Rehabilitation of arid rangelands: Intensifying water pulses from low-intensity winter rainfall

Hanke, Wiebke; Gröngröft, Alexander; Jürgens, Norbert; Schmiedel, Ute

doi:10.1016/j.jaridenv.2010.09.002

Cited by 9 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 60 publications

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“…This suggests that the improvement of the moisture content was not sufficient yet to sustain the newly established plants throughout the dry summer season. The better conditions for the re‐establishment of vegetation in restored gullies supports the findings by other studies that found lack of water a potentially limiting factor in restoration of plant cover in drylands (Hanke et al ., ; Vallejo et al ., ). Over the subsequent years, the accumulation of plant cover on the bare patches – even if it dies back during the dry season – is likely to have a mulching effect and increase soil moisture and will eventually facilitate the establishment of perennial vegetation cover throughout the year.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

The Ecological and Financial Impact of Soil Erosion and its Control – A Case Study from the Semiarid Northern Cape Province, South Africa

et al. 2016

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We analysed the extent of ecological damage of gully and inter-gully erosion in a sub-catchment situated in the drylands (300 mm yr À1 ) of the winter rainfall area of South Africa where small-stock farming on rangeland is the main source of income. We applied low-cost measures to revegetate the bare sites of the inter-gully erosion and stabilised gully erosion by loosening soil surfaces and applying geotextile and constructing check dams to reverse gully erosion. We compared vegetation cover, silt accumulation and penetration resistance of the soil upslope of the check dams with the situation downslope of the check dams and untreated gullies as controls. For the treated bare patches, we compared penetration resistance and vegetation cover with untreated controls. Two years after implementation, the restoration measures resulted in increased soil depth and vegetation cover upslope of the check dams and increased vegetation cover on the treated bare patches. We calculated the net present value of the restoration measures based on the financial benefit that a landowner can realistically expect under current economic and governance conditions (i.e. payment for additional livestock and for C sequestration). At the current rates of return for livestock production or carbon sequestration over a 20-year period, rehabilitation of this sort is not financially feasible for private landowners. Either the current payment for carbon sequestration would have to be increased by a magnitude of 40-80, or restoration measures would have to be funded by the public or private sector to make them financially viable for landowners.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

The Ecological and Financial Impact of Soil Erosion and its Control – A Case Study from the Semiarid Northern Cape Province, South Africa

et al. 2016

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“…In the Mu Us Sandland, the rainfall is in uneven inter- and intra-annual heterogeneity [19]. Generally the precipitation is mainly concentrated from July to September [21].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In arid and semiarid ecosystems, water is another important factor liming plant performance [19]. It is thus important to determine the extent to which trampling effects on plants are affected by water availability.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Trampling on Morphological and Mechanical Traits of Dryland Shrub Species Do Not Depend on Water Availability

Freitas

et al. 2013

PLoS ONE

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In semiarid drylands water shortage and trampling by large herbivores are two factors limiting plant growth and distribution. Trampling can strongly affect plant performance, but little is known about responses of morphological and mechanical traits of woody plants to trampling and their possible interaction with water availability. Seedlings of four shrubs (Caragana intermedia, Cynanchum komarovi, Hedysarum laeve and Hippophae rhamnoides) common in the semiarid Mu Us Sandland were grown at 4% and 10% soil water content and exposed to either simulated trampling or not. Growth, morphological and mechanical traits were measured. Trampling decreased vertical height and increased basal diameter and stem resistance to bending and rupture (as indicated by the increased minimum bend and break force) in all species. Increasing water availability increased biomass, stem length, basal diameter, leaf thickness and rigidity of stems in all species except C. komarovii. However, there were no interactive effects of trampling and water content on any of these traits among species except for minimum bend force and the ratio between stem resistance to rupture and bending. Overall shrub species have a high degree of trampling resistance by morphological and mechanical modifications, and the effects of trampling do not depend on water availability. However, the increasing water availability can also affect trade-off between stem strength and flexibility caused by trampling, which differs among species. Water plays an important role not only in growth but also in trampling adaptation in drylands.

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“…Second, a previous study conducted in the framework of this experiment showed that depletion of soil water was retarded in covered soils. After an average winter rainfall event, soils under the manure mulch had reached the wilting point 4 days, underneath the transplants 5 days, and underneath the brushpacks 10 days later compared with the control (Hanke et al ., ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tradeoffs in the Rehabilitation of a Succulent Karoo Rangeland

et al. 2013

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Rangeland rehabilitation has multiple, sometimes conflicting goals, such as the reestablishment of the predisturbance vegetation, soil protection, and forage production. The rehabilitation techniques should be also cost-effective and practicable. Given the difficulties and high costs of restoring Succulent Karoo rangelands and the continuously high grazing pressure in the communal lands, tradeoffs should be accepted in the achievement of these goals. We tested the capability of paddock manure redistribution to reverse degradation trends in a heavily grazed Succulent Karoo rangeland in South Africa. Over 3 years, the effects of the manure application were compared with areas planted with mature shrubs as a benchmark for a predisturbance vegetation structure and with four popular rehabilitation techniques: (1) livestock exclusion; (2) brushpacking (coverage of dead shrubs); (3) mineral fertilizing; and (4) microcatchment construction. Manure was, besides planting, the only treatment that resulted in a significant increase in drought-resistant vegetation cover, but it compromised the dominance of native vegetation. In the manure plots, a pasture-like vegetation of non-native forage plants (which germinated mainly from seeds in the dung), developed (foremost Atriplex semibaccata). Manure application counteracted erosion as effectively as the planted shrubs and brushpacks. Expected negative side effects such as a decrease in plant species richness or salinization of topsoil were not detected. We also checked the potential of topsoil salinization by the halophytic A. semibaccata and found it to be low. For sites where a decrease in grazing pressure is unrealistic under current land tenure, redistribution of manure should be further explored to mitigate acute symptoms of degradation.

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Rehabilitation of arid rangelands: Intensifying water pulses from low-intensity winter rainfall

Cited by 9 publications

References 60 publications

The Ecological and Financial Impact of Soil Erosion and its Control – A Case Study from the Semiarid Northern Cape Province, South Africa

The Ecological and Financial Impact of Soil Erosion and its Control – A Case Study from the Semiarid Northern Cape Province, South Africa

Effects of Trampling on Morphological and Mechanical Traits of Dryland Shrub Species Do Not Depend on Water Availability

Tradeoffs in the Rehabilitation of a Succulent Karoo Rangeland

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