Local Perceptions of Livestock Husbandry and Rangeland Degradation in the Highlands of South Africa
Implication for Development Interventions
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 5220587 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Solomon T Beyene (University of Fort Hare), L Mlisa (Student Counselling Unit, University of Fort Hare, Private Bag X 1314, Alice5700, South Africa), L Nomfundo Mlisa (University of Fort Hare), Masibonge Gxasheka (0000-0002-8226-8929, University of Fort Hare) |
| Year | 2014 |
| Volume | 47 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 257-268 |
| Publication date | 2014-09-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Human Ecology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0970-9274 • E-ISSN: 2456-6608 |
| Publisher | Kamla Raj Enterprises (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1080/09709274.2014.11906760 |
| OpenAlex | W2181808202 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 10 |
This study assessed communal farmers' perceptions of livestock husbandry and rangeland degradation in the highland areas of South Africa. Sixty households and 30 elders were interviewed individually and as a group, respectively. Cattle are primarily kept for cash generation, goats for cultural ceremonies, sheep equally for cash, meat and wool production, and chicken for meat consumption. Elderly people ranked shortage of feed and grazing, rangeland degradation and water scarcity as the primary constraints of livestock production. Changes in species composition, gully erosion, bare patch frequency and Euryops floribundus invasion were perceived as the main indicators of degradation. Elders also grouped consequences of rangeland degradation into direct effects on animals such as hair loss, weight loss and the long distance travelled by animals for foraging, and into indirect effects such as poverty, migration, less marketable animals and stock theft. Community-based rangeland and livestock development aimed at conservation, management and restoration of resources, while maintaining an assemblage of livestock species, is recommended.Key Words: Forage CropsInvasive SpeciesPovertyMigrationSupplementation
Agriculture · Agroforestry · Animal husbandry · Archaeology · Geography · Land degradation · Livestock · Pastoralism · Psychological intervention · Rangeland · Rangeland management · Agriculture and Rural Development Research · Environmental Science · Psychology · Rangeland Management and Livestock Ecology · Forestry
Governing the Commons
Livestock production
Traditional Ecological Knowledge
Governing the Commons
Statistical Package for Social Sciences
Livestock’s Contribution to Poverty Alleviation
Valuation of communal area livestock benefits, rural livelihoods and related policy issues
The Tragedy of the Commons
Environmental Change and Pastoral Perceptions
Herder Perceptions on Impacts of Range Enclosures, Crop Farming, Fire Ban and Bush Encroachment on the Rangelands of Borana, Southern Ethiopia
| Citations per year | 0.67 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2023 - 2024 (2) |
| Highly cited | No |