COURSE CODE: FWM 204 COURSE TITLE: PASTURE/ RANGE ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT

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COURSE CODE FWM 204COURSE 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

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• COURSE COODINATOR DR I. O. O.OSUNSINA
• E-mail osunsinaisrael_at_yahoo.com
• Office Location E 211, COLERM
• OTHER LECTURERS DR M. O. O. OYATOGUN

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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Type of Range disturbances

• Timber exploitation
• Firewood however, farming urbanization, and
  infrastructural development.
• Result of Ecosystem disturbances
• Ecological disaster Erosion Desertification and
  flooding.

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Factors affecting Range Ecosystem

• FACTOR MANUPULATION
• Controlling factors
• Climatic factor Weather modification, or
  burning, water spreading
• Geological materials Land leveling, Terracing,
  fertilization, groundwater, recharge
• Available organisms Special
  introduction elimination and genetic improvement
• (Plant Animal)
• B. Dependent factor
• Consumers
• Wild fauna
  Grazing management, wildlife management, insect
  and rodent control
• Livestock Grazing management
  livestock management disease control
• Vegetation
  Plant control, re-vegetation, hay management,
  control of plant disease
• Soil Mechanical treatment
  Nitrogen fertilization
• Decomposers Transformers Direct
  manipulation
• Micro climate
  Shade shelter, mulching

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VARIOUS TYPES OF VEGETATION

• 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.

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Factors Affecting Rangeland Production

• Rainfall
• Temperature
• Relative humidity
• Light

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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.

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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

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VARIOUS GRAZING SYSTEM

• Rotational
• Deferred rotational
• Alternate or rest rotation
• Continuous grazing
• Seasonal grazing.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.
• 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.
• 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

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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.

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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.

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