Pathways for Positive Cattle–Wildlife Interactions in Semiarid Rangelands

Augustine, David J.; Veblen, Kari E.; Goheen, Jacob R.; Riginos, Corinna; Young, Truman P.

doi:10.5479/si.00810282.632.55

Cited by 63 publications

(85 citation statements)

References 65 publications

(84 reference statements)

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“…As such, they have considerable multipurpose value. A key component of dryland ecosystem management is maintaining the proportions of herbaceous and woody plants within a range that satisfies a given set of objectives and values, some of which may be conflicting (e.g., wildlife vs. livestock, Du Toit et al 2010;Augustine et al 2011). Perspectives on woody plants in rangelands vary widely depending on cultural traditions and land-use goals and objectives.…”

Section: Fig 213mentioning

confidence: 99%

Woody Plant Encroachment: Causes and Consequences

et al. 2017

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Woody vegetation in grasslands and savannas has increased worldwide over the past 100-200 years. This phenomenon of "woody plant encroachment" (WPE) has been documented to occur at different times but at comparable rates in rangelands of the Americas, Australia, and southern Africa. The objectives of this chapter are to review (1) the process of WPE and its causes, (2) consequences for ecosystem function and the provision of services, and (3) the effectiveness of management interventions aimed at reducing woody cover. Explanations for WPE require consideration of multiple interacting drivers and constraints and their variation through time at a given site. Mean annual precipitation sets an upper limit to woody plant cover, but local patterns of disturbance (fire, browsing) and soil properties (texture, depth) prevent the realization of this potential. In the absence of these constraints, seasonality, interannual variation, and intensity of precipitation events determine the rate and extent of woody plant expansion. Although probably not a triggering factor, rising atmospheric CO 2 levels may have favored C 3 woody plant growth. WPE coincided with the global intensification of livestock grazing that by reducing fine fuels, hence fire frequency and intensity, facilitated WPE. From a conservation perspective, WPE threatens the maintenance of grassland and savanna

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Section: Fig 213mentioning

confidence: 99%

Woody Plant Encroachment: Causes and Consequences

et al. 2017

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“…This argument generally takes precedence over any threat that livestock grazing might cause to the environment. In fact, the benefits of cattle grazing in maintaining a rich assembly of wildlife in these areas are well recognised by conservancy managers (KII 14,19,32) and documented by several studies (Augustine et al 2011;Muchiru et al 2008). …”

Section: Conservancies and Livestock Grazingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trade-offs for climate-resilient pastoral livelihoods in wildlife conservancies in the Mara ecosystem, Kenya

Bedelian

Ogutu

2017

Pastoralism

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Pastoralists in the wildlife-rich East African rangelands use diversification into conservation and tourism as a strategy to supplement livestock-based livelihoods and to spread risk. Tourism incomes are an important alternative source during drought, when livestock incomes decline. However, tourism may also reduce access to rangeland resources, and an abundant wildlife may destroy crops and injure, kill or transmit disease to livestock or people. This paper investigates the ability of wildlife conservancies in the Mara, Kenya, to act as an alternative for pastoralists that mitigates risks and maintains resilience in a changing climate. It analyses data to examine how conservancies contribute to and integrate with pastoral livelihoods, and to understand how pastoralists are managing their livestock herds in response to conservancies. It finds conservancy payments can provide an important, reliable, all-year-round source of income and prevent households from selling their animals during stress and for cash needs. Conservancies also retain grass banks during the dry season and provide opportunities for pastoralists to access good-quality forage. However, they reduce access to large areas of former grazing land and impose restrictions on livestock mobility. This affects the ability of pastoralists to remain flexible and able to access seasonally variable resources. Conflicts between grazing and conservancies may also heighten during drought times. Furthermore, income from land leases is not more than the contribution of livestock, meaning conservancy land leases create trade-offs for livestock-based livelihoods. Also, income is based on land ownership, which has inequity implications: women and other marginalised groups are left out.

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“…Grazers attracted to glades could potentially promote tree establishment by reducing grass competition and fire frequency or intensity (Roques et al 2001;van Langevelde et al 2003;Riginos and Young 2007). However, the mixed-feeder herbivores most attracted to glades probably contribute to the maintenance of these treeless sites both directly, by browsing on A. drepanolobium seedlings, and indirectly, by increasing grass productivity through fertilization (Odadi 2010;Augustine et al 2011;van der Waal et al 2011). Thus, our results suggest that loss of either livestock (which initiate glade formation) or wildlife (which help to maintain glades) from this savanna ecosystem could lead to homogenization of the landscape, with negative consequences for biodiversity.…”

Section: Implications For Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Grasses and browsers reinforce landscape heterogeneity by excluding trees from ecosystem hotspots

Porensky

Veblen

2011

Oecologia

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Spatial heterogeneity in woody cover affects biodiversity and ecosystem function, and may be particularly influential in savanna ecosystems. Browsing and interactions with herbaceous plants can create and maintain heterogeneity in woody cover, but the relative importance of these drivers remains unclear, especially when considered across multiple edaphic contexts. In African savannas, abandoned temporary livestock corrals (bomas) develop into long-term, nutrient-rich ecosystem hotspots with unique vegetation. In central Kenya, abandoned corral sites persist for decades as treeless 'glades' in a wooded matrix. Though glades are treeless, areas between adjacent glades have higher tree densities than the background savanna or areas near isolated glades. The mechanisms maintaining these distinctive woody cover patterns remain unclear. We asked whether browsing or interactions with herbaceous plants help to maintain landscape heterogeneity by differentially impacting young trees in different locations. We planted the mono-dominant tree species (Acacia drepanolobium) in four locations: inside glades, far from glades, at edges of isolated glades and at edges between adjacent glades. Within each location, we assessed the separate and combined effects of herbivore exclusion (caging) and herbaceous plant removal (clearing) on tree survival and growth. Both caging and clearing improved tree survival and growth inside glades. When herbaceous plants were removed, trees inside glades grew more than trees in other locations, suggesting that glade soils were favorable for tree growth. Different types of glade edges (isolated vs. non-isolated) did not have significantly different impacts on tree performance. This represents one of the first field-based experiments testing the separate and interactive effects of browsing, grass competition and edaphic context on savanna tree performance. Our findings suggest that, by excluding trees from otherwise favorable sites, both herbaceous plants and herbivores help to maintain functionally important landscape heterogeneity in African savannas.

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Pathways for Positive Cattle–Wildlife Interactions in Semiarid Rangelands

Cited by 63 publications

References 65 publications

Woody Plant Encroachment: Causes and Consequences

Woody Plant Encroachment: Causes and Consequences

Trade-offs for climate-resilient pastoral livelihoods in wildlife conservancies in the Mara ecosystem, Kenya

Grasses and browsers reinforce landscape heterogeneity by excluding trees from ecosystem hotspots

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