The choice of grass species to combat desertification in semi-arid Kenyan rangelands is greatly influenced by their forage value for livestock

2013 ◽  
Vol 70 (1) ◽  
pp. 161-167 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Z. Mganga ◽  
N. K. R. Musimba ◽  
D. M. Nyariki ◽  
M. M. Nyangito ◽  
A. W. Mwang'ombe
Keyword(s):  
Grass Species ◽  
Forage Value ◽  
Semi Arid

Distribution of Grass Species and Attributes of Grasses Near a Bore Drain in a Grazed Semi-arid Subtropical Grassland

1997 ◽  
Vol 45 (5) ◽  
pp. 919 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. W. Rogers ◽  
C. Stride
Keyword(s):  
Introduced Species ◽  
Carbon Assimilation ◽  
Distribution Patterns ◽  
Common Species ◽  
Grass Species ◽  
Semi Arid ◽  
Selection Of

The distribution of grass species and a selection of attributes of those species were related to distance from water in an otherwise natural, sheep-grazed, semi-arid, subtropical grassland at Glencoban Station near Cunnamulla in south-western Queensland, Australia. Twenty common species could be classified as decreaser, increaser or neutral with respect to stocking pressure based on distribution patterns with respect to distance from water. No species known to be introduced to Australia were present. The occurrence of a diversity of vegetative and diaspore attributes and carbon assimilation pathways were also shown to be related to stocking pressure. The attributes studied showed autocorrelation in two groups, which related to the higher level taxonomy of the grasses and to response to stocking. Chloridoid grasses increase and andropogonoid grasses decrease under high stocking pressure. In this grassland, which has no introduced species, a syndrome of stocking-related attributes can be discerned.

The choice of grass species to combat desertification in semi‐arid Kenyan rangelands is greatly influenced by their forage value for livestock

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dickson Nyariki ◽  
Nashon Musimba ◽  
Moses Nyangito ◽  
Agnes Mwang'ombe ◽  
Kevin Mganga
Keyword(s):  
Production Systems ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Household Survey ◽  
Arid Environment ◽  
Grass Species ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Plant Densities ◽  
Forage Value ◽  
Species Preferences ◽  
Area Percentage

<p>Livestock production is the main source of livelihood in the arid and semi‐arid lands in Africa. However, desertification characterized by vegetation degradation and soil erosion is a major threat to the sustainability of land‐based production systems. Native rangeland forage species <em>Cenchrus ciliaris </em>L. (Buffel grass/African foxtail grass), <em>Eragrostis superba </em>Peyr. (Maasai love grass) and <em>Enteropogon macrostachyus</em> (Hochst. Ex A. Rich.) Monro ex Benth. (Bush rye grass) have been used to combat desertification. The objectives of the study were to identify the best‐suited native grass species to combat desertification in a semi‐arid environment in Kenya and to identify the preferred grass species among the agropastoralists in the area. Percentage basal cover, plant densities and frequencies of the three grasses in pure stands and mixtures were estimated. Grass species preferences were through household survey and focus group discussion. Results showed a significant difference (<em>P</em> < 0·05) in plant densities and cover estimates: <em>E. macrostachyus</em> was ranked first; <em>C. ciliaris</em> and <em>E. superba</em> were ranked second and third respectively. The agropastoral farmers, however, preferred <em>E. superba</em> followed by <em>C. ciliaris</em> and <em>E. macrostachyus,</em> a reverse trend. These results suggest that the choice of grass species to combat desertification is influenced more by its contribution as a source of forage for livestock than its contribution for rehabilitation purposes.</p>

scholarly journals Persistence of ryegrass, tall fescue and cocksfoot following sequential annual sowings: pasture yield, composition and density in 3 establishment years under sheep grazing in Canterbury

2018 ◽  
pp. 169-176
Author(s):  
Thomas M R Maxwell ◽  
Grant R Edwards ◽  
Gerald P Cosgrove
Keyword(s):  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
Tall Fescue ◽  
Block Design ◽  
Grass Species ◽  
Botanical Composition ◽  
Sheep Grazing ◽  
Sward Height ◽  
Long Term Effect ◽  
Forage Value

A long-term pasture persistence trial, consisting of repeated annual sowings, commenced in Canterbury in 2015 and is planned to continue until 2024. Preliminary results of the first 3 years sowings are reported. Each annual sowing used the same randomised block design of eight perennial ryegrass cultivars, one tall fescue and one cocksfoot cultivar, replicated four times. Grasses were drilled into a cultivated seedbed in autumn, with white clover broadcast-sown, then rolled with a Cambridge roller. Except for one 3-week spell in spring and in autumn to accumulate herbage to measure DM yield, botanical composition, morphology and sward density, plots were continuously stocked with sheep to maintain a 3-8 cm sward height from late-August to late-May. Results from the first 12 months following each of the three annual sowings (2015, 2016 and 2017) indicate establishment year had a greater influence on DM yield, botanical composition, grass leaf and stem proportions, and basal cover than did grass species or cultivar. Accumulating data from successive annual sowings and continued monitoring of each will help identify the long-term effect and difference between establishment years, as well as grass persistence traits for inclusion in the Forage Value Index ranking of perennial ryegrass cultivars.

scholarly journals Inter-Annual Climate Differences Supersede Grazing Effects on the Anatomy and Physiology of a Dominant Grass Species.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seton Bachle ◽  
Jesse B Nippert
Keyword(s):  
Water Use ◽  
Great Plains ◽  
Carbon Assimilation ◽  
Grass Species ◽  
Anatomy And Physiology ◽  
Continental Scale ◽  
Drought Conditions ◽  
Leaf Level ◽  
Forage Value ◽  
Dominant Grass

Abstract Grassland ecosystems are historically shaped by climate, fire, and grazing as essential ecological drivers. These grassland drivers influence morphology and productivity via physiological processes, resulting in unique water and carbon use strategies among species and populations. Leaf-level physiological responses in plants are framed by the underlying microanatomy, previously shown to reflect patterns of carbon assimilation and water-use in leaf tissues. However, the magnitude to which microanatomy and physiology are impacted by grassland drivers, remains unstudied. To address this knowledge gap, we sampled from three locations along a latitudinal gradient in the mesic grassland region of the central Great Plains, USA during the 2018 and 2019 growing seasons. We measured annual biomass and forage quality at the plot level, while collecting physiological and microanatomical traits at the leaf-level in cattle grazed and ungrazed locations at each site. Leaf-level measurements were focused on the dominant grass species Andropogon gerardii (big bluestem) because of its high abundance, continental-scale distribution, and forage value. The two sampling seasons received markedly different levels of precipitation: drought conditions in 2018 and excessive early season precipitation in 2019. Ambient drought conditions negatively impacted A. gerardii physiology and drastically reduced productivity regardless of grazing. Leaf-level microanatomical traits, particularly those associated with water-use, varied within and across locations and between years. Our results highlight how trait plasticity can serve as an important tool for predicting future grassland responses to climate change and variable disturbances. Specifically, climate played a stronger role than grazing in shaping above-ground processes in microanatomy and physiology.

Effect of fire intensity on bud viability of three grass species native to central semi-arid Argentina

1997 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 309-317 ◽  
Author(s):  
D.V. Peláez ◽  
R.M. Bóo ◽  
O.R. Elia ◽  
M.D. Mayor
Keyword(s):  
Fire Intensity ◽  
Grass Species ◽  
Semi Arid
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