Towards sustainable grassland and livestock management

Abstract

SUMMARYGrasslands are one of the world's major ecosystems groups and over the last century their use has changed from being volunteer leys, or a resource on non-arable land, to a productive resource equal to any crop and managed as such. Many grasslands are now being acknowledged as having a multifunctional role in producing food and rehabilitating crop lands, in environmental management and cultural heritage. However, grasslands across the globe are under increasing pressure from increasing human populations, reduced areas with increasing livestock numbers, and declining terms of trade for livestock production, and they are managed to varying degrees of effectiveness. The complexity of grassland uses and the many aspects of grassy ecosystems require a framework wherein solutions for better management can be developed. The present paper discusses a generic approach to grassland management to satisfy these multiple objectives. A focus on ecosystem functionality, i.e. on water, nutrient and energy cycling and on the biodiversity required to sustain those functions, provides a means of resolving the dilemmas faced, through the intermediary, management-related, criteria of herbage mass, which also relates directly to animal production. Emphasis is placed on the opportunities to satisfy multiple objectives. A consideration of the basic relationships between stocking rate and animal production shows that the longer-term, economically optimal stocking rate is associated with improved environmental outcomes. There may be environmental objectives that go beyond economically sustainable limits for livestock producers and in those cases direct payments from the government or others will be needed. These are likely to be where degradation is clearly apparent. The achievement of desirable outcomes in grassland management that satisfy multiple objectives will require new areas of research that seek viable solutions for farmers and society.

The importance of grasslands for animal production and other functions: a review on management and methodological progress in the tropics

“…hunting, fishing, ecotourism; Kemp and Michalk, 2007); (ix) catchment areas for water supply to control runoff and to maintain water quality for urban supply and estuarine and marine environments; and (x) the contribution to the national identity and to cultural and religious aspects of rural societies. In many countries these are important for social stability and social structures (FAO, 2009).…”

“…Solutions to such issues are complicated by the need to meet the short-term and long-term needs of those whose livelihoods depend on grasslands. There are more than 800 million in the world with very low income, and an additional 200 million in the more marginalarid and semi-arid areas, who are highly dependent on grasslands for their livelihoods Kemp and Michalk, 2007;McDermott et al, 2010;Ayantunde et al, 2011).…”

Improved estimation of nitrogen uptake in grasslands using the nitrogen dilution curve

“…During the past 50 years, grasslands have been increasingly managed to support growing agricultural demands (Gibon 2005;Kemp and Michalk 2007). The application of nitrogen (N) to grassland is one of the major management tools farmers have to influence yield and quality.…”

Herders’ opinions about desirable stocking rates and overstocking in the rangelands of northern China

“…However, 90% of useable grasslands are degraded because of over-grazing, improper reclamation and adverse effects of droughts exacerbated by climate change (Li 1999;Liu et al 2002;MEP 2006;Li et al 2008;Yang 2010). Many studies have shown that lower stocking rates are necessary for rehabilitating degraded rangelands (Ellison 1960;Hilbert et al 1981;Dyer et al 1986;Kaiser 1998;Kemp and Michalk 2007;Zheng et al 2011). In order to remediate grassland degradation, the government has proposed the 'balancing animals and grass' policy.…”

“…Many researchers have explored the technologies and methods by which herders could reduce livestock numbers and still make profits (Kemp and Michalk 2007;Zhao and Ba 2009;Han et al 2011;Takahashi and Jones 2011;Zheng et al 2011;Yang et al 2012). The Chinese government has also implemented a series of policies to encourage herders to reduce livestock numbers.…”