Rangelands of Central Asia:challenges and opportunities

Rangelands of Central Asia (referring to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan in this study), the largest contiguous area of grazed land in the world, serve as an important source of livelihood for pastoral and agro-pastoral communities in this region. They also play an important role in absorbing CO2 as a global carbon sink. However, unsustainable management of rangelands has led to their degradation hugely by downgrading their potential agro-ecological, environmental and socio-economical roles. This paper reviewed the rangeland degradation in Central Asia, a topic which so far has received only scant coverage in the international scientific literature. It also provided examples of successful experiences and outlined possible options that land managers can adopt to enhance the sustainable management of these vast degraded rangelands. The experiences and lessons described in this paper may also be relevant for other degraded rangeland areas, especially in the developing countries. The causes of rangeland degradation within the Central Asian region are numerous, complex and inter-related. Therefore, while addressing the factors associated with improper rangeland management may shed some light on the causes of rangeland degradation, the scope of this paper would not be all-encompassing for the major causes of degradation. There is a need to develop and widely apply the viable and locally accepted and adapted packages of technical, institutional and policy options for sustainable rangeland management. Incentivizing the collective action of small-scale pastoralists who group together to facilitate access to remote pastures can reduce the degree of overgrazing within community pastures, such as those near the settlements. We also found that migratory grazing through pooling of resources among small-scale pastoralists can increase household income. After their independence, most Central Asian countries adopted various rangeland tenure arrangements. However, the building of enhanced capacities of pasture management and effective local rangeland governance structures can increase the likelihood, which will be sustainable and equitable. Finally, this paper presented several promising technical options, aiming at reversing the trend of rangeland degradation in Central Asia.

Impact of grazing on soil, vegetation and ewe production performances in a semi-arid rangeland

Controlled grazing is considered a good management strategy to maintain or increase the live weight of livestock and to reduce vegetation degradation of rangelands. The present study investigated soil characteristics, aboveground vegetation biomass dynamics and controlled grazinginduced changes in the live weight of local ewes in the semi-arid rangeland of Ahmadun, Ziarat, Balochistanprovince of Pakistan. An area of 115 ha was protected from livestock grazing in April 2014. In June 2015, soil characteristics within 0-30 cm depth i.e. soil organic matter(SOM), mineral nitrogen, p H and texture in controlled and uncontrolled grazing sites were assessed. Aboveground vegetation biomass measured in early(June) and late summer(August) in 2015 and 2016. The nutritional value i.e. crude protein, phosphorus(P), neutral detergent fiber(NDF), acid detergent fiber(ADF), calcium(Ca), magnesium(Mg) and potassium(K) of dominantplant species were assessed at the beginning of experiment in 2015. Vegetation cover of controlled and uncontrolled grazing sites was also measured during the two years of the study period using the Veg Measure software. From June to November in2015 and 2016, controlled and uncontrolled livestock grazing sites were grazed on a daily basis by local ewes with a stocking rate of 2 and 1 head ha^(-1) respectively. Results reveal that the organic matter contents of coarse-textured, slightly alkaline soil of the study site were in the range of 9.4-17.6 g kg^(-1) soil and showed a strong positive correlation with aboveground vegetation biomass. The biomass of plants was 56.5% and 33% greater at controlled than uncontrolled grazing site in 2015 and 2016 respectively and plant cover was also higher at controlled than uncontrolled grazing site in both years The nutrient contents were significantly(P<0.05)lower in grasses than shrubs. In both years, the controlled grazing increased the weight gain of ewes about two folds compared to the uncontrolled grazing.The results indicate that controlled grazing improved the vegetation biomass production and small ruminant productivity.

Diversity of desert rangelands of Tunisia

Plants are important components of any rangeland.However,the importance of desert rangeland plant diversity has often been underestimated.It has been argued that desert rangelands of Tunisia in good ecological condition provide more services than those in poor ecological condition.This is because rangelands in good condition support a more diverse mixture of vegetation with many benefits,such as forage for livestock and medicinal plants.Nearly one-quarter of Tunisia,covering about 5.5 million hectares,are rangelands,of which 87% are located in the arid and desert areas(45% and 42%,respectively).Here,we provide a brief review of the floristic richness of desert rangelands of Tunisia.Approximately 135 species are specific to desert rangelands.The predominant families are Asteraceae,Poaceae,Brassicaceae,Chenopodiaceae,and Fabaceae.These represent approximately 50% of Tunisian desert flora.