The good shepherd: remedying the fencing syndrome

Extensively managed grasslands are recognized globally for their high biodiversity and their social and cultural values. However, their capacity to deliver multiple ecosystem services (ES) as parts of agricultural systems is surprisingly understudied compared to other production systems. We undertook a comprehensive overview of ES provided by natural and semi‐natural grasslands, using southern Africa (SA) and northwest Europe as case studies, respectively. We show that these grasslands can supply additional non‐agricultural services, such as water supply and flow regulation, carbon storage, erosion control, climate mitigation, pollination, and cultural ES. While demand for ecosystems services seems to balance supply in natural grasslands of SA, the smaller areas of semi‐natural grasslands in Europe appear to not meet the demand for many services. We identified three bundles of related ES from grasslands: water ES including fodder production, cultural ES connected to livestock production, and population‐based regulating services (e.g., pollination and biological control), which also linked to biodiversity. Greenhouse gas emission mitigation seemed unrelated to the three bundles. The similarities among the bundles in SA and northwestern Europe suggest that there are generalities in ES relations among natural and semi‐natural grassland areas. We assessed trade‐offs and synergies among services in relation to management practices and found that although some trade‐offs are inevitable, appropriate management may create synergies and avoid trade‐offs among many services. We argue that ecosystem service and food security research and policy should give higher priority to how grasslands can be managed for fodder and meat production alongside other ES. By integrating grasslands into agricultural production systems and land‐use decisions locally and regionally, their potential to contribute to functional landscapes and to food security and sustainable livelihoods can be greatly enhanced.

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“…The traditional herding system for cattle keeping is an integral part of social cohesion in rural landscapes (Salomon et al. ).…”

Section: Cultural Ecosystem Services From Grasslandsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Livestock keeping plays an important role in the cultural-economic history of SA (Ainslie 2013). The traditional herding system for cattle keeping is an integral part of social cohesion in rural landscapes (Salomon et al 2013).…”

Section: Cultural Aspects Of Livestockmentioning

confidence: 99%

Grasslands—more important for ecosystem services than you might think

et al. 2019

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“…Central to this tenure reform must be an understanding of rangeland commons as complex socio-ecological systems and a clear recognition of the need for flexible boundaries in vi resource management (e.g. Allsopp 2013, Hall and Cousins 2013, Salomon et al 2013, which would enable multiple (but clearly defined) user groups to gain access to resources at different times of the year and have recognised rights to do so.…”

Section: From Debate To Policy Formationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Salomon et al (2013), drawing on empirical evidence from the Northern Cape, show how herding in the Leliefontein communal area in Namaqualand is practised on an adaptive management basis, the criteria for which include the availability of and quality of fodder, water availability and drought as well as recognised grazing boundaries between villages and grazing patterns of other herders in the area. This enables livestock to access adequate forage, minimises theft and predation, and also allows resting of areas of the rangeland.…”

Section: Evaluating the Debates Around The Rangeland Commonsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Aligning policy with the socio-ecological dynamics of rangeland commons

Bennett

Salomon

Letty

et al. 2013

African Journal of Range & Forage Science

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“…The crop fields are small (about 1 ha), typically low yielding and rain fed, and vegetable gardens are watered by small-scale rainwater harvesting solutions (Kongo and Jewitt 2006, Sturdy et al 2008, Mansour et al 2013, Salomon et al 2013, Smith et al 2014. Maize is the main crop, followed by bean varieties, with all the cultivation taking place in summer and harvest in autumn.…”

Section: The Farmsmentioning

confidence: 99%

On the other side of the ditch: exploring contrasting ecosystem service coproduction between smallholder and commercial agriculture

Malinga¹,

Jewitt²,

Lindborg³

et al. 2018

E&S

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Managing for increased multifunctionality of agricultural landscapes is a crucial step toward a sustainable global agriculture. We studied two contrasting agricultural landscapes that exist in parallel on two sides of a ditch in the South African Drakensberg Mountains. The large-scale commercial and smallholder farmers operate within a similar biophysical context but have different farming intensities, management practices, socioeconomic positions, ethnic identities, cultural contexts, and land tenure systems. To assess multifunctionality, we examined the ecosystem services coproduced within these two social-ecological systems, by applying a mixed-method approach combining in-depth interviews, participatory mapping, and expert assessments. The results indicate clear differences between the two farming systems and farmer groups in terms of supply, demand, and the capacity of the farmers to influence ecosystem service production within their landscapes. Commercial farmers can generally produce agricultural products to meet their demand and have the capacity to mitigate land degradation and erosion. Smallholder food production is low, and the demand for ecosystem services is high. Since the smallholders lack the resources to mitigate unsustainable use, this leads to overuse and land degradation. Both landscape types manifest aspects of multifunctionality but vary in the outcomes. Unequal access to land; skills; and natural, financial, and technical resources can hamper multifunctionality and the development toward an equitable and sustainable agriculture in South Africa.

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The good shepherd: remedying the fencing syndrome

Cited by 12 publications

References 28 publications

Grasslands—more important for ecosystem services than you might think

Grasslands—more important for ecosystem services than you might think

Aligning policy with the socio-ecological dynamics of rangeland commons

On the other side of the ditch: exploring contrasting ecosystem service coproduction between smallholder and commercial agriculture

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