Wildlife or livestock? New directions for developing communal rangelands in South Africa

The paper agrees with three fundamental points raised by Vetter (in this issue), whilst highlighting an emerging trend in wildlife land use, which should be considered in policy making. Firstly, the paper supports the argument that communal rangelands are important as objects of biodiversity conservation and, secondly, the argument that livestock production alone is not sufficient as a mechanism for alleviating poverty, but rather livelihoods diversification and multisectoral strategies are required for this purpose. Lastly, the paper supports the need for mechanisms to ensure tenure security for sustainable use of communal rangelands. I argue that the historical shift to wildlife land use previously observed on private farms in South Africa is now inevitable on communal rangelands and will require explicit consideration in the policy on communal rangelands. Although such development in the communal rangelands has potential to meet the important goals of livelihoods diversification as indicated by Vetter, it also has potential to threaten existing rural livelihoods. The paper suggests several issues to be considered as wildlife becomes part of the rural landscape in some areas, in addition to issues raised by Vetter relevant to policy making.     

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.     

Reforming communal rangeland policy in southern Africa: challenges,dilemmas and opportunities

In the savanna rangelands of southern Africa, the debate about land reform tends to be about the redistribution of formerly freehold ranches and fencing-off the rangeland commons into ranches for better-off African farmers. The position of those who favour privatisation has been strengthened by the belief that the only environmentally sound way to manage the range is to subdivide it into private ranches because traditional open-range pastoralism is environmentally destructive. This point of view is at variance with an ever-increasing body of research. Insufficient attention has been given to the sustainable nature of communal rangeland in savanna areas and to the needs of the poor who depend upon them. Following decades of policies that further reduced and fragmented the commonage, governments have the challenging task of developing and implementing policies for those whose livelihoods depend on more secure and sustainable access to the remaining communal rangelands.     

Efforts to improve Zimbabwe communal grazing areas: a review

The management of rangelands over the past decade in Zimbabwe has been on the decline. This has resulted in degraded and depleted communal rangelands. A number of recommendations by various government departments, researchers and non-governmental organisations have been implemented. These focused on improving communal grazing areas throughout the country. Notable examples include the livestock destocking policy, introduction of grazing schemes, improved forage grasses, veld legume reinforcement and agro-forestry technology. However, success in improving communal grazing areas has been limited, with forage productivity in communal areas declining, soils still eroding, as well as loss of flora and fauna diversity. The objectives of this paper are to review factors limiting efforts to improve communal grazing areas, constraints to adoption of rangeland technologies necessary to achieve desired plant community for livestock production, and present recommendations to overcome the challenges. The review concludes that there has been limited farmer participation in efforts to improve communal grazing areas and livestock productivity, thus the low adoption of technologies to improve the grazing areas. It is therefore recommended to use participatory approach methodologies to assist communal livestock farmers to improve their grazing areas.     

Multiple strategies for resilient livelihoods in communal areas of South Africa

Livestock farming in communal areas is an activity pursued by rural households as one of a range of livelihood strategies aimed at spreading risk. The cash and non-cash benefits derived from livestock, as well as the wide range of secondary resources harvested from communal rangelands, make an important contribution to livelihood diversification and, hence, resilience. Rural development policy should therefore not focus narrowly on commercialisation of livestock production in communal areas. Rather, it should take a multifaceted approach to building livelihood resilience while providing pathways for households to escape poverty through enhancing the multiple benefits of livestock, adding value to secondary rangeland resources, and expanding the rural non-farm economy.     

The good shepherd: remedying the fencing syndrome

In this paper the use of fenced grazing camps to manage the rangeland commons is challenged. A historical perspective is presented on fencing and rotational grazing in South Africa. Two case studies in KwaZulu-Natal and the Northern Cape illustrate the factors that influence the management of rangelands under communal land tenure without the use of fences. It is argued that herding is preferred over fencing. The reintroduction of herding could reap multiple benefits such as improving rural livelihoods, reviving customary practice, reducing stock theft, reducing predation and improving biodiversity management. The paper concludes with some issues for consideration when implementing herding as a multipurpose strategy for improved rural livelihoods and sustainable management of natural resources.     

农村集体建设用地流转中土地权属问题的研究

目前，农村集体建设用地流转过程中有关土地权属的一系列问题已成为人们关注的焦点。针对这一现象，本文对流转过程中的土地权属问题进行了总结，找出了产生这些问题的原因。并有针对性的提出了相应的对策和建议，以期能够促进农村集体建设用地的健康、有序、协调、稳定的发展。     

世界草学研究热点与发展趋势——第21届国际草地大会暨第8届草原大会学术交流要点

在百年奥运即将开幕前夕,我国草学界成功举办了第21届国际草地大会暨第8届草原大会。本届大会展示了世界变化中的草地/草原,强调了草地/草原的多功能性。学术交流热点主要表现在:世界草地/草原普遍面临着退化的威胁,面对草地/草原生态环境研发经费减少的挑战,要求科学家准确选题,把握学科发展的新方向。可持续发展已成为主流指导思想和原则,是评价系统成功与否的标准;分子技术和模型构建在某些系统的相关研究中发挥了重要作用;牧草在人类食物链中的作用越来越重要,主要体现在食物质量和数量2个方面;全球经济一体化背景下国际合作更显重要。在理解草地/草原自然科学基础上综合其服务功能评估、土地使用权、市场、复杂性与变化性,政策和综合系统等人文、政策因子,是实现和谐草原、建设和谐社会的基础。     

Land-use and land-cover changes and their drivers in rangeland-dependent pastoral communities in the southern Afar Region of Ethiopia

The present study was conducted in the southern Afar Region in Ethiopia to analyse the trends of land-use and land-cover changes and their drivers in the period 1985 to 2015 using remote sensing, field observation, focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews. A substantial loss of grassland cover (64.5%), moderate decline of cultivated land (24%) and a considerable increase in bush and shrub land cover (114.3%) occurred between 1985 and 2015. Consequently, pastoralist’s access to rangeland resources and farmlands was highly restricted, thus putting the pastoral production system under increasing threat. A 13.3% decline of bare land was also observed during the same period. The results further indicated that policy, climate change, and variability, biotic factors including population growth, overgrazing, Prosopis juliflora seed dispersal via livestock’s fecal droppings and seed germination potential of P. juliflora under moisture stress were the most important drivers of land-use and land-cover changes. Therefore, policy and strategies should be developed to control P. juliflora and give pastoralists full rights to their grazing land. Furthermore, there should be a strategy to strengthen the customary institution for effective management of rangeland resources.     

Degradation of communal rangelands in South Africa: towards an improved understanding to inform policy

In South Africa, the relative extent of range degradation under freehold compared to communal tenure has been strongly debated. We present a perspective on the processes that drive rangeland degradation on land under communal tenure. Our findings are based on literature as well as extensive field work on both old communal lands and ‘released’ areas, where freehold farms have been transferred to communal ownership. We discuss the patterns of degradation that have accompanied communal stewardship and make recommendations on the direction policy should follow to prevent further degradation and mediate rehabilitation of existing degraded land.     

Farmers’ perceptions of the causes of low reproductive performance in cows kept under low-input communal production systems in South Africa

The objective of the study was to determine farmers’ perceptions of the causes of low reproductive performance in Nguni cows raised on communal rangelands in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Data were collected using participatory rural appraisals and structured questionnaires that were administered to 551 randomly selected farmers from ten communities in the Eastern Cape. Cattle herd sizes ranged from 3 to 11 and were mainly composed of cows. Cattle sales were ranked as the most important use of cattle in all the villages. Tick-borne diseases and poor animal condition were reported as chief constraints of cattle production in most communities. More than 60% of the interviewees reported that the age at puberty and age at first calving for their cows varied between 18 and 36, and 24 and 48 months, respectively. About 95% of the respondents reported long calving intervals and low bull numbers as major causes of low reproductive performance in cows in the communal areas. It was concluded that farmers perceived delayed age at puberty and at first calving, long calving intervals and low bull numbers as the major causes of low reproductive performance in Nguni cows raised on communal rangelands in South Africa.     

Municipal commonage in South Africa: a critique of artificial dichotomies in policy debates on agriculture

The paper critiques Vetter's (in this issue) assertion that commercialisation of smallholder agriculture holds dangers for sustainable rangeland management. The paper argues that a range of policy options are required, including commercialisation and subsistence farming, large-scale and smallholder farming, a range of land tenure options, rural and peri-urban farming, and part-time farming. The case of municipal commonage land is useful to show the effectiveness of a flexible range of policy options regarding land ownership, farming scale and the social nature of farming. However, the key requirement, in all cases, is effective institutional development.     

Fire as a Land Management Tool: Rural Sector Perceptions of Burn-off Practice in New Zealand

Fire has long been used as a tool to remove pests and disease, regenerate land, and remove unwanted vegetation buildup. Although traditionally used as a widespread land management tool in the past, its continued use could be under threat due to public perceptions pertaining to risks from burns getting out of control, as well as the impacts of smoke pollution and ecological damage. To determine the attitudes of rural practitioners and residents toward use of fire as a land management tool, this paper reports the results, analysis, and interpretation to a survey question: “Do you feel fire is a good option for managing rural land?”, along with an analysis of key attitudes toward the use of fire as a land management tool. The survey was undertaken with 696 respondents consisting of (rural land managers, rural populace, and rural fire personnel) within New Zealand. The survey identified differing perceptions about the suitability of prescribed fire use by land-based sectors. Five constructs explained the attitudes toward use of fire as a land management tool: benefits of fire use, the tradition of fire as a tool, regulations and liabilities, smoke impacts from fire, and the risks from knowledge loss and changing land use. Results showed that a person’s high agreement with the construct concerning negative smoke impacts resulted in less agreement that fire was a good option for use in rural land management in New Zealand. Main demographics influencing a positive attitude toward the use of fire included gender (male), their current use of fire, and larger land area managed. For prescribed fire to continue to be a useful tool, an improved understanding of current management practices and clear guidelines around best practice in using fire in New Zealand to manage land are required, with particular emphasis on limiting smoke impacts.     

美国公共牧草地法治管理进程的经验借鉴与若干启示

通过文献梳理的方式阐明了美国公共牧草地法治化管理进程,并以立法节点为依据,划分为应对草地退化、确立多用途利用与联邦所有制、调整放牧费制度、修正立法及完善政策4个阶段,详述了各阶段的矛盾冲突、治理目标及政策手段,并总结特征。研究发现,草地经历严重退化后,联邦政府积极治理,以立法确立了公有制下的多用途使用原则。法治进程中,分类管理、放牧费制度、公有制、土地资源调查、市场化探索贯穿始终,法治管理手段不断完善,形成了稳定的治理格局。从现代产权制度看,草原资源公有制对资本主义私有制国家亦是一种有效的产权管理探索形式,在私有草原之外,形成了相对完善的法理体系和有效的法治治理基础。尽管中美两国政治经济体制、产权结构不同,但美国公共牧草地管理历程依然为中国提供了较为丰富的经验借鉴,研究认为,中国应在草原国有的公有制原则下,强化草原生态环境保护的法治化;清查草地资源,实施产责明晰的分类分级管理,同时开展生态与民生效益监测;将草原生态补偿及草原重点生态工程纳入常规化法治管理;充分发挥市场作用,实现生态产品多元化供给。     

Demography and dog-human relationships of the dog population in Zimbabwean communal lands

Dogs are Zimbabwe's primary vector for rabies, and the majority live in communal lands (traditional agropastoralist rural areas). In 1994, a household questionnaire survey was conducted to provide baseline data on the demography and dog-human relationships of the dogs in the communal lands. The survey showed that all the dogs were owned, and there was no evidence of a feral population. They were unrestricted and semi-dependent on people. The numbers of dogs per capita varied little in each communal land, resulting in higher dog densities in communal lands with higher human densities, and indicating that people were not intolerant of dogs at higher densities. The population turnover was rapid: the life expectancy of the dogs was 1.1 years, the mean age 2.0 years, and 71.8 per cent died in their first year. The population was heavily skewed towards juveniles, with 40.8 per cent aged less than 12 months. Despite the high juvenile mortality, the population was growing by 6.52 per cent per annum. It was estimated that in 1994 there were 1.36 million dogs in communal lands.     

Adaptive management for complex communal rangelands in South Africa

Many of the intransigent problems facing the world arise in complex systems. In this paper, I propose that communal rangelands in South Africa be recognised as complex social–ecological systems and that one of the reasons that development initiatives have had little impact on improving livelihoods and rangeland condition is that interventions have been based on reductionist thinking that has failed to recognise non-linearities and uncertainties in the system. This complexity resides in ecological, social and economic components of the system, and is characterised by dynamics operating at different scales within and beyond the boundaries of the rangelands. People and the environment are vulnerable to change in these systems from factors such as changing climate, economics, governance arrangements, as well as disasters. Policy that promotes adaptability and resilience, and is itself responsive to changing dynamics, should be sought. Complex systems modelling with an inclusive group of stakeholders holds potential for realising such policy.     

Long-term impacts of livestock grazing and browsing in the Succulent Karoo: a 20-year study of vegetation change under different grazing regimes in Namaqualand§

This study used a fence-line contrast approach to investigate the long-term impact of high grazing pressure on the vegetation at a site in Namaqualand, South Africa. Forty pairs of permanently marked plots were surveyed in 1996, 2006 and 2016. The main objective was to investigate changes in the vegetation structure and species composition between the near-continuously grazed communal rangelands and the relatively lightly grazed commercial rangelands over the 20-year period. The results showed a decline in total vegetation cover in both commercial and communal rangelands in 2016 relative to the two earlier sampling periods. This can be attributed to the low rainfall in 2016 and was due largely to a reduction in annual plant cover, especially on the communal rangeland. Perennial shrub species provide a fodder bank that can be utilised by livestock in times of drought and can buffer short-term deficits in forage supply. However, the annuals that dominate the vegetation of the communal rangeland do not form such fodder banks and consequently do not have the same multi-year buffering capacity as perennial shrubs. This provides the mechanism whereby long-term continuous grazing decreases resilience to rainfall fluctuations and increases livestock variability, thereby promoting non-equilibrium-type dynamics in the system.     

Collective Action,Innovation, and Wealth Generation Among Settled Pastoral Women in Northern Kenya

Collective action occurs when people join together to tackle problems of common interest. Collective action can be an effective means of group problem solving, especially among poorer residents of densely populated urban areas or farming systems. Few examples have been documented, however, for the lightly populated rangelands, where pastoralists are better known for their social independence and opportunistic behavior. We were therefore surprised to encounter dynamic women's collective-action groups in small settlements throughout north-central Kenya, a pastoral region characterized by high rates of poverty, few public services, recurrent drought, and ethnic conflict. We wanted to understand why groups were created and how they functioned. We used a semistructured questionnaire to interview representatives from 16 groups in February 2006. Results indicated that most groups had formed since the 1990s. They emerged either spontaneously or after encouragement from local development-agency staff. Founding members were exclusively women who were often illiterate and poor. Groups have elected leaders and are governed under constitutional frameworks with extensive bylaws. Groups form to improve living standards for members, and numerous success stories were noted. Groups undertake activities including microfinance, livelihood diversification, and mitigation of drought effects; they also spearhead and fund community education and health initiatives. A tally of 63 groups created over the previous 25 yr indicated that 2 had collapsed, 47 were thriving, and 14 were failing. Group failure was most attributed to poor leadership and negative interpersonal dynamics among members, but important external threats included drought, poverty, political incitement, illiteracy, and agitation by men. In a region beset by large challenges it is notable that such grassroots innovation can help fortify social, human, and financial capital and this, in turn, can improve risk management and human well-being. Collective action should be recognized as a vital development process in Kenya's rangelands that deserves more policy-level attention.     

羌塘牧民对“退牧还草”工程的认知与响应

“退牧还草”工程对促进退化草地的生态恢复及改善牧民生活水平具有重要意义。本研究采用问卷调查和小型座谈相结合的方法,对藏北羌塘地区6县10乡(镇)的100户牧民进行抽样调查,分析了牧民对“退牧还草”工程的社会认知与政策响应。结果表明,大多数牧民认可并支持“退牧还草”工程,81%的牧民认为工程能有效促进草地恢复;依据草原保护奖励机制(试点)补偿标准,74%的牧民支持长期(10年以上)的生态补偿;考虑生态移民后的生计保障问题,52%的牧民不愿意移民到城镇。因此,有必要及时完善“退牧还草”工程及草原生态保护奖励机制并使其与生态移民工程相结合,以实现西藏羌塘牧区生态、社会与经济的共赢局面。     

Cattle herd vulnerability to rainfall variability: responses to two management scenarios in southern Ethiopia

We examine how the system of grazing management of cattle in savanna rangelands affects the herd response to drought. We have used long-term time series data to evaluate the effects of management on drought-induced cattle mortality using traditional livestock management practices. There was no control of stocking densities, as compared to a government ranch where stocking densities would be adjusted in accordance with available pasture. We tested the responses under two scenarios. Scenario 1: Response of cattle herds to inter-annual rainfall variability (IRV) under a regulated grazing management system; this provides more reliable predictions of cattle population and performance in terms of herd mortality and calving rates than does the communal land use system. Scenario 2: Regardless of the management system, similar trends in cattle populations will be observed in response to IRV. The results of the study showed that fluctuations in cattle numbers, herd mortality and calving rates were highly correlated with IRV, with stronger linear impacts in accordance with scenario 2. In both management systems, cattle herd sizes and calving rates declined during periods of drought, followed by slow recovery. Cattle populations in Borana rangelands in southern Ethiopia did not recover for a period of two decades. We conclude that a management system based on control of stocking densities did not improve herd survival, as compared with traditional drought management strategies. This contradicts common expectations. Increased drought frequencies aggravated cattle mortality and lowered calving rates. The implication of the findings is that regardless of adjusted stocking density, livestock populations in the arid savanna ecosystems of southern Ethiopia remain at risk from climate change.