COURSE CODE: FWM 204
COURSE TITLE: PASTURE/
RANGE ECOLOGY AND
MANAGEMENT
NUMBER OF UNIT:
2 UNITS
COURSE DURATION: TWO HOURS PER WEEK
DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
COLLEGE OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE, ABEOKUTA
COURSE COODINATOR: DR I. O. O.OSUNSINA
E-mail:
osunsinaisrael@yahoo.com
Office Location: E 211, COLERM
OTHER LECTURERS: DR M. O. O. OYATOGUN
COURSE CONTENT
Principal range types in West Africa.
Application of ecological principle in the
management of grazing lands. Objectives
of range management, grazing systems.
Manipulation of animal numbers for
desired management objective.
COURSE REQUIREMENT
This is a compulsory course for all
students in Department of Forestry and
Wildlife Management and Aquaculture and
Fisheries Management. In view of this,
students are expected to participate in all
the course activities and have minimum of
75% attendance to be able to write the
final examination.
Definition
Range management can therefore be define as
the manipulation of dependent and controlling
factor of the range ecosystem in other to
maintain an equilibrium.
• Range can be define as the science and art of
planning, directing range uses, so as to obtain
and sustain animal production, consistent with
the protection of a natural resource.
• It can also be define as the manipulation or a
collection of characteristics of ecosystems
change for goods and Services required e.g
meat, milk, wool etc.
Importance of Range Management
Multivarious uses
-livestock/wildlife product, meat, milk,
& skinBag, belt, leather industry, shoes
Tourism (wildlife) Recreation
Environmental values
-Watershed protection
Erosion control
Desertification control
Increase in soil fertility
Socio Economic
-Generation of employment
Marriage – fulanis)
Sources of Income
Socio cultural (basis of social status)
Socio political
-Socio dislocation
Socio conflict
Type of Range disturbances
• Timber exploitation
• Firewood however, farming urbanization,
and infrastructural development.
• Result of Ecosystem disturbances
• Ecological disaster Erosion Desertification
and flooding.
Factors affecting Range Ecosystem
FACTOR
A.
Controlling factors:
MANUPULATION
Climatic factor
Weather modification, or burning, water spreading
Geological materials
Available organisms
(Plant & Animal)
Land leveling, Terracing, fertilization, groundwater, recharge
Special introduction elimination and genetic improvement
B. Dependent factor
Consumers
Wild fauna
Livestock
Vegetation
Soil
Decomposers & Transformers
Micro climate
Grazing management, wildlife management, insect and rodent control
Grazing management livestock management disease control
Plant control, re-vegetation, hay management, control of plant disease
Mechanical treatment Nitrogen fertilization
Direct manipulation
Shade shelter, mulching
VARIOUS TYPES OF VEGETATION
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Some of the vegetation are bush land, wood land, grass land, woody grassland,
dwarf shrubs, grassland, permanent swamps and Barren land.
BUSH LAND: It consist of woody plant of mostly shrubs with canopy of less than 6m
in height and canopy covers more than 20%
WOODLAND: This consist of woody plant up to 18m in height with an open or
continuous but not close canopy. Grasses and herbs dominate the ground covers.
GRASS LAND: This is dominated by grasses and occasionally consist of other
herbs.
WOODED GRASSLAND: Consist of grassland which scattered or group of Areas.
The trees always conspicuous having canopy cover of less than 20%. Such area
also are subjected to periodic burning.
DWARF SHRUB GRASSLANDS: This consist of poor land sparsely covered by
shrubs & grasslands not exceeding 1m in height. Sometimes which widely scattered
shrubs and or stunted trees.
PERMANENT SWAMPS: Consist of various types of communities associated by
permanent stand of water and consist of sedges shrubs & aquatic plants. The area
does not have animals but there could be climbing animals such as monkeys & lover
reptiles.
BARREN LAND: Land naturally devoid or particular plant. Hence there would be
absence of browsing animals but there can be aves and big animals like reptiles.
Factors Affecting Rangeland Production
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Rainfall
Temperature
Relative humidity
Light
EDAPHIC FACTORS (Soil factors)
• Soil moisture
Simply means the amount of water retained by the soil
after there is rain, evaporation, and leaching. This
determine the capacity of the soil to support plant and
hold nutrient. The land that usually leached easily will
not have appreciable moisture capacity and hence will
not be able to hold nutrient and water
• Soil depth
This is a measure of the extent of available soil for crop
production/plant growth, from the surface of the soil is
the unweathered zone beneath. There is considerable
variation in soil depth even in the same area, it may be
from a few cm (feet) to 40 feet.
EDAPHIC FACTORS (Soil factors)
• Soil PH
Is the acidity and alkalinity nature of the soil the
knowledge of soil pH help to prescribe
necessary treatment for the soil and the plant if
the need be.
• Soil fertility
Simply means how fertile the soil is. How rich in
organic matter is the soil and how well a plant
can grow in the soil without the application of
either farmyard manure or
inorganic fertilizer
VARIOUS GRAZING SYSTEM
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Rotational
Deferred rotational
Alternate or rest rotation
Continuous grazing
Seasonal grazing.
Grazing Capacity
• Total no of animal that can graze in a particular
range land without depleting the range
resources.
• (AUM) Animal Unit Month: is define as the dry
weight of forage to provide for the animal in a
unit month in a range land.
• USE FACTOR: Is the percentage of herbage or
browse which may be consider as forage with
proper grazing management.
METHOD OF RANGE UTILISATION MEASUREMENT
• A Method based on before or after
grazing or between grazed and ungrazed
plots.
• B Method based on measurement
correlation or regression or factors related
to utilization
• C Method based on observation/general
utilization and comparison with
predetermines standard of utilization
RANGE IMPROVEMENT
Benefit of range improvement
1. The quality of forage: The production, accessibility and
maintenance of adequate supply of high quality forage is the bases
of successful operation and the production of livestock and wildlife
2. The quality of forage by providing forage of greater palatability of
higher movement content and of longer green growth period.
3. The animal production: This is often the 1 goal
4. Facilitation handling and caring of range animal this keep livestock
more famed and docile
5. Control poisoning of livestock by poisonous plants by removing
poisonous plant or by replacing the existing vegetation which non
poisonous spp or by providing alternative sources of plantation
poisonous plant.
RANGE IMPROVEMENT
6. Reduce fire hazard
7. These water yield or watershed by replacing woody spp which
herbaceous plant
8. Control of insect on small animal by replacing their first plant often
which desirable forage spp.
9. Control erosion: by stabilizing erosive soil on how potential or
marginal site soil stabilization may justify restoration which only
secondary consideration giving to forage production.
10. It reduces conflict between multiple uses of range resources.
Access road can permit better distribution of livestock as well as
proper harvesting of big game
11. Reseeding the degraded ranges can provide needed forage for
livestock and clean water for fishing stream
SELECTING RANGE IMPROVEMENT
The type of range improvement must be carefully considered and
properly located and utilized to give maximum benefit. Guide line to
consider in selecting and locating range improvement include
1. Use only proven method except on small seal undertake project only
where practical and economical procedure can be use.
2. Range improvement must be compatible, as goal of ownership
3. Availability of local or contract labour need equipment supervisory or
consultative assistant needed must be ensure
4. Evaluate when range improvement can be most effectively utilize in
the land or range management plan, determine the factor limit
animal production that can be solved by range improvement.
5. Changing in management practices that will be required and
maintenance that will be needed in other to obtain full benefit from
the range improvement practices.
SELECTING RANGE IMPROVEMENT
6. Expected cost benefit ratio range improvement are adjudged to after the
greatest return on the investment is given priority.
7. Applied range improvement at appropriate stages of range deterioration,
invading poisonous plant should be treated when they 1st appear since
control is generally much less costly and more effective at that time.
8. Amount and characteristics of residual forage cover its existing plant stand
adequate to satisfactorily respond to range treatment or would seeding be
additionally required.
9. Locate range development in an area of great potential for range
productivity areas which shadow or infertile Soil low site potential, low
rainfall or steep topography often produce too little forage to justify
extensive treatment.
10. Plan livestock handling facility that are practically beneficial both to the
range land and range animal
11. Do not create new grazing distribution problem by spot treatment such as
herbicide spraying moving or fertilization or improper location of livestock
handling facility.