The effects of a deferred grazing system on rangeland vegetation in a north-western, semi-arid region of Tanzania
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Date
2013-10-15
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Abstract
The present study assessed the effects of deferred grazing management on rangeland condition using
aboveground biomass, vegetation cover and species composition as indicators of range condition. The experi-
ment was based on traditionally conserved exclosures (ngitili). Data were collected in Shinyanga rural and Meatu
districts, Tanzania, from October to November 2011. Five grazing strategies were compared: old private ngitili,
young private ngitili, old communal ngitili, young communal ngitili and continuously grazed land. Aboveground
biomass was significantly higher in old private ngitili than continuously grazed land, but there was no significant
difference in amount of biomass between communal ngitili and continuously grazed land. The mean percentage
basal cover was significantly higher in ngitili than continuously grazed land. The duration of protection (old ngitili
compared with young ngitili) was not found to have any significant influence on both aboveground herbaceous
biomass production and basal cover. The Shannon–Wiener index and Simpson index of diversity revealed no
significant differences in species diversity among the different strategies. Both the continuously grazed land and
communal ngitili were generally in poor condition and a special rehabilitation programme for improvement of these
fragile grazing lands should be investigated.
Description
Journal article
Keywords
Biomass, Grazing management, Ngitili, Species diversity, Vegetation cover
Citation
Ismail S Selemani, Lars O Eik, Øystein Holand, Tormod Ådnøy, Ephraim Mtengeti & Daniel Mushi , African Journal of Range & Forage Science (2013): The effects of a deferred grazing system on rangeland vegetation in a north-western, semi-arid region of Tanzania, African Journal of Range & Forage Science