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

Grasslands of South Africa 79
Figure 3.1
The Republic of South Africa , showing its position in southern Africa.
dryland cultivation for the production of maize, oilseed, millet and other commercial
rainfed crops . Commercial ranching of cattle and sheep for the markets
in Gauteng, Mpumalanga and the Free State has placed pressure on the grasslands,
resulting in changes in species composition and production potential.
However these trends are not ubiquitous, and millions of hectares of native
grassland still occur.
Grasslands are also the most important resource available to the graziers in
developing regions of South Africa . The former homelands of Transkei, Ciskei
and KwaZulu Natal, situated on the eastern seaboard, are predominantly grassland
. The inhabitants of these regions are dependant upon this resource for the
production of meat , milk , hides and fleeces, and for the provision of draught
power, as well as other traditional uses of livestock. Although these products
are not produced in conventional commercial systems , they contribute substantially
to the economy and food security of these regions. In this chapter,
we will introduce the role of grasslands in this economy based on communal
land tenure systems.
The grasslands (see Figure 3.2) adjoin a number of other economically
important biomes (savannah, thicket and Nama-karoo ) and grassland patches
are found within these biomes. It is important to include these biomes in this