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

Grassland perspectives 479
the number of animals that have to overwinter. A little meadow hay is made,
but its use is limited to a few weak stock; Wang (2003) describes a case where
herding has been combined with irrigated fodder growing (Plate 12.5), with
very positive results. Stock may be housed or sheltered at night and during
severe weather. Such systems are probably inevitable in a subsistence economy
in situations where complementary fodder is inaccessible and very expensive,
but it does mean that stock must be bred for hardiness rather than high productivity
and also that animals are old by the time they reach slaughter weight.
The Patagonian sheep industry, also in a cold, semi -arid zone, relies on natural
grazing without supplementation, with set stocking throughout the year.
In the cattle -raising systems of the northern parts of central North America ,
the common approach is very different from that of traditional systems, and
winter feeding is widely used, not only because inclement weather may preclude
grazing but also because the feeding value of natural pasture drops off
sharply after the growing season. In many cases, natural grassland is used in
conjunction with arable , and fodder for winter will be produced on-farm ; large
amounts of alfalfa hay and some cereal hay are used.
In Mediterranean-type climates, the lean season is the hot, dry summer ;
in many cases, transhumant systems were used to palliate its effects. These
have become severely modified and in much of North Africa and Western
Asia cultivation of semi -arid lands has reduced the available pastures. Many
countries in this region had subsidized grain sales to herders; meat prices are
high and purchased grain is still widely used, with stocking rates far in excess
of anything the grazing lands could support. The use of large quantities of
feed along with improved water supplies, or trucked water, has had disastrous
results for the pastoral vegetation . When discussing sustainable development of
drylands, FAO (1993) points out that improperly managed feeding can be very
detrimental to pasture condition :
“Drought and dry -season feeding reserves are a priority in terms of livestock production, but
can cause overstocking and destruction of rangeland if purchased feed is used to maintain
excessive grazing pressure on rangeland. Reserves are therefore best organized within the one
management unit. Government subsidies on feed brought into drylands are especially destructive
and are best avoided.”
Stratification
Stratification of livestock production – generally fattening stock under more
favourable conditions than those in which they were raised – is widespread
in commercial systems , and can be a means of reducing the numbers carried
on pastures through the lean season. It also speeds up the production cycle
since, if stock are moved to better pastures and feedlots, they avoid the growth
checks and weight loss associated with extensive grasslands due to scarce, lowquality
fodder during the lean season. Markets increasingly require meat from
quickly grown stock. Stratified production systems are generally associated