Carbon Stock and Change Rate under Different Grazing Management Practices in Semiarid Pastoral Ecosystem of Eastern Ethiopia

Abstract

Grazing management strategies tend to have different effects on rangeland plant production. Changes in grazing management can, therefore, affect the carbon stock potential of rangelands. Despite rangeland ecosystems being important global sinks for carbon, we know relatively little about the effect of traditional grazing management practices on their potential to store carbon. In this study, we evaluated the carbon stock and change rate of rangelands using three traditional grazing management practices in the semiarid pastoral ecosystem of eastern Ethiopia. By comparing data on vegetation and soil carbon stocks, we found that there was a strong significant difference (p < 0.001) between these different management practices. In particular, the establishment of enclosures was associated with an annual increase in carbon stocks of soil (3%) and woody (11.9%) and herbaceous (57.6%) biomass, when compared to communal open lands. Both enclosure and browsing management practices were found to have the highest levels of soil organic carbon stocks, differing only in terms of the amount of woody and herbaceous biomass. Thus, modest changes in traditional grazing management practices can play an important role in carbon storage and sequestration. Further research is required on a wider range of traditional pastoral management practices across space and time, as understanding these processes is key to combating global climate change.

The role of slope as an environmental variable in plant biodiversity change in Aegean rangelands by SHE analysis: The case of Çakmar rangeland

“…Although the slope percentages in the experiment had lower percentages than the average slopes in Türkiye, factors such as duration of illumination, grazing time of animals, and rainfall revealed that slope may be important in plant biodiversity. Research has shown that the slope of rangelands plays a significant role in determining the utilization rate and forage quality of the area Kara (2020) and affects the vegetation dynamics (Gebremedhn et al, 2023). Specifically, high-altitude sites and slopes facing east and southwest should be given priority in rangeland rehabilitation studies due to heavy grazing pressure versus low forage production (Kara, 2020).…”

The dynamics of vegetation diversity and biomass under traditional grazing in Ethiopia's Somali rangeland

“…The area experiences two rainy seasons annually: the main season from July to September and a shorter season from March to April. With an average annual rainfall of 660 mm (Gebremedhn et al., 2022 ), the region predominantly features sandy loam soils (Alemie & Gebremedhin, 2019 ). Temperatures remain high year‐round, averaging between 20°C and 35°C (Gezahegn, 2006 ).…”

Traditional Grazing Management Practices Affect Vegetation Dynamics in the Somali Pastoral Ecosystem of Ethiopia

“…This area experiences two rainy seasons: the main season occurs from July to September, and the shorter one is from March to April. The average annual rainfall in the area is 660 mm (Gebremedhn et al , 2022) and the soils are mainly sandy loams (Alemie and Gebremedhin, 2019). The temperature is generally high throughout the year, with mean minimum values around 20 °C and mean maximum values around 35 °C (Gezahegn, 2006).…”

“…The communal open grazing area represents the most common land-use system in the Somali rangelands. For a detail description of the management systems of the field sites see Gebremedhn et al, (2022).…”