Comparison of grass and soil conditions around water points in different land use systems in semi-arid South African rangelands and implications for management and current rangeland paradigms

摘要

Globally, the determinants of rangeland dynamics and sustainability have been debated for decades. This study sought to explain the drivers of rangeland ecosystems in semi-arid South Africa by examining the vegetation and soil conditions around animal drinking water points, and their implications for sustainable management and paradigm debates. For this purpose, we selected three land use systems (continuous-communal livestock farms, rotational-commercial livestock farms, and continuous-game reserves), with the livestock farms having either high or low stocking rates. Soil organic carbon (OC), bulk density (p?