Rangeland dynamics in South Omo Zone of Southern Ethiopia: Assessment of rangeland condition in relation to altitude and Grazing types

摘要

AstudywasundertakeninHamerandBenna-TsemaydistrictsoftheSouthernEthiopiawiththeobjectivetodeterminetheconditionoftherangelandsforgrazinganimalsasinfluencedbyaltitudeandgrazingtypes.nbsp;Therangelandsineachofthestudydistrictswerestratifiedbasedonaltitudeandgrazingtypes.nbsp;Inthestudydistricts,atotalof32,3,2,7and29speciesofgrasses,legumes,sedges,otherherbaceousplantsandwoodyspecieswereidentified,respectively.Thecommonand/ordominantgrassspeciesintheenclosureswasCenchrusciliariswhileinthecommunalgrazingareastheywereCynodondactylonandTetrapogontennulis.Inriversidegrazingareas,thecommonand/ordominantgrassspecieswasCynodondactylon.Thetotalgrassbiomassofcommunal,riversideandenclosureareasfoundinthedifferentaltitudecategoriesofthestudydistrictsrangedfrom398-503;98-626,and1,132#8211;1,209kg/ha,respectively.Thecommonand/ordominantwoodyspeciesinthecommunalgrazingareaswerehighlypalatablespeciesofAcaciatortilisandGrewiabicolorandlesspalatableSolanumspecies.Inriversidegrazingareas,thecommonand/ordominantwoodyplantswerespeciesofAcaciatortilis,Grewiabicolor,andSolanumspecieswhileintheenclosures;AcaciabrevispicaandAcaciatortiliswerefound.Thewoodyvegetationdensityperhectareofcommunal,riversideandenclosureareasinthedifferentaltitudecategoriesofthestudydistrictsrangedfrom2,501-3,021;2251-3,021,and201-700,wd/harespectivelywhichshowedthatthecommunalandriversidegrazingareaswerebushencroached.Therangeconditionscoresrangedfrom17.87-20.38(communal),22-27(riverside),31.05-31.2(enclosures)whichwerepoor,fairandgoodconditionclasses,respectively.Similarly,withregardtothesamevariablethescoredvariedfromnbsp;22-32.87,19.73-31.43,17.97-31.44and17.87-31.28%nbsp;inaltitudesnbsp;1550m,1250-1550m,900-1250m,and550-900m,respectively.Theresultindicatedtheneedforrangelandimprovementmeasuresincommunalandriversidegrazingareas,inordertoattainsustainablelivestockproductionfromtheseareas.Establishmentofcommunitybasedenclosureswasfoundtobeoneofthewaystoimprovetheconditionoftherangelands.nbsp;Theresultindicatedtheneedforrangelandimprovementmeasuresincommunalandriversidegrazingareas,inordertoattainsustainablelivestockproductionfromtheseareas.Establishmentofcommunitybasedenclosureswasfoundtobeoneofthewaystoimprovetheconditionoftherangelands.