Fodder production in arid rangelands has been traditionally considered as the main source of nutrition for livestock.However,the production of these fodder may be influenced by some socio-economic and climatic factors...Fodder production in arid rangelands has been traditionally considered as the main source of nutrition for livestock.However,the production of these fodder may be influenced by some socio-economic and climatic factors.This study aims to identify the various rangeland use forms and determine the types of livestock feeding system in the El Ouara rangelands of Ben guarden District in southern Tunisia by analysing the importance of supplemental feeding and main determinants of this practice.Data were collected by a survey that targeted a sample of 50 breeders in the El Ouara rangelands.Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression were used to analyse the data.The results showed that there are two types of association practiced by breeders:“Cherka”association practiced by 10.00% of breeders and cash payment association practiced by 53.00% of breeders.Then,transhumance,sedentary,and semi-urban forms are the main ways in which breeders use the rangelands.There are four livestock feeding systems in the El Ouara rangelands being used to feed livestock:natural rangeland,rangeland-based,mixed,and concentrate-based feeding systems.Supplemental feeding has become fundamental for the livestock feeding system in the El Ouara rangelands.The breeders with the largest camel size still use the natural rangeland feeding system,while the breeders who have the largest herd size practice the mixed feeding system.The logistic regression results reveal that breeder age,cereal area,herd size,migrant remittance,second activity,and agricultural development group membership can significantly impact the supplemental feeding.In summary,this study can help policy-makers plan innovative practices based on climatic change,ensure the sustainability of livestock feeding system,and make effective decisions for local development.展开更多
The Nine-Eye Stone was used as currency inTibet some 4,000 years ago.Although it comesof varied sizes,It assumed one of two shapes-bars and balls.Each has holes which Tibetans call eyesto tie threads.
Himalayan mountain system is distinguished globally for a rich biodiversity and for its role in regulating the climate of the South Asia. Traditional crop-livestock mixed farming in the Himalaya is highly dependent on...Himalayan mountain system is distinguished globally for a rich biodiversity and for its role in regulating the climate of the South Asia. Traditional crop-livestock mixed farming in the Himalaya is highly dependent on forests for fodder and manure prepared from forest leaf litter and livestock excreta. Apart from sustaining farm production, forests provide a variety of other tangible and intangible benefits, which are critical for sustainable livelihood of not only 115 million mountain people, but also many more people living in the adjoining plains. Extension of agricultural land- use coupled with replacement of traditional staple food crops by cash crops and of multipurpose agroforestry trees by fruit trees are widespread changes. Cultivation of Fagopyrum esculentum, Fagopyrum tataricum, Panicum miliaceum, Setaria italica and Pisum arvense has been almost abandoned. Increasing stress on cash crops is driven by a socio-cultural change from subsistence to market economy facilitated by improvement in accessibility andsupplyofstaplefoodgrainsatsubsidizedpriceby the government. Farmers have gained substantial economic benefits from cash crops. However, loss of agrobiodiversity implies more risks to local livelihood in the events of downfall in market price/demand of cashcrops,terminationofsupplyofstaplefoodgrains at subsidized price, pest outbreaks in a cash crop dominated homogeneous landscape and abnormal climate years. Indigenous innovations enabling improvement in farm economy by conserving and/enhancing agrobiodiversity do exist, but are highly localized. The changes in agrobiodiversity are such that soil loss and run-off from the croplands have dramatically increased together with increase in local pressure on forests. As farm productivity is maintained with forest-based inputs, continued depletion of forest resources will result in poor economic returns from agriculture to local people, apart from loss of global benefits from Himalayan forests. Interventions including improvement in traditionalmanureandmanagementofon-farm trees, participatorydevelopmentofagroforestryindegraded forestlandsandpoliciesfavoringeconomicbenefitsto local people from non-timber forest products could reduce the risks of decline in agricultural biodiversity and associated threats to livelihoods and Himalayan ecosystems.展开更多
文摘Fodder production in arid rangelands has been traditionally considered as the main source of nutrition for livestock.However,the production of these fodder may be influenced by some socio-economic and climatic factors.This study aims to identify the various rangeland use forms and determine the types of livestock feeding system in the El Ouara rangelands of Ben guarden District in southern Tunisia by analysing the importance of supplemental feeding and main determinants of this practice.Data were collected by a survey that targeted a sample of 50 breeders in the El Ouara rangelands.Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression were used to analyse the data.The results showed that there are two types of association practiced by breeders:“Cherka”association practiced by 10.00% of breeders and cash payment association practiced by 53.00% of breeders.Then,transhumance,sedentary,and semi-urban forms are the main ways in which breeders use the rangelands.There are four livestock feeding systems in the El Ouara rangelands being used to feed livestock:natural rangeland,rangeland-based,mixed,and concentrate-based feeding systems.Supplemental feeding has become fundamental for the livestock feeding system in the El Ouara rangelands.The breeders with the largest camel size still use the natural rangeland feeding system,while the breeders who have the largest herd size practice the mixed feeding system.The logistic regression results reveal that breeder age,cereal area,herd size,migrant remittance,second activity,and agricultural development group membership can significantly impact the supplemental feeding.In summary,this study can help policy-makers plan innovative practices based on climatic change,ensure the sustainability of livestock feeding system,and make effective decisions for local development.
文摘The Nine-Eye Stone was used as currency inTibet some 4,000 years ago.Although it comesof varied sizes,It assumed one of two shapes-bars and balls.Each has holes which Tibetans call eyesto tie threads.
文摘Himalayan mountain system is distinguished globally for a rich biodiversity and for its role in regulating the climate of the South Asia. Traditional crop-livestock mixed farming in the Himalaya is highly dependent on forests for fodder and manure prepared from forest leaf litter and livestock excreta. Apart from sustaining farm production, forests provide a variety of other tangible and intangible benefits, which are critical for sustainable livelihood of not only 115 million mountain people, but also many more people living in the adjoining plains. Extension of agricultural land- use coupled with replacement of traditional staple food crops by cash crops and of multipurpose agroforestry trees by fruit trees are widespread changes. Cultivation of Fagopyrum esculentum, Fagopyrum tataricum, Panicum miliaceum, Setaria italica and Pisum arvense has been almost abandoned. Increasing stress on cash crops is driven by a socio-cultural change from subsistence to market economy facilitated by improvement in accessibility andsupplyofstaplefoodgrainsatsubsidizedpriceby the government. Farmers have gained substantial economic benefits from cash crops. However, loss of agrobiodiversity implies more risks to local livelihood in the events of downfall in market price/demand of cashcrops,terminationofsupplyofstaplefoodgrains at subsidized price, pest outbreaks in a cash crop dominated homogeneous landscape and abnormal climate years. Indigenous innovations enabling improvement in farm economy by conserving and/enhancing agrobiodiversity do exist, but are highly localized. The changes in agrobiodiversity are such that soil loss and run-off from the croplands have dramatically increased together with increase in local pressure on forests. As farm productivity is maintained with forest-based inputs, continued depletion of forest resources will result in poor economic returns from agriculture to local people, apart from loss of global benefits from Himalayan forests. Interventions including improvement in traditionalmanureandmanagementofon-farm trees, participatorydevelopmentofagroforestryindegraded forestlandsandpoliciesfavoringeconomicbenefitsto local people from non-timber forest products could reduce the risks of decline in agricultural biodiversity and associated threats to livelihoods and Himalayan ecosystems.
