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

Grasslands of South Africa 103
Livestock mass (kg)
Figure 3.8
Simulated carrying capacity for Grahamstown using SPUR2, with stocking rate
set at that recommended by the Department of Agriculture (4 ha/LSU) under a
continuous grazing system.
Livestock mass (kg)
Month
100 200 300 400 500 600
Month
Figure 3.9
Simulated carrying capacity for Grahamstown using SPUR2, with stocking rate set
at 2 ha/LSU under a continuous grazing system. System shows signs of run-down
after 300 months.
the system remained sustainable (Figure 3.8). Only when the stocking rate was
increased dramatically, doubled to 2 ha/LSU, did the system run down within
the 50-year simulation period (Figure 3.9). These results suggest that the recommended
stocking rates for grassland systems are well below those that are