ICRISAT Archival Report 2006 - The seedlings of success in the ...

palatable species composition already characterize many of the degraded areas. Restoration of these degraded areas
can either be through the implementation of better grazing strategies (also referred to as active or passive restoration
practices) while other areas have passed the threshold of natural recovery. The production potential characterized by
increased vegetation cover and biomass will only take place if active restoration practices are implemented.
Rangeland managers and land users/farmers often do not have the knowledge of how to restore these degraded
areas, either by passive or active means. If restoration practices are not implemented, either through better grazing
strategies (passive restoration), or active intervention, such as re-seeding and cultivation of the degraded soils, or the
combating of shrub/bush encroachment, then degradation will increase with many negative consequences, such as
further decrease in vegetation cover, increase in bush or shrub encroachment, higher erosion and ultimately to
poorer livestock production. Higher degradation will also lead to increased poverty and impact negatively on the
socioeconomic structure of the land users and communities as a whole. The problems around land degradation and
the impacts on the bio-physical and socioeconomic conditions have been widely described in many publications.
2. Description of the technology/strategy
In two DMP target areas of the North-West and Northern Cape Provinces in South Africa, the effect of land
degradation has been identified and strategies (active and passive) to restore these lands have been implemented on
different scales. To make the land users/farmers aware of the land degradation problem and to educate and train
them on how to restore these areas, restoration demonstration sites have been established in the different bioclimatic
zones. These include savannah, shrub land and desert-like areas with different problems, such as the
encroachment and thickening of woody species (bush encroachment), the loss in vegetation cover and palatable,
high productive species (especially grasses for the grazing animal) and the formation of bare and denuded patches in
the different biomes, including savannah, grass and dune areas.
2.1 Improved rangeland management and restoration strategies through demonstration
2.1.1 The basis of the technology’s success
The establishment of demonstration sites is very successful, especially in areas where farmers own the land. If they
implement these improved rangeland management and re
storation technologies, they will indeed rehabilitate their degraded land, which will lead to increased livestock
production and biodiversity. The farmers will also increase their economic outputs, which will lead to better
livelihoods. The long-term monitoring and data collection activities by researchers and extension staff also increases
a better understanding of these complex systems and the demonstration of the results, helps to convince farmers to
apply and adopt these rangeland improvement strategies.
In areas where farmers do not own the land, due to other policy and land tenure systems, it is not easy to convince
farmers to invest in better rangeland management strategies, mainly due to a lack of funds and high poverty in these
areas. This is especially true for active restoration technologies, as farmers do not have the financial means to buy
seed or herbicide or have access to a tractor and cultivation implements.
Farmers, land managers and ecologists (researchers and practitioners) in both the agricultural and conservation areas
where these demonstration sites have been implemented, are actively involved in the management and monitoring of
the sites. All stakeholders are very positive about this approach and think it necessary to have such reference sites.
2.1.2 How is it implemented?
To make the land users/farmers aware of the land degradation problem and to educate and train them on how to
restore these areas, restoration demonstration sites have been established in the different bio-climatic zones in two
DMP target areas of the North-West and Northern Cape Provinces in South Africa. Demonstration sites include both
passive and active restoration technologies. The passive restoration demonstration sites are characterized by 20 m x
100 m exclosures with limited grazing (only in winter) in areas that are degraded at different levels (high, moderate
and light) and adjacent areas that are still being grazed by cattle or game. These exclosures and adjacent grazing
areas are established in three land use types, ie, communal system (open, free for all grazing), commercial (paddock
and privately owned) and conservation area (game controlled). The vegetation composition (herbaceous and
woody), above ground biomass production, soil seed bank and some invertebrate actions (eg, ants used as bioindicators),
as well as soil properties are being monitored on a continuous basis over the long term. The influence of
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