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Grassland Landscape Management
Grassland Landscape Management
UPPASANA ARAVINDAN
DEEPIKA VINOTH
M.ARCH (LANDSCAPE)
SAP, ANNA UNIVERSITY
Introduction
INTRODUCTION Grasslands have many biodiversity values, including wildlife
habitat, occurrence of rare species, intrinsic ecosystem properties of structure,
function and composition, and ecosystem services such as watershed protection,
grazing, and scenery. In addition, some grasslands are seen as having high
biodiversity values because of their high species richness. As part of a global
strategy to maintain the world’s biodiversity, there is a need to ensure that these
types of grasslands are not negatively impacted upon by human uses.
We use a vegetation-based, ecological definition, where grassland may be
defined as “land covered with herbaceous plants with less than 10 percent tree
and shrub cover,” and wooded grassland (or savanna) is “land covered with
grassland and has 10–40 percent tree or shrub cove.
Abstract
Grasslands are increasingly considered not only for their contribution to livestock
production but also in their various functions with respect to the environment
and the landscape. There is an accumulation of scientific evidence about the
environmental functions of grasslands, such as their role in the conservation of
biodiversity, in the regulation of physical and chemical fluxes in ecosystems, and
the mitigation of pollution. Their role in the maintenance of landscapes of value is
also important for reasons of landscape amenity and cultural heritage.
Evolution of grassland systems and their degradation
Van Dyne et al. (1978) opined that the establishment of grasslands and grazing
animals as major life forms extends well back into geological history where fossil
records of grasses have been known from the Tertiary, and true grasses have
been well developed at least as long as 6 to 12 million years ago.Indian Council of
Agricultural Research conducted grassland surveys and classified the grass cover
of India into five major types (Dibadghao & Shankarnarayan 1973):
Divisio
n
Formation Key Division
2.A.1 Tropical Lowland Grassland, Savanna & Shrubland
& Savanna
Division
Formation Key Division
2.A.1.Om Eastern Melanesian Lowland Shrubland,
Grassland &
Savanna
Division
Formation Key Division
2.C.1.Nd Western North America Interior Sclerophyllous
Chaparral
D061
Shrubland
OVER GRAZING
The grazing pressure on grasslands is very high. In semi arid areas, carrying
capacity in good range land is 1 adult cow unit (ACU) /ha but the actual
pressure is 3.2 ACU/ha. But in arid areas, carrying capacity is 1 - 4 ACU / ha
as against the actual pressure of 0.2 - 0.5 ACU / ha.
Due to over grazing run off and soil erosion are high. Results from IGFRI
indicated that there was 41% run off from bare soil where as in the
improved grass land vegetation, the run off was only 6.5 %. Over grazing
also results in a shift in the natural succession (as seen in 3 d). Over grazing
also results in greater run off and soil loss. Eg.
Results from IGFRI, Jhansi (96 -97)
Setting fire to dry vegetation in order to encourage new growth after the
next monsoon rains, is a wide spread practice in many parts of India.
It is a convenient method of removing unutilized herbage residues of the
previous year so that, a new growth of vegetation may develop unhindered
and become available to grazing animals.
It is also helpful in eradicating undesirable weeds and shrubby growths that
may compete with desirable grasses and legumes.
Burning is also helpful in encouraging an early spring growth of grasses and
discouraging encroachment of jungle growths. In humid high rainfall areas,
burning may not be very harmful, but in semi-arid regions burning is
definitely harmful.
ENCLOSURE OF GRASS LANDS
Reseeding
RESEEDING
The proper conservation of both water and soil is an integral part of all
good grassland management systems. When properly grazed, eroding
forces are kept in check and the grassland is in balance with erosive factors
and no special conservation measure could be needed, but when
grasslands have been mismanaged by neglect and over grazing for many
years, soil and water conservation measures becomes essential for any
improvement plan.
On degraded grassland especially on sloppy ground, the first measure of
improvement could be to prevent any further erosion of the soil. Where
the erosion has already progressed to the stage of gully formation, dams
will have to be put across the gully channels.
A number of small check dams being more effective than a few large ones.
Terraces or surges are useful in high rainfall regions in directing water from
the slopes to the channels with a minimum of soil loss from the grasslands.
Erosion can be controlled by avoiding excessive removal of herbage,
adopting contour bunding for soil as well as moisture conservation.
Grazing management
GRAZING MANAGEMENT
Since a smaller number of well fed animals is always better than a large
number of half starved ones, a strict control of the number of animals let
in for grazing is the first principle of all grazing systems.
In fixing the number of animals, the carrying capacity of the grassland
should be taken into consideration. This is defined as the number of
animals that can graze in a unit areawithout over grazing or undergrazing
in an average season.
The greatest single factor which causes determination of grasslands is
over-grazing on account of selective grazing habit of animals, desirable
species tend to get depleted much faster than the less palatable species.
To avoid this risk, grazing must be stopped at some stage or other i.e., in
grassland terminology the grazing has to be deferred since it will seldom
possible to stop grazing over entire area, when no other alternative areas
are available.
The practical method is to defer grazing in a part of the grassland and to
allow grazing in the other part in a 'rotational' system.
Over grazing deteriorates the grasslands. Just like human beings, grazing
animals, too, have their likes and dislikes and certain grasses are
preferred while certain others are avoided.
On account of the relative grazing habit, desirable species tend to get
depleted in grasslands much faster than other species that are not so
palatable.
In most perennial grasses, new shoots are produced by utilizing the
reserve food material that is stored in the underground parts. Before the
new growths are in a position to build up food reserves by their own
photosynthetic activity, there is a stage in the life history of the perennial
plant when the food reserves are at their minimum.
When the plant produces food material in excess of its
growth requirements, the surplus is translocated in to storage organs. At
the commencement of next growing season this surplus is utilized for the
production of new shoots.
Under grazing conditions these fresh shoots get removed by the grazing
animals and the plant never get a chance to build up any reserve food
material. There is thus a continuous drain on the food reserves of the
plant, so that at the next growing period, the plant has to start with
greatly depleted food reserves. If this over grazing continues, the food
reserves get exhausted soon and the plant becomes weaker and weaker
and ultimately dies.
Hence in grasslands, it is essential to allow the plants to build up their
food reserves before the forage is utilized for grazing purposes.
In the case of annual plants, which can continue to exist only through
seed formation and germination of that seed each year, the correct
management of grasslands dominated by animals is to cut it for forage
only after the seed formation stage.
GRAZING METHODS
This system consists in delaying grazing in a part of the grassland area until
after seed maturity in order to give a chance for the herbage to make
sufficient growth and to accumulate sufficient reserved food material to
maintain vigour of the plants and produce new shoots next year from the
seeds that are shed. This system is applicable where perennial grasses are
predominant.
In practice the grassland is divided into three compartments. One
compartment is completely closed to grazing during the growing season,
while the animals are allowed to graze in other two compartments
alternately.
Grazing is allowed in the closed "compartment later on, before the herbage
becomes too old and unpalatable. Grazing at this stage help in the disposal
of seeds and their placement in the soil, thus favour good germination.
Grazing in the other two compartments gives the benefit of early growth,
to the grazing animals, while the alternation of grazing in two plots enables
the plants to recoup their vigour after grazing, the grass in the deferred plot
though less nutritious makes up for it by its greater quantity.
Each year one compartment is deferred in this manner, so that in three
years, each compartment gets an adequate period of rest, during which the
plants would recoup their vigour.
In deteriorated grass lands, where the perennial grasses are in a badly weak
condition, grazing can be deferred for two years in each compartment or
even longer, until the desired improvement is seen.
ROTATIONAL GRAZING
In this type of grazing, animals are allowed for grazing into different sub
units of the grassland area in rotation at suitable intervals during the
grazing season, so as to bring about uniform grazing without making it too
close.
The quick change over from one compartment to another provides
the advantages of giving the animals a nutritive, young herbage and at the
same time provides a period of rest during the growth season. The
disadvantages in this method is that it gives no chance for seed formation.
Hohenheim System:
This system is useful for grasslands where annual species predominate and
where seeding of the perennial species is desired to maintain the density of
the grass cover.
The grass land is divided into three compartments and grazing is allowed in
rotation, so that each compartment is grazed for the grazing season and
protected afterwards, until the seed mature.
By the time the animals are let into the 3rd compartment, the seeds would
have matured and got shed. In subsequent years, the same order is
followed for each compartment in rotation, so that in 3 years the grasses in
each compartment would have produced enough seed with the partial
protection afforded to the grasses.
Eg. In this deferred and rotational type of grazing, the grazing area is
divided into four compartments. The calving interval of grazing animals is
reduced to 25 months as against 36-42 months under traditional open
grazing.
PASTURE – PASTURAL FARMING OR RANCHING
Pastures are grass land where grasses are grown and animals are allowed
to graze. In pasturing the animals, there is no expenditure involved for
raising fodder, harvesting and distribution as in the case of stall feeding
there by reducing the cost of production.
Pastural Farming or Ranching:
It is a type of farming practice in which livestock are reared by pasture.
It is a common practice in cooler regions like Australia and New Zealand
where wool production is a common feature.
In Tamil Nadu at Darapuram, Kangeyam breeds are commonly reared for
draught purpose. Usually the common grass Cenchrus ciliaris is cultivated
under rainfed conditions. For the first 2 years the animals will not be
allowed inside the field because of the initial establishment of the pasture.
Pastures are of two types
Natural Pasture
Artificial Pasture
Natural Pasture
NATURAL PASTURE
Grasses grown in wasteland offers this facility for natural pasture. In this
method, grasses get established spontaneously (eg.) Hariyali
and Denanath grasses without sowing and provides excellent grass cover
under good management by nature.
Some of the pastures are allowed for grazing and some are also used
for hay making. After allowing the grasses to grow to the full potential,
these pastures are called meadows.
The grasses that establish after the main harvest is called the aftermath,
which in latter stage can be used for the animals to graze.
ARTIFICIAL PASTURE