• فهرس المقالات Grazing system

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        1 - The Effects of Deferred Grazing System on Vegetation Parameters in Semi-Arid Rangelands (Case Study: Jashlubar, Semnan, Iran)
        Mojgansadat Azimi Moslem Mozafari
        Rangeland management plan is one of the major means of management and utilization of rangelands in Iran. The formulation of these plans for the rangeland users should be studied from the ecological and socio-economic points of view. One of the main envisaged activities أکثر
        Rangeland management plan is one of the major means of management and utilization of rangelands in Iran. The formulation of these plans for the rangeland users should be studied from the ecological and socio-economic points of view. One of the main envisaged activities in almost all the management plans is the grazing system. An experiment was used to study the effects of three deferred grazing systems (15, 30, 45 days delay) and control treatment (Non- grazed) on vegetation parameters in semi-arid rangelands of Jashlubar in Semnan province. The experiment was conducted using a completely randomized block design (RCBD) with three replications over 6 years (2006-2011). In each experimental unit, data from three life forms of vegetation (shrub, forbs and grasses) were collected along a 30 m transect within ten fixed quadrates (0.5 × 0.6 m2) appropriate to vegetation sizes. In addition, forage productions of two life forms (forbs and grasses) were collected over 5 years. Data were analyzed using SAS software and means comparison was made based on Duncan’s method. The results showed the significant effects of deferred grazing systems on the growth of shrubs in terms of canopy cover. However, there were no significant differences between treatments for canopy cover percent of forbs and grasses. The lowest shrub canopy cover was obtained in 45-day delay of grazing. There were also significant effects of deferred grazing systems (15, 30 and 45 days delay) on forage production of both forbs and grasses (P<0.05). Result of means comparison showed that the best delay time for the rangeland utilization of this area considering the annual precipitation is the 15-day delay with the highest forage production for forbs and grasses and the highest cover percent for shrubs. تفاصيل المقالة
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        2 - Soil Organic Carbon Content and Stocks in Relation to Grazing Management in Semi-Arid Grasslands of Kenya
        Hillary Rotich Richard Onwonga Judith Mbau Oscar Koech
        Rangelands cover approximately 85% of Kenya’s land mass and is a major resource for livestock farming with a considerable potential to mitigate climate change, yet these lands are stressed differently by various management. Our study aimed at determining the influ أکثر
        Rangelands cover approximately 85% of Kenya’s land mass and is a major resource for livestock farming with a considerable potential to mitigate climate change, yet these lands are stressed differently by various management. Our study aimed at determining the influence of grazing management systems (rotational, continuous and ungrazed) on soil organic carbon stocks in Yoani ranch located in the southern rangelands of Kenya (2016). This research was conducted on a commercial grazing ranch, a section of it was converted from continuous grazing into rotational grazing and has been under rotational grazing for 11 years during the time the research was conducted. Within the same ranch, there was a section with similar geomorphology and soils as the rotationally grazed which was not converted and has been continuously grazed for over 30 years to represent the continuous grazing system. The ungrazed area consists of an abandon section of the ranch for more than 30 years due to a deep gully which was formed by gully erosion creating an isolated area inaccessible by livestock. Soil samples were taken up to a depth of 1.2m, at an interval of 0-10, 10-20 cm, 20-30 cm, 30-60 cm, 60-90 cm and 90-120 cm. The difference between soil sampling depths is because the upper layer between 0-30 cm is more dynamic with respect to soil microbial activities which can be influenced by grazing as compared to the deeper depths along the soil profile. The ungrazed site recorded significantly (P<0.5) higher soil organic carbon concentrations than rotational and continuously grazed sites for all soil layers up to 1.2m depth. The rotationally grazed site had higher soil organic carbon concentrations across depths compared to continuously grazing system which was attributed to grazing management effects. تفاصيل المقالة
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        3 - Projected Changes in Soil Organic Carbon Stocks over a 50-Year Period under Different Grazing Management Systems in Semi-Arid Grasslands of Kenya
        Hillary Rotich Richard Onwonga Oscar Koech Judith Mbau
        Rangeland cover approximately 85% of Kenya’s land mass and is a major resource for livestock farming with a considerable potential to mitigate climate change, yet these lands are stressed differently by various management. Our study aimed at predicting the long-te أکثر
        Rangeland cover approximately 85% of Kenya’s land mass and is a major resource for livestock farming with a considerable potential to mitigate climate change, yet these lands are stressed differently by various management. Our study aimed at predicting the long-term changes in Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) in grazing lands of Kenya under different grazing management systems (rotational, continuous and ungrazed), for a 50-year period using RothC 26.3. This research was conducted on a commercial grazing ranch which practices the two grazing management systems. Soil samples were collected at the depths of 0-10, 10-20 and 20-30 cm for the determination of soil organic carbon concentrations and bulk densities, results were later used for running the RothC model. The predicted results showed that the rate of SOC stock [t/ha] was higher under rotational grazing system in comparison to ungrazed and continual grazing system for the modelling period of 2015-2064. In the absence of grazing, the system was predicted to accumulate 19.22 Mg C ha-1 of SOC at the rate of 0.369 Mg C ha-1yr-1, whereas rotational grazing system was predicted to accumulate 30.46 Mg C ha-1 at the rate of 0.61 Mg C ha-1yr-1. The continual grazing management system resulted in the accrual of 18.49 Mg C ha-1 at the rate of 0.37 Mg C ha-1 yr-1 over 50 years. Thus, rotationally grazing management system have the potential of accumulating soil organic carbon in semi-arid grasslands. تفاصيل المقالة