland heterogeneity in complex agro-ecological systems, this paper characterises

Grasslands are integral to rural livelihoods in southern Africa, because they provide hydrological regulation services and a variety of plant resources, including livestock fodder, medicines, and food products. To ensure ongoing provision of these resources in rapidly developing rural landscapes, an understanding of the relationships between grassland species composition and ecosystem services is required

Processes linked to woody plant encroachment in grassland are still not well understood, especially the interactions between trees and soil water availability. Our aim was to study the depth of water uptake by trees in grassland and its controlling factors. We studied water uptake in Vachellia sieberiana trees (hereafter called ‘acacias’) in a humid grassland of South Africa. We especially studied

Management options to maintain the stability of Drakensberg grasslands need to incorporate their dynamic nature in response to fire. This study addressed the lack of information on the spatial and temporal changes of these grasslands at a small (tuft) scale. The basal area of every tuft in three 0.25 m2 quadrats per replicate (3) of four burning treatments was mapped over two years in a long-term burning

The mesic montane grasslands of the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg, which produce cured flammable fuel, have evolved under and are sustained by recurrent fires. The Brotherton burning trial (12 replicated treatments) was established at Cathedral Peak (1 890 m asl) in 1980 to understand how burn season and frequency control the composition and diversity of the montane catchment grassland. Multivariate methods

Brachiaria (syn. Urochloa) is one of the most important tropical forages grass of African origin. Its performance is affected by different constraints, including diseases. This study assessed the distribution, incidence and severity of Brachiaria diseases and documented farmers’ knowledge on Brachiaria diseases in Rwanda. Surveys were conducted in five districts in the dry and wet seasons of 2018 and

This study sought to evaluate the utility of remotely sensed data in estimating the impact of wattle invasion and clearance on native grass species productivity using Sentinel-2 multispectral instrument (MSI) imaging and the partial least squares regression (PLSR) algorithm. Therefore this study assessed grass above ground biomass (AGB) at various levels of wattle invasion In assessing the impacts

Ecosystems provide climate-change adaptation opportunities including ecosystem services, adaptation benefits and livelihood improvement especially for natural resource dependent communities. To contribute to the understanding of location specific adaptation processes of predominantly agro-pastoralists, a study was carried out in the central cattle corridor of Uganda to characterise ecosystem-based

Feed intake on pastures plays a vital role in cattle rearing in West Africa. However, the scarcity of pastures during the dry season may result in changing grazing behaviour by cattle. Therefore, we studied the management practices of transhumant herders on communal rangelands through monitoring of cattle herds’ behaviour in southern Benin. We expected changes in grazing behaviours of cattle and shifts

Documented increases in woody plant abundance worldwide can reduce land value and grazing capacity. Throughout many grasslands and savannas in South Africa, Seriphium plumosum, an encroaching woody plant, has been rapidly displacing desirable native species. Cost-effective management techniques are required, in order to prevent encroachment. However, the effects of fire and grazing on S. plumosum are

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) is widely cultivated in semiarid West Africa as a combined crop for human consumption and animal feed. In order to address the shortage of ruminant feed in Burkina Faso, we studied the potential of preparing silage from sorghum at various growth stages and analysed the main factors affecting silage fermentation, including the microbial population, chemical composition and

(2020). Conservation Biology in Sub-Saharan Africa. African Journal of Range & Forage Science. Ahead of Print.

Fulani pastoralists are widely distributed across the six geographical zones of Nigeria and migrate from north to south in search of natural grazing lands at times of forage scarcity. This migration leads annually to resource use conflict and deadly attacks between migrating pastoralists and sedentary arable farmers. These conflicts have generated heated scholarly debates over the last few decades

The 75 000 ha, hyper-arid area of Riemvasmaak represents one of the first land restitution cases in post-apartheid South Africa. People who were forcibly removed in 1974 were resettled in 1995. We describe the impact that people and domestic livestock have had on the vegetation of Riemvasmaak since resettlement. Matched photographs and botanical surveys undertaken at 10-year intervals (1995, 2005 and

Themeda triandra has bigeniculate hygroscopic lemma seed awns that twist when wet and drying, thereby transporting the caryopsis across the soil surface into suitable germination microsites. The prediction that awns would be longer in drier grassland and have greater motility to enable them to move quickly and farther to find scarce germination sites was tested in KwaZulu-Natal. Awns (n = 100) were

Rangeland management approaches, including rotational grazing, rely on assumptions about plant growth responses to the intensity, or severity (sward height) plus frequency, of defoliation. We tested these assumptions at the farm, patch and plant scale using data from a grazing management trial in an Eastern Cape mesic grassland of South Africa along with field plot and glasshouse pot experiments. The

The coexistence of a large herbivore community depends on the degree of overlap in the resource used by the different species composing it. We investigated the role of grass greenness, height, biomass and feeding patch status on feeding patch selection by ruminant black and blue wildebeest (Connochaetes gnou, Connochaetes taurinus), red hartebeest (Alcelaphus buselaphus) and non-ruminant plains zebra

Large herbivores form an essential component in the ecosystem, because of the impact that they have on their surrounding habitat. In this study, we aimed to evaluate some of the mechanisms behind how herbivores select forage at a patch scale. Thirty-six experimental plots were established and fitted with camera traps in Kruger National Park to test forage selectivity by grazers. Plots were manipulated

In order to improve crop productivity, farmers should have strategies for higher quantity and quality of forage without excessive inputs, like irrigation water. In order to assess forage quality of Amaranthus caudatus in response to irrigation levels (irrigation after 70, 140 and 210 mm of evaporation from class A pan) as main plots and foliar sprays of abscisic acid (ABA; 50 μM), salicylic acid (SA;

Invasive alien plants (IAPs) compromise the productive capability of a land parcel from both an economic and a biodiversity perspective. Given the magnitude of degradation and the benefits of landscape-scale restoration, a unified approach among stakeholders is required to upscale restoration efforts. Seeking such an approach, we compare the efficiencies of two restoration and land use models for the

In livestock-based livelihoods of the developing world, determination of the nutritive value of browse species is mainly associated with farmer perceptions. Additionally, little is known on seasonal variation in nutritive value of these species in some areas. Therefore, chemical analysis is necessary to validate farmer nutritive value ranking, because this has implications on rangeland management.

(2020). Livestock predation and its management in South Africa: A scientific assessment. African Journal of Range & Forage Science: Vol. 37, No. 3, pp. 243-244.

(2020). Aboveground-Belowground Community Ecology. African Journal of Range & Forage Science: Vol. 37, No. 3, pp. 245-246.

Revegetation of marginalised rangelands using pastoral halophytes is considered an appropriate scientific and environmental approach to rehabilitation. Atriplex halimus L. (Amaranthaceae), A. mollis Desf. (Amaranthaceae), Cenchrus ciliaris L. (Poaceae) and Lotus creticus L. (Fabaceae) are promising species for arid rangeland rehabilitation, because of their adaptation and palatability. Dry biomass

(2020). The Ecology of Browsing and Grazing II. African Journal of Range & Forage Science: Vol. 37, No. 2, pp. 197-198.

(2020). Aboveground-Belowground Community Ecology. African Journal of Range & Forage Science. Ahead of Print.

We investigated application of MaxEnt, a one-class classifier, in mapping the spatial distribution of Colophospermum mopane, Dichrostachys cinerea and Salvadora persica using drainage, elevation, slope, soil and Normalised Difference Vegetation Index as environmental variables. Model performance was evaluated based on the area under the ROC curve (AUC), Kappa and Total Skills Statistic. The AUC results

The potential for forage accumulated during periodic long rests to provide valuable winter grazing for livestock in heavily stocked communal rangelands in sourveld was assessed. In a continuously-grazed commonage at Ntshiqo in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, we measured seasonal patterns of biomass accumulation and forage quality under a short season rest (October–January), a full summer rest (October–June)

The study aimed to elucidating the seasonal variations of copper (Cu2+) and zinc (Zn2+) contents occurring in Atriplex canescens shrubs, as well as in surrounding soil. Cu and Zn concentrations were determined using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry. Data were compared with those reported in other Atriplex species from different regions of the world. The results disclosed that the highest plant