The Potential of Deep Roots to Mitigate Impacts of Heatwaves and Declining Rainfall on Pastures in Southeast Australia

Declines in growing-season rainfall and increases in the frequency of heatwaves in southern Australia necessitate effective adaptation. The Sustainable Grazing Systems Pasture Model (SGS) was used to model the growth of three pasture species differing in root depth and root distribution under three different climate scenarios at two sites. The modelled metabolisable energy intake (in MJ) was used in a partial discounted net cash flow budget. Both the biophysical and economic modelling suggest that deep roots were advantageous in all climate scenarios at the long growing season site but provided no to little advantage at the short growing season site, likely due to the deep-rooted species drying out the soil profile earlier. In scenarios including climate change, the DM production of the deep-rooted species at the long growing season site averaged 386 kg/ha/year more than the more shallow-rooted species, while at the site with a shorter growing season it averaged 205 kg/ha/year less than the shallower-rooted species. The timing of the extra growth and pasture persistence strongly influenced the extent of the benefit. At the short growing season site other adaptation options such as summer dormancy will likely be necessary.

Ecological Change Detection in Northeastern Bamenda Highlands, Cameroon, Based on Spatio-temporal Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (1979-2020)

Mountains are amongst the landforms that have undergone the most transformation. Landscape changes in mountains are driven by anthropogenic stressors and climatic change. The UN Sustainable development Goal 15 recognized the importance of conservation of mountain ecosystems for an enhancement of sustainable development. This study seeks to evaluate spatio-temporal ecological changes in the Northeastern Bamenda Highlands, based on a remote sensing-derived mountain green cover index proxy, the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). The study showed vegetation greening and browning trends exemplified by degraded montane forest linked to anthropogenic stressors and natural climatic shift. These anthropogenic stressors include deforestation, conversion of forest to farmlands and eucalyptus plantations, and the unsustainable grazing with inter-annual use of fires for pasture regeneration. As a means to ensure future ecological services provision of these highlands, landscape restoration strategies are needed. The greening of the highlands with water retaining trees species, sustainable grazing and farming restrictions in protected areas and its buffers.

Répartition spatiale de la végétation herbacée autour des mares temporaires : influence des facteurs anthropiques et topographiques à WIDOU THIENGOLY (Ferlo, Nord-Sénégal)

Les mares présentent un grand intérêt environnemental en raison des services écosystémiques qu'elles fournissent. Au Ferlo, les activités pastorales sont développées autour des mares. La connaissance des ressources herbacées est importante pour une gestion durable du pâturage autour des mares temporaires. L’objectif de cette étude est de déterminer la répartition spatiale des ressources herbacées autour des mares par une approche phytoécologique. L’échantillonnage sur des transects est réalisé dans les différents faciès morpho-pédologiques de deux mares pâturées et une mare non pâturée. La flore herbacée recensée compte 55 espèces, réparties dans 41 genres dont 22 familles. Les familles des Poacées et des Fabacées sont plus fréquentes quelle que soit l’unité morpho-pédologique et la mare, suivi de la famille des Cypéracées dans les mares et des versants et la famille des Zygophyllacées dont l’espèce Tribulus terrestris sur les dunes. Le recouvrement est globalement élevé (82,6%) dans la mare non pâturée et moyen sur les mares pâturées (55,33% et 46,4%). Au niveau des versants, les espèces sont de grandes tailles, rares et très diversifiées. Les espèces vivaces sont plus fréquentes autour des mares pâturées alors que les espèces rares se retrouvent autour de la mare non pâturée. Ces résultats révèlent ainsi l’influence prédominante des facteurs anthropiques et topographiques sur la répartition spatiale de la végétation herbacée.Mots clés : Transects, pâturée, phytoécologique, morpho-pédologiques. English Title: Distribution of herbaceous vegetation around temporary ponds: influence of anthropic and topographical factors in Widou Thiengoly (Ferlo, Northern Senegal)At the Ferlo, pastoral activities are developed around the ponds. The knowledge of herbaceous resources is important for sustainable grazing management around the temporary pools. The general objective of this study is to determine the spatial distribution of herbaceous resources around the ponds using a phytoecological approach. Transect sampling was carried out in the different morpho-pedological facies of two grazed ponds and one ungrazed pond. The recorded herbaceous flora includes 55 species, divided into 41 genera including 22 families. The Poaceae and Fabaceae families are more frequent whatever the morpho-pedological unit and the pond, followed by the Cyperaceae family in the ponds and on the slopes and the Zygophyllaceae family including the species Tribulus terrestris on the dunes. The overall coverage is high (82.6%) in the ungrazed pond and medium on the grazed ponds (55.33% and 46.4%). At the level of the slopes, the species are large, rare and much diversified. Perennial species are more frequent around the grazed ponds, while rare species are found around the ungrazed pond. These results thus reveal the predominant influence of anthropogenic and topographical factors on the spatial distribution of herbaceous vegetation.Keywords: Transect, grazed, phytoecological, morpho-pedological.

Influence of Beef Cattle Stocking Density on Utilization of Vegetative Communities in a Late-Spring, Early-Summer Native Bunchgrass Prairie

This study evaluated the influence of cattle stocking density on the use of botanical communities on a native bunchgrass prairie. In each of two years, 192 cow-calf pairs and 48 yearling heifers were randomly selected for the following grazing treatments: 1) control, no livestock grazing; 2) low stocking, 0.36 animal units (AU) ∙ ha-1; 3) moderate stocking, 0.72 AU ∙ ha-1; and 4) high stocking, 1.08 AU ∙ ha-1 for a 42-day grazing period. Thirty-six monitoring sites were established uniformly along a grid in each paddock. Standing crop and relative preference data for cattle collected from the treatment area were used to develop the following vegetation community classifications: 1) > 20% introduced; 2) > 40% native bunchgrass with > 50% Idaho fescue (Festuca idahoensis); 3) > 40% native bunch grass with < 50% Idaho fescue; 4) > 50% Forb; and 5) other. Utilization for each community type was collected at the end of the grazing period. High stocking density paddocks had higher utilization across all vegetation classifications compared to other stocking densities (P ≤ 0.04). Moderate stocking density paddocks were utilized 11.5% more than low paddocks, however, utilization of introduced vegetative communities, Idaho fescue dominated bunchgrass communities, and forb dominated communities did not differ in use (P ≥ 0.13). Use of monitoring to actively adjust stocking densities based on differential community utilization may improve the sustainable grazing of sensitive communities because conventional stocking rate calculations based on total productivity do not account for the selective grazing behavior of cattle.