Grasslands of the World.pdf - Disasters and Conflicts - UNEP

Chapter 3
Grasslands of South Africa
Anthony R. Palmer and Andrew M. Ainslie
SUMMARY
South Africa is subtropical , with temperatures modified by altitude. The interior,
where the bulk of grasslands are found, is semi -arid to arid , with rainfall
decreasing westwards. The south and southwest have winter rainfall; the eastern
Cape is bimodal; and Kwa-Zulu Natal has summer rainfall. Grassland is mainly
in the central, high regions: sour -veldt occurs under high-rainfall on acid soils,
and sweet -veldt on fertile soils in semi-arid zones . Savannah occurs in the north
and east; arid savannah extends to the Kalahari. The Nama-karoo , a vast area
of steppe in the centre and west, is mostly used for sheep and goats . There are
three categories of land tenure : 70 percent is freehold and managed commercially;
14 percent is communally managed without clear individual boundaries and managed
for subsistence; 16 percent is reserves or freehold industrial and urban. South
Africa is multi-ethnic with a majority indigenous population and a minority of
descendants of colonists who own much of the commercial farm land. Natural
pasture is the main feed source for grazing livestock. Production systems in communal
areas, based on pastoralism and agropastoralism, are subsistence-based and
labour intensive; cropland is allocated to households, grazing areas are shared by
a community. Commercial areas are fenced ranches and further subdivided into
paddocks; rotational grazing is normally practised. Stock rearing is very ancient;
cattle predominate but sheep and goats are very important. In subsistence systems,
traditional breeds predominate; in commercial farming, exotic and locally-created
improved breeds prevail. Sheep are mainly commercial, and goats are for subsistence.
Cattle predominate in the east, and sheep in the drier west and southeast.
Goats are widely distributed. The region is home to large numbers of grazing and
other wildlife , which are common on large-scale ranches and are increasing in
importance as a managed resource. Low profits from domestic stock have led to
an increase in game farming and ecotourism . Much of the better-watered grassland
has been converted to crops ; in communal areas this gives a patchwork with
thicket. Fire and browsing has reduced woody vegetation , but bush encroachment
remains a problem. Sown pasture is not of major importance, except on dairy
farms. Over-seeding of degraded range is of limited use. Strategies for maintaining
pastoral production include rotation, resting, bush control and provision of
winter pasture in cool areas.
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