Your search found 36 records
1 Dixit, S.; Tewari, J. C.; Wani, S. P.; Vineela, C.; Chaurasia, A. K.; Panchal, H. B. 2005. Participatory biodiversity assessment: enabling rural poor for better natural resource management. Mumbai, India: Sir Dorabji Tata Trust; Patancheru, Andhra Pradesh, India: International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT). iii, 16p. (Global Theme on Agroecosystems Report 18)
(Location: IWMI-HQ Call no: 333.9516 G635 DIX Record No: H037363)
2 Samra, J. S.; Singh, G.; Dagar, J. C. (Eds.) 2006. Drought management strategies in India. New Delhi, India: Indian Council of Agricultural Research. Natural Resource Management Division. 277p.
Drought ; Groundwater ; Stream flow ; Hydrology ; Livestock ; Rangelands ; Grazing lands ; Forage / India
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: 577.22 G635 SAM Record No: H040115)
3 Nagabhatla, Nidhi; Saimone, F.; Juizo, D.; Masiyandima, Mutsa. 2008. Seasonality dynamics for investigating wetland agriculture nexus and its ecosystems service values in Chibuto, Mozambique. In Humphreys, E.; Bayot, R. S.; van Brakel, M.; Gichuki, F.; Svendsen, M.; Wester, P.; Huber-Lee, A.; Cook, S. Douthwaite, B.; Hoanh, Chu Thai; Johnson, N.; Nguyen-Khoa, Sophie; Vidal, A.; MacIntyre, I.; MacIntyre, R. (Eds.). Fighting poverty through sustainable water use: proceedings of the CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food, 2nd International Forum on Water and Food, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 10-14 November 2008. Vol.3. Water benefits sharing for poverty alleviation and conflict management; Drivers and processes of change. Colombo, Sri Lanka: CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food. pp.41-45.
Wetlands ; Agroecosystems ; Poverty ; Floodplains ; Cultivation ; Crop production ; Grazing lands ; Land use / Mozambique / Chibuto / Changane River / Limpopo River basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI 333.91 G000 HUM Record No: H041851)
http://cgspace.cgiar.org/bitstream/handle/10568/3708/IFWF2_proceedings_Volume%20III.pdf?sequence=1
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H041851.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H041851.pdf
(0.35 MB)
4 Descheemaeker, Katrien; Raes, D.; Nyssen, J.; Poesen, J.; Haile, M.; Deckers, J. 2009. Changes in water flows and water productivity upon vegetation regeneration on degraded hillslopes in northern Ethiopia: a water balance modelling exercise. Rangeland Journal, 31(2):237-249. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1071/RJ09010]
Water balance ; Simulation models ; Soil water ; Measurement ; Experiments ; Highlands ; Sloping land ; Grazing lands ; Pastures ; Vegetation ; Regeneration ; Water productivity ; Percolation ; Evapotranspiration ; Runoff / Ethiopia
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI 636 100 AME Record No: H042211)
(0.61 MB)
The establishment of exclosures (i.e. areas closed for grazing and agriculture) is a common practice to reverse land degradation through vegetation regeneration in the semiarid highland areas of northern Ethiopia. In order to assess the effect of exclosures on water flows, the water balance components for different vegetation regeneration stages were assessed through field measurements and modelling. Successful model calibration and validation was done based on soil water content measurements conducted during 2 years in 22 experimental plots. In the protected areas, vegetation regeneration leads to an increase in infiltration and transpiration and a more productive use of water for biomass production. In areas where additional lateral water (runon) infiltrates, source–sink systems are created. Here, up to 30% of the annual rainfall percolates through the root-zone towards the groundwater table. Increased biomass production in exclosures leads to possibilities for wood harvesting and cut and carry of grasses for livestock feeding. Together with water conservation and more productive use of water, the latter contributes to increased livestock water productivity. At the landscape scale, the creation of vegetation filters, capturing resources like water and nutrients, reinforces the rehabilitation process and healthy landscape functioning.
5 Nyssen, J.; Descheemaeker, Katrien; Zenebe, A.; Poesen, J.; Deckers, J.; Haile, M. 2009. Transhumance in the Tigray Highlands (Ethiopia) Mountain Research and Development, 29(3):255-264. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1659/mrd.00033]
Highlands ; Grazing lands ; Pastures ; Livestock ; Rangelands ; Transhumance / Ethiopia / Tigray Highlands
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H042534)
(0.80 MB)
Transhumance, the seasonal movement of herds occurring between two points and following precise routes repeated each year, is practiced on a broad scale in the open field areas of Tigray (North Ethiopia). This article presents a characterization of the practice, factors that explain its magnitude, and recent changes. Eleven villages were selected randomly, semistructured interviews were conducted, and data on the sites were collected both in the field and from secondary sources. The transhumance destination zones are characterized as better endowed with water and fodder resources, essentially due to their great extent. The sample villages can be classified into three groups: annual transhumance (average one-way traveling distance 8.1 km), home range herding (average traveling distance 2.2 km), and keeping livestock near homesteads. Movements are basically induced by the fact that there is little to no space for livestock near the villages during the crop-growing period—not by the significantly different temperature or rainfall conditions in the grazing lands. Adults will only herd the flocks when the distance for transhumance is great or considered unsafe; otherwise, young boys tend the livestock for the entire summer rainy season. Faced with social (schooling) and technological (reservoir construction and establishment of exclosures) changes, transhumance in Tigray has adjusted in a highly adaptive way, with new routes being developed and others abandoned. Transhumance does not lead to major conflicts in the study area even when livestock are brought to areas that belong to other ethnic groups (Afar, Amhara).
6 Deneke, T. T.; Mapedza, Everisto; Amede, Tilahun. 2011. Institutional implications of governance of local common pool resources on livestock water productivity in Ethiopia. Experimental Agriculture, 47(Supplement S1):99-111. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0014479710000864]
Livestock ; Water productivity ; Collective ownership ; Water resources ; Governance ; Water user associations ; Ponds ; Wells ; Pumping ; Grazing lands ; Villages / Ethiopia / Amhara Regional State / Lenche Dima / Kuhar Michael
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H043517)
(0.12 MB)
Improving water productivity depends on how local communal water and grazing resources are governed. This involves institutional and organizational issues. In the mixed farming systems of the Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia, non-participatory water users’ associations, neglect of traditional water rights, corruption, village power relations, inequitable allocation of irrigated land and free-grazing practice impact the governance of local common pool resources (CPR). Indigenous governance structures for CPR such as the kire are participatory and effective in terms of rule enforcement. Externally initiated governance structures lack acceptance by farmers and sufficient support from local government. In order to improve water productivity in the mixed farming systems, institutional deficiencies need attention and existing indigenous governance structures require recognition and support.
7 Sibanda, A.; Homann-Kee Tui, S.; van Rooyen, A.; Dimes, J.; Nkomboni, D.; Sisito, G. 2011. Understanding community perceptions of land use changes in the rangelands, Zimbabwe. Experimental Agriculture, 47(Supplement S1):153-168. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1017/S001447971000092X]
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H043519)
(0.17 MB)
The objective of this study was to investigate the user communities’ understanding and interpretation of changes in rangeland use and productivity in the communal lands of Zimbabwe. While external knowledge has been instrumental in defining the drivers and effects of ecological changes hitherto, the role of local knowledge is becoming increasingly important in explaining factors that inform user community perceptions and guide their decisions on the use of rangeland resources. Data on community perceptions were collected in four villages, using Participatory Rural Appraisals in each village and household surveys with a total of 104 households. This study showed that user communities in Nkayi district differentiate rangelands among seven categories of livestock feed resources and how these have changed over time. Communities viewed rangelands not as one continuous, designated and specialized land parcel, but differentiated the land by location, productivity, management and uses in different times of the year. Although land use changes affecting these livestock feed resources were considered to be widespread and multi-directional (both negative and positive) they did not cause widespread degradation. Rangelands converted to croplands were not completely lost, but became important dual purpose land parcels fulfilling both household food security needs and dry season livestock feed requirements. The importance of croplands as a feed resource is reflected in the emergence of new institutions governing their use for livestock grazing and to guarantee security of tenure. On the other hand institutions governing the use of common property rangelands decreased or weakened in their application. The study concludes that while this situation presents ecological challenges for the rangelands, it offers opportunities to find innovative ways of utilizing croplands as the new frontier in the provision of dry season feed resources to smallholder farmers in highly variable environments. Implications for livestock water productivity need to be investigated and water saving technologies should be promoted in the land use intensification processes.
8 Leal Filho, W. (Ed.) 2011. Experiences of climate change adaptation in Africa. London, UK: Springer. 315p.
Climate change ; Adaptation ; Mapping ; Economic value ; Wildlife ; Rain ; Rainfed farming ; Disasters ; Risk reduction ; Policy ; Case studies ; Indigenous knowledge ; Food security ; Pastoralism ; Grazing lands ; Lowland ; Decentralization ; Drought ; Remote sensing ; Satellite surveys ; Ecosystems ; Solar energy ; Soil analysis ; Erosion ; Carbon ; Statistical analysis ; Research projects ; Smallholders ; Farmers ; Environmental effects ; Ecosystems ; Models / Africa / Tanzania / Kenya / Ethiopia / Africa South of Sahara / Zambia / Nigeria / Kilombero Ramsar Site / Nandi District / Keiyo District / Samburu East District / Tigray / Zanzibar / Mount Kenya Ecosystem
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: 551.6 G100 LEA Record No: H044413)
(0.34 MB)
9 Leal Filho, W. (Ed.) 2011. Experiences of climate change adaptation in Africa. London, UK: Springer. 315p.
Climate change ; Adaptation ; Mapping ; Economic value ; Wildlife ; Rain ; Rainfed farming ; Disasters ; Risk reduction ; Policy ; Case studies ; Indigenous knowledge ; Food security ; Pastoralism ; Grazing lands ; Lowland ; Decentralization ; Drought ; Remote sensing ; Satellite surveys ; Ecosystems ; Solar energy ; Soil analysis ; Erosion ; Carbon ; Statistical analysis ; Research projects ; Smallholders ; Farmers ; Environmental effects ; Ecosystems ; Models / Africa / Tanzania / Kenya / Ethiopia / Africa South of Sahara / Zambia / Nigeria / Kilombero Ramsar Site / Nandi District / Keiyo District / Samburu East District / Tigray / Zanzibar / Mount Kenya Ecosystem
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: 551.6 G100 LEA c2 Record No: H044416)
(0.35 MB)
10 Mekuria, Wolde; Aynekulu, E. 2013. Exclosure land management for restoration of the soils in degraded communal grazing lands in northern Ethiopia. Land Degradation and Development, 24(6): 528-538. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.1146]
Land management ; Land degradation ; Soil properties ; Soil fertility ; Grazing lands ; Vegetation ; Statistical methods / Ethiopia / Atsbi Womberta District / Douga Tembein District / Axum District / Enda Mehoni District
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H044508)
(0.18 MB)
In the northern highlands of Ethiopia, establishment of exclosures to restore degraded communal grazing lands has been practiced for the past three decades. However, empirical data on the effectiveness of exclosures in restoring degraded soils are lacking. We investigated the influence of exclosure age on degree of restoration of degraded soil and identified easily measurable biophysical and management-related factors that can be used to predict soil nutrient restoration. We selected replicated (n = 3) 5-, 10-, 15-, and 20-year-old exclosures and paired each exclosure with samples from adjacent communal grazing lands. All exclosures showed higher total soil nitrogen (N), available phosphorus (P), and cation exchange capacity than the communal grazing lands. The differences varied between 24 (061) and 69 (185) Mgha1 for the total N stock and from 17 (3) to 39 (7) kg ha1 for the available P stock. The differences in N and P increased with exclosure age. In exclosures, much of the variability in soil N (R2=064) and P (R2=071) stocks were explained by a combination of annual average precipitation, woody biomass, and exclosure age. Precipitation and vegetation canopy cover also explained much of the variability in soil N (R2=074) and P (R2=052) stocks in communal grazing lands. Converting degraded communal grazing lands into exclosures is a viable option to restore degraded soils. Our results also confirm that the possibility to predict the changes in soil nutrient content after exclosure establishment using regression models is based on field measurements.
11 Agnihotri, I. 1996. Ecology, land use and colonisation: the canal colonies of Punjab. Indian Economic Social History Review, 33(1):37-58.
Ecology ; Land use ; Colonization ; Canal irrigation ; Rivers ; Economic aspects ; Costs ; Grazing lands ; Technology ; Waterlogging / India / Punjab
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H044945)
(1.18 MB)
This paper focuses on the experience of the Canal Colonies of Punjab with regard to ecology, land use and colonisation. It seeks to examine the grand scheme launched in the early 1890s whereby canal irrigation brought to the vast ’wastes’ of western Punjab an essential resource-water-with the specific purpose of extending settled agriculture to the region. The experience of west Punjab shows that the matter was much more complex than the simple act of providing water. What is equally important is to study the impact of this on land affected by the advent of the canals, on the daily lives of the people and on community interaction. Here irrigation was not just an additional resource to provide ’security’ to agriculturists. Rather, the extension of canal irrigation meant throwing the weight of the Imperial Regime behind pushing settled agriculture. This marked the extension of the long arm of the state into the very nature and rhythm of life as well as changes in their actual and perceived status.’ In west Punjab, ’irrigation was not designed to assist agriculture and diminish the losses from seasonal vagaries, but to create it where before it did not exist’ .2 The negative effects of canal irrigation in terms of waterlogging, salinity, etc., are specifically discussed here, to some extent in comparison with methods of irrigation prevalent in pre-British India.
12 Yami, Mastewal; Mekuria, Wolde; Hauser, M. 2013. The effectiveness of village bylaws in sustainable management of community-managed exclosures in northern Ethiopia. Sustainability Science, 8(1):73-86. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-012-0176-2]
Natural resources ; Communal forests ; Community involvement ; Institutions ; Land degradation ; Grazing lands / Northern Ethiopia / Tigray
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H044966)
(0.43 MB)
Communities in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia, have established exclosures on formerly degraded grazing lands and other land uses to promote natural regeneration of plants. Village bylaws devised by communities govern the management of exclosures. We analysed the effectiveness of village bylaws that are used to manage exclosures in addressing forest degradation, resolving conflicts among users over natural resource use, and meeting high expectations of users to realise economic benefits from exclosures through enhancing revenue from sale of grass and dry wood. We collected data using qualitative methods during July and November 2008 in two villages of Tigray. The village bylaws mitigated forest degradation by facilitating users to have common goals in the management of exclosures, and resolved conflicts among users by using monetary sanctions including penalties. The village bylaws were not effective in meeting the high expectations of users to realise economic benefits from exclosures. In some cases, the enforcement of village bylaws was constrained by high social capital, which resulted in the negligence among users in exposing free riders. This indicates that high social capital does not always enhance communal resource management. Moreover, recurrent drought, shortage of fuel wood, and the growing number of landless youths in both villages constrained the effectiveness of village bylaws and further expansion of exclosures. Village committees should focus on addressing the low level of rule enforcement and minimise negligence among users of exclosures through developing a sense of responsibility among users rather than focusing on penalties.
13 Mekuria, Wolde; Yami, Mastewal. 2013. Changes in woody species composition following establishing exclosures on grazing lands in the lowlands of northern Ethiopia. African Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 7(1):30-40. [doi: https://doi.org/10.5897/AJEST11.378]
Grazing lands ; Land degradation ; Land use ; Vegetation ; Biomass ; Woody plants ; Species / Northern Ethiopia / Tigray
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H045629)
http://www.academicjournals.org/ajest/PDF/pdf%202013/Jan/Mekuria%20and%20Yami.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H045629.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H045629.pdf
(0.29 MB) (291.57KB)
Restoring vegetation in low rainfall areas is difficult and urges the need to design an effective and low-cost method of vegetation restoration. This study was undertaken in the lowlands of northern Ethiopia to: (1) investigate how exclosure age affects restoration of degraded native plant species richness, diversity and aboveground standing biomass, and (2) identify soil characteristics, which affect effectiveness of exclosures to restore degraded native vegetation. Replicated (n = 3) 5-, 10- and 15- year-old exclosures were selected and each exclosure was paired with an adjacent grazing land to detect changes in vegetation variables following establishing exclosures on communal grazing lands. All exclosures displayed higher species richness, diversity and aboveground biomass when compared to the adjacent grazing lands. Results on vegetation composition indicate that all exclosures are at early stage of succession. In all exclosures and grazing lands, vegetation variables displayed significant (p < 0.05) correlations with soil variables indicating that consideration of soil fertility will help enhance natural regeneration in exclosures. Our study indicates that the establishment of exclosures on degraded communal grazing lands can be effective in restoring degraded native vegetations, and with time, exclosures may obtain an important role as source of seeds of indigenous woody species.
14 Mekuria, Wolde. 2013. Conversion of communal grazing lands into exclosures restored soil properties in the semi-arid lowlands of northern Ethiopia. Arid Land Research and Management, 27(2):153-166. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/15324982.2012.721858]
Grazing lands ; Common lands ; Soil properties ; Soil organic matter ; Soil sampling ; Soil conservation ; Lowland ; Vegetation ; Biomass ; Climate change / Northern Ethiopia / Raya-azebo District / Alemata District / Tanqua-abergele District
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H045710)
(0.41 MB)
In the semi-arid tropics, communal grazing lands provide a livelihood for millions of people.However, it is highly threatened by overgrazing and continuous land degradation and, as a result, proper management is important to improve the livelihood of the people. This study investigated the effectiveness of exclosures established on communal grazing lands to restore soil properties and identified the relationship among soil properties, site and vegetation characteristics, and exclosure age. A space-for-time substitution approach to detect changes in soil properties following the establishment of exclosures on communal grazing lands was used. Replicated (n¼3) 5-, 10-, and 15-year-old exclosures were selected and paired, each exclosure with an adjacent communal grazing land. All exclosures showed higher soil organic matter (OM), total soil nitrogen (N), available phosphorus (P), and cation exchange capacity (CEC) than the adjacent grazing lands. The increases in soil properties between exclosures and grazing lands in the 0- to 0.2-m depth varied between 58 and 101% for OM, from 54 to 108% for N, from 26 to 128% for P, and from 18 to 28% for CEC over the grazing lands. Soil properties in exclosures and grazing lands showed significant (p<0.05) correlations with biomass and vegetation cover indicating that vegetation restoration is a key to restore degraded soils through exclosure establishment. Establishing exclosures on communal grazing lands can be effective in restoring the degraded soils in the semi-arid lowlands of Ethiopia. However, further studies are required on the ecological and economic benefits of future exclosures, as expansion of exclosure could cause grazing pressure on the remaining communal grazing lands.
15 Mekuria, Wolde. 2013. Changes in regulating ecosystem services following establishing exclosures on communal grazing lands in Ethiopia: a synthesis. Journal of Ecosystems, 2013:12p. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/860736]
Ecosystems ; Grazing lands ; Highlands ; Land management ; Land use ; Vegetation ; Soil fertility ; Soil organic matter ; Carbon ; Soil properties ; Statistical analysis / Ethiopia
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H045917)
(1.76 MB) (1.76MB)
In four separate studies undertaken in the northern highlands of Ethiopia, changes in regulating ecosystem services, economic viability, and the perception of local communities following establishing exclosures on communal grazing lands were investigated. Replicated ( = 3) 5-, 10-, 15-, and 20-year-old exclosures were selected and paired each exclosure with an adjacent grazing land. All exclosures displayed higher ecosystem services than communal grazing lands. Differences between exclosures and grazing lands varied between 29 (±4.9) and 61 (±6.7)Mg C ha-1 for ecosystem carbon stock (ECS), 2.4 (±0.6) and 6.9 (±1.8)Mgha-1 for total soil N stock, and 17 (±3) to 39 (±7) Kg ha-1 for the available P stock, and all differences increased with exclosure duration. Differences in plant species richness and biomass between an exclosure age and communal grazing land were higher in oldest than in youngest exclosures. Over a period of 30 years, sequestered carbon dioxide was 246Mgha-1, total soil nitrogen increased by 7.9Mgha-1, and additional available phosphorous stocks amounted to 40 kg ha-1. The Net Present Value of exclosures ecosystem services under consideration was about 28% (837US$) higher than alternative wheat production indicating that exclosures are competitive to alternative land uses. There are substantial opportunities to mobilize the local communities in efforts to establish exclosures, given that more than 75% had a positive view on exclosures effectiveness to restore degraded ecosystems. Establishing exclosures on communal grazing lands can be effective for restoring degraded ecosystems and the services that they provide.
16 Mekuria, Wolde; Langan, Simon; Noble, Andrew; Johnston, Robyn. 2014. Soil organic carbon and nutrient contents are not influenced by exclosures established in communal grazing land in Nile Basin, northern Ethiopia. In Rahman, A.; Ahmadi, R. (Eds.) International Institute of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering (IICBEE) International Conference on Advances in Agricultural, Biological and Environmental Sciences (AABES), Dubai, UAE, 15-16 October 2014. Punjab, India: International Institute of Chemical, Biological & Environmental Engineering (IICBEE) pp.16-21. [doi: https://doi.org/10.15242/IICBE.C1014045]
Grazing lands ; Common lands ; Land degradation ; Soil properties ; Soil fertility ; Soil organic matter ; Carbon ; Ecosystem services ; Watersheds / Northern Ethiopia / Gomit Watershed / Nile Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H046769)
(0.73 MB) (748 KB)
Land degradation through extensification of agriculture and overgrazing is an increasing problem across large expanses of the Ethiopian highlands that give rise to a loss in a range of ecosystem services. Ecological restoration through exclosure establishment has become increasingly important approach to reversing degraded ecosystems in Ethiopia and particularly in the Amhara regional state, northern Ethiopia. The present study was conducted in Nile basin, northern Ethiopia to investigate the changes in soil properties and nutrient contents following establishing exclosures on communal grazing lands. A space-for-time substitution approach to monitor changes in soil properties after conversion of communal grazing lands to exclosures with ages of establishment ranging from 1 to 7-years was used. In the 0- to 20- and 20- to 50-cm depths, significant (p < 0.05) differences in soil pH, exchangeable cations, cation exchange capacity, soil moisture content, and bulk density were observed among exclosures and between exclosures and communal grazing land. Communal grazing land displayed significantly higher soil total nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium compared to exclosures. However, differences between exclosures and grazing land in soil organic matter (SOM) content and soil organic carbon (SOC) stock were not significant (p > 0.05). The results demonstrated that exclosure age influenced SOM content and SOC stock. The lack of influence in soil nutrient and SOM contents as well as SOC stock after 7-year of exclosure establishment could be attributed to: (a) the favorable environment (e.g., better moisture content and soil pH) in exclosures, which results in increased SOM decomposition, and (b) better vegetation growth in exclosures, which consequently reduce soil nutrient content due to higher nutrient uptake by restored plants. Exclosures alone therefore cannot be regarded as a comprehensive short- or medium-term soil rehabilitation option.
17 Mekuria, Wolde; Langan, Simon; Johnston, Robyn; Belay, B.; Amare, D.; Gashaw, T.; Desta, G.; Noble, Andrew; Wale, A. 2015. Restoring aboveground carbon and biodiversity: a case study from the Nile Basin, Ethiopia. Forest Science and Technology, 11(2):86-96. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/21580103.2014.966862]
Aerial parts ; Carbon sequestration ; Biomass ; Organic fertilizers ; Biodiversity ; Nile basin ; Ecosystem services ; Environmental degradation ; Plants ; Species ; Watersheds ; Vegetation ; Land degradation ; Land management ; Grazing lands ; Households ; Local communities ; Crop production ; Erosion ; Government agencies ; Non governmental organizations ; Case studies / Ethiopia / Nile Basin / Gomit Watershed
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H046886)
(0.43 MB)
In Ethiopia, exclosures in landscapes have become increasingly important to improving ecosystem services and reversing biodiversity losses. The present study was conducted in Gomit watershed, northern Ethiopia, to: (i) investigate the changes in vegetation composition, diversity and aboveground biomass and carbon following the establishment of exclosures; and (ii) analyse the economic returns of aboveground carbon sequestration and assess the perception of local communities on land degradation and exclosures. A space-for-time substitution approach was used to detect the changes in aboveground carbon, species composition, and diversity. Exclosures of 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, 5-, and 7-years-old and a communal grazing land were selected. Household surveys, key informant interviews, and a financial analysis were used to assess the perception of local communities and the value of exclosure impacts, respectively. Significant (P = 0.049) differences in species diversity and considerable increases in aboveground carbon (ranged from 0.6 to 4.2 t C ha-1), CO2 storage (varied between 2.1 and 15.3 t CO2 ha-1), woody species composition, and richness (ranged from five to 28) were observed following the establishment of exclosures. Exclosures generated temporary certified emission reductions (tCER) of 3.4, 2.1, 7.5, 12.6, 12.5, and 15.3 Mg CO2 ha-1 after 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7 years, respectively. The net present value (NPV) of the aboveground carbon sequestered in exclosures ranged from US$6.6 to US$37.0 per hectare and increased with exclosure duration. At a watershed level, 51.4 Mg C ha-1 can be sequestered, which represents 188.6 Mg CO2 ha-1, resulting in tCER of 139.4 Mg CO2 ha-1 and NPV of US$478.3 per hectare. This result would suggest that exclosures can potentially improve local communities’ livelihoods beyond rehabilitating degraded lands if carbon stored in exclosures is traded. Communities in the watershed demonstrated that exclosures are effective in restoring degraded lands and they are benefiting from increased fodder production and reduced impacts of soil erosion. However, the respondents are also concerned over the sustainability of exclosure land management, as further expansion of exclosures aggravates degradation of remaining communal grazing lands and causes fuel wood shortages. This suggests that the sustainability of exclosure land management can be attained only if these critical concerns are addressed by a joint effort among government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and communities.
18 Rajot, J.L.; Ribolzi, Olivier; Planchon, O.; Karambiri, H. 2005. Wind and water erosion of non cultivated sandy soils in the Sahel: a case study in northern Burkina Faso, Africa. In International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS); Institut de Recherche pour le Developpement (IRD); Thailand. Land Development Department (LDD); International Water Management Institute (IWMI); FAO. Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (FAO RAP); Khon Kaen University. Faculty of Agriculture. Management of tropical sandy soils for sustainable agriculture: a holistic approach for sustainable development of problem soils in the tropics. Proceedings of the First Symposium on Management of Tropical Sandy Soils for Sustainable Ariculture, Khon Kaen, Thailand, 27 November – 2 December 2005. Bangkok, Thailand: FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (FAO RAP). pp.175-181.
Water erosion ; Wind erosion ; Sedimentation ; Sandy soils ; Grazing lands ; Vegetation ; Rain ; Catchment areas ; Case studies / Africa / Northern Burkina Faso / Sahel
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: 630 G000 INT Record No: H047326)
(0.60 MB) (16.9 MB)
In the Sahel, sandy soils are widespread and support not only most of pearl millet production, the major staple crop in the region, but also forage production for livestock. Parent sediments of these soils have an aeolian origin and hence are prone to wind erosion. However, the clay content, albeit very low, results in the formation of crusts during rainfall, thus leading to runoff and water erosion. Squall lines, major rainfall events of the rainy season, are usually preceded by intense wind. Wind and water erosion is thus closely associated both in time and in space, but they are rarely studied simultaneously. Erosion measurements were carried out during two years (2001, 2002) on a small catchment of grazing land (1.4 ha) at Katchari, Burkina Faso, typical of the Sahel area under 500 mm annual rainfall. Wind erosion occurred at the onset of the rainy season, when soil cover is the lowest, from May to 15th of July, before vegetation growth. Water erosion occurred throughout the rainy season, but some intense events produced most of the total annual erosion. Wind caused the largest sediment fluxes leading to both erosion (up to 20 Mg ha-1 yr-1) and deposits (up to 30 Mg ha-1 yr-1) according to the area of the catchment. Water erosion is one order of magnitude lower than wind erosion, and is more intense where wind erosion is the highest. Thus the same area is eroded both by wind and water. Conversely, in areas where there are aeolian deposits, water erosion is low and these areas correspond to fertile islands where vegetation grows. At this study scale, there is no land degradation, but intense dynamics leading to a high spatial variability typical of the Sahelian environment. On this uncultivated area, the dynamics were similar to those recorded in other Sahelian cultivated millet fields.
19 Mekuria, Wolde; Langan, Simon; Noble, A.; Johnston, Robyn. 2017. Soil restoration after seven years of exclosure management in northwestern Ethiopia. Land Degradation and Development, 28(4):1287-1297. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.2527]
Soil fertility ; Soil properties ; Soil moisture ; Soil organic matter ; Soil sampling ; Soil management ; Ecology ; Ecosystem services ; Land degradation ; pH ; Grazing lands ; Carbon ; Environmental degradation ; Watershed management ; Vegetation / Ethiopia
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047539)
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Ecological restoration through exclosure establishment has become an increasingly important approach to reversing degraded ecosystems in rangelands worldwide. The present study was conducted in northwestern Ethiopia where policy programs are aiming to restore degraded lands. Changes in soil properties following establishing exclosures on communal grazing lands were investigated. A space-for-time substitution approach was used to monitor changes in soil properties after conversion of communal grazing lands to exclosures with ages of establishment ranging from 1 to 7-years. Significant differences in soil pH, exchangeable cations, cation exchange capacity, soil moisture content, and bulk density were observed within exclosures and between exclosures and communal grazing land. Communal grazing land displayed significantly higher soil total nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium compared to exclosures. Exclosures did not display significantly higher soil organic matter content when compared to the communal grazing land. The results confirm that more than 7 years after the establishment of exclosures is required to detect significant improvements in most of the investigated soil properties. Prohibition of the practice of grass harvesting during the first 3 to 5 years following the establishment of exclosure, and decreasing the amount of grass harvest with exclosure age could support to increase easily decomposable organic inputs to the soil and improve soil properties in relatively short period of time.
20 Mekuria, Wolde. 2016. Changes in regulating ecosystem services following establishing exclosures on communal grazing lands in Ethiopia: a synthesis [Abstract only] Paper presented at the First African ESP [Ecosystem Services Partnership] Conference, Nairobi, Kenya, 21-25 November 2016. 1p.
Ecosystem services ; Grazing lands ; Carbon sequestration ; Soil fertility ; Nitrogen fertilizers ; Senses ; Local communities ; Land use / Ethiopia
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047880)
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