Effect of grazing on plant attributes and hydrological properties in the sloping lands of the East African highlands

cg.coverage.regionAfrica
cg.coverage.regionEastern Africa
cg.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-002-2727-2en
cg.issn0364-152Xen
cg.issue3en
cg.journalEnvironmental Managementen
cg.subject.ilriFORAGESen
cg.subject.ilriFEEDSen
cg.subject.ilriLIVESTOCKen
cg.subject.ilriNRMen
cg.subject.ilriENVIRONMENTen
cg.volume30en
dc.contributor.authorTaddese, G.en
dc.contributor.authorMohamed-Saleem, M.A.en
dc.contributor.authorAstatke, A.en
dc.contributor.authorAyaleneh, W.en
dc.date.accessioned2013-07-03T05:25:43Zen
dc.date.available2013-07-03T05:25:43Zen
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/32894
dc.titleEffect of grazing on plant attributes and hydrological properties in the sloping lands of the East African highlandsen
dcterms.abstractExtending livestock grazing to the steep slopes has led to unstable grazing systems in the East African Highlands, and new solutions and approaches are needed to ameliorate the current situation. This work was aimed at studying the effect of livestock grazing on plant attributes and hydrological properties. The study was conducted from 1996 to 2000 at the International Livestock Research Institute at Debre Ziet Research Station. Two sites were selected: one at 0-4% slope, and the other at 4-8% slope. The treatments were: (1) no grazing (control); (2) light grazing, 0.6 animal unit months per hectare (aum/ha); (3) moderate grazing, 1.8 aum/ha; (4) heavy grazing, 3.0 aum/ha; (5) very heavy grazing, 4.2 aum/ha; (6) initially plowed and continuously very heavily grazed, 4.2 aum/ha. The result showed that species richness, infiltration rate, bare ground, and soil loss significantly varied with grazing pressure. Species richness was higher in grazed plots compared to nongrazed plots. Biomass yield improved on heavily grazed plots as cow dung accumulated over years. Cynodon dactylon plant species persisted with livestock grazing pressure in both sites. Infiltration rate improved and soil erosion declined in all treatments after the first year.en
dcterms.accessRightsOpen Access
dcterms.available2014-05-09
dcterms.bibliographicCitationEnvironmental Management;30(3): 406-417en
dcterms.extentp. 406-417en
dcterms.issued2002-09
dcterms.languageen
dcterms.licenseCopyrighted; all rights reserved
dcterms.publisherSpringeren
dcterms.subjectgrazingen
dcterms.subjecthighlandsen
dcterms.subjecthydrologyen
dcterms.subjectplantsen
dcterms.subjectwater qualityen
dcterms.subjectdomestic animalsen
dcterms.subjectnatural resourcesen
dcterms.subjectresource conservationen
dcterms.subjectenvironmenten
dcterms.subjectpopulation dynamicsen
dcterms.subjectsoil water movementen
dcterms.subjectfarmyard manureen
dcterms.typeJournal Article

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