Investigating criteria for valuation of forage resources by local agro-pastoralists in West Africa: using quantitative ethnoecological approach

Abstract

BackgroundThis paper provides an insightful quantitative ethnoecological analysis and affirms that agro-pastoralists have a multiplicity of criteria for valuating their natural forage resources. Rural households in West Africa are not only confronted with water resource scarcity but also have to cope with limited forage resources to feed livestock in both wet and dry seasons based on local knowledge. Local agro-pastoral social-ecological systems (SESs) in the study areas stem from the daily utilization of available forage resources by dominant domestic livestock (cattle, goats, and sheep) over the years. However, there is very little systematic knowledge documentation on forage-related valuation criteria in this part of the world. Hence, this study aimed at examining (1) forage resources used for different seasons and livestock types, (2) explicit forage-related valuation criteria and associated salience, and (3) effects of socio-demographic and climatic aridity on local valuation criteria.MethodsTo address these aims, a total of 526 individual ethnoecological interviews (encompassing Dagbani, Gurunsi, and Mossi ethnic groups) were conducted in 16 villages coupled with vegetation sampling of 144 plots in Ghana and Burkina Faso. Rigorous model selection, generalized linear mixed-effects models, cognitive salience indices, and descriptive statistics were applied.ResultsThe results revealed that majority (73%) of the agro-pastoralists regarded herbaceous forage plants to be very palatable for livestock consumption in the rainy season and for cattle while woody vegetation and crop-related forage plants were rather perceived to be more important in the dry season and for goats and sheep. The findings also indicated that climatic aridity significantly influenced the number of forage-related valuation criteria cited by agro-pastoralists for different seasonal and livestock types (p < 0.001). It was also found out that agro-pastoralists did not only judge forage plants based on their availability but also on other criteria such as palatability, stimulation of milk production, and healthy growth of livestock.ConclusionLocal agro-pastoralists’ knowledge on natural forage resources and their valuation criteria is geared towards sustainable domestic livestock production. This study is thus interesting and crucially important for fellow scientists, policy-makers, and other stakeholders in the agricultural production sector in local farming landscapes within West Africa and beyond.

Changes in traditional ecological knowledge of forage plants in immigrant villages of Ningxia, China

“…To investigate forage knowledge, the villagers were asked to fully describe the plant parts (e.g., leaves, stems, roots, fruits, or inflorescence) that can be used for feeding livestock [55] and palatability (e.g., amount, juicy texture, sweet taste, bitter taste) [2]. The villagers provided information regarding the different adaptive strategies of feeding cattle and sheep in spring, summer, autumn, and winter [4]. In addition, the details regarding how to use the plants as forage were explained.…”

“…Prior to the study, informed consent was obtained from all participants regarding the interview procedures. The demographic characteristics, including gender, age, education level, and occupation, are presented in Table 3 [4, 8].…”

“…This plays an important role in maintaining the positive development of agricultural and animal husbandry socioecological systems [3]. Local farmers’ and herdsmen’ traditional knowledge of forage plants, gained from local livelihoods and cultures that rely on natural herbage [4], plays an important role in regional biodiversity protection [5]. Farmers and herdsmen in areas with a long history of rearing livestock have a rich knowledge of forage plants, which has been recorded in the countries such as Morocco, West Africa, Brazil, Ethiopia, Pakistan, and Austria [2, 4, 6–10] to provide techniques and strategies for utilization, classification management, and sustainable development of forage plant resources.…”

“…Local farmers’ and herdsmen’ traditional knowledge of forage plants, gained from local livelihoods and cultures that rely on natural herbage [4], plays an important role in regional biodiversity protection [5]. Farmers and herdsmen in areas with a long history of rearing livestock have a rich knowledge of forage plants, which has been recorded in the countries such as Morocco, West Africa, Brazil, Ethiopia, Pakistan, and Austria [2, 4, 6–10] to provide techniques and strategies for utilization, classification management, and sustainable development of forage plant resources. As a contracting party of the Convention on Biological Diversity, China has made active efforts to protect and record traditional knowledge associated with biodiversity and biological resources over the past two decades [11, 12].…”

“A herder’s duty is to think”: landscape partitioning and folk habitats of Mongolian herders in a mountain forest steppe (Khuvsugul-Murun region)

“…Whereas traditional ecological knowledge of African pastoralist communities is well-documented (e.g., [6, 8, 23–26]), herder communities in northern regions are less often studied. One of the most famous groups of pastoralists is the nomadic and semi-nomadic Mongolian pastoralists.…”