Rangeland monitoring and assessment: a review

Abstract

Climate change and adaptive land management in southern Africa-assessments, changes, challenges, and solutions. Biodiversity & Ecology, 6, Klaus Hess Publishers, Göttingen & Windhoek.

Advancements in the satellite sensing of the impacts of climate and variability on bush encroachment in savannah rangelands

“…This is equally valid within the context of the National Parks, where the abovementioned countries have seen the disruption of the wildlife migration patterns (Naidoo et al, 2012;Dube and Nhamo, 2020). Prolonged drought conditions can modify the response of vegetation growth to temperature change (Ramoelo et al, 2018), and some species can also gradually adjust to continuous warming by the acclimatisation of their physiological responses, which normally happens in the favour of woody plants (Liao et al, 2018).…”

“…The effects are observed in a change in the carrying-capacity and complexity of the vegetation. Other global change pressures, including rising temperatures and the increased occurrence of extreme events, such as droughts and erratic rainfall patterns, are also impacting the functioning of rangeland systems (Palmer and Bennett, 2013;Ramoelo et al, 2018).…”

“…Given the threats that are associated with bush encroachment, researchers have started to assess the possible causes (O'Connor et al, 2014), the effects (Palmer and Bennett, 2013;Dube and Pickup, 2001) and the management systems (Liao et al, 2018). Bush encroachment not only reduces the grazing capacity but it also reduces the functioning of the ecosystems, which affects the biodiversity and the annual Gross Domestic Product by 10-17% globally (Ramoelo et al, 2018).…”

Apportioning Human-Induced and Climate-Induced Land Degradation: A Case of the Greater Sekhukhune District Municipality

“…The spatial development framework of the Greater Sekhukhune District Municipality (GSDM) for instance reports that inappropriate agricultural practices, overgrazing and overstocking, especially in communal areas, are the main drivers of environmental degradation in the district [12]. Drought associated with unsustainable land use practices in arid and semi-arid regions has been reported to promote bush encroachment into rangelands, particularly in the savannah ecosystem, further degrading the land [13][14][15][16]. For instance, bush encroachment and alien species invasion reduce productivity of the rangeland ecosystem, and lead to LD, which affects livelihoods [16].…”

“…Drought associated with unsustainable land use practices in arid and semi-arid regions has been reported to promote bush encroachment into rangelands, particularly in the savannah ecosystem, further degrading the land [13][14][15][16]. For instance, bush encroachment and alien species invasion reduce productivity of the rangeland ecosystem, and lead to LD, which affects livelihoods [16]. Hence, early detection of dryland degradation increases the success of the proposed interventions.…”