Since overgrazing in already arid regions causes the rapid increase in desert areas, would it be a good start for us to limit the number of livestock low enough for the land to handle? The question will then lead to the effect of such an idea to the human population present.
Limiting livestock would harm the livelihoods of the nomadic livestock herders. The increasing settlement of land for farming has marginalized pastoralist communities and decreased their access to seasonal grazing and water, pushing them into more arid lands that are less suitable for farming. In many countries, the majority (and that includes the government) is biased against nomadic pastoralists for cultural reasons. Hence, the proper way would be to ensure that livestock herders gain access to land and water as they used to in the past..calls for developing and recording land tenure, policies and implementing these poilicies. Indeed, for wetlands, there have been many cases (such as in Tanzania) where pastoralists care more for preserving the natural character of wetlands (including ecosystem services) than farmers who drain them for rice or sugarcane.
There is actually some solid evidence that using livestock under a holistic planned grazing approach can enhance virtually depauperate ecosystems back to healthy states.
I'll point you to Dr. Alan Savory's work in reversing desertification and, subsequently, climate change using livestock and holistic planned grazing to mimic nature.
He has a great TED Talk, which you can watch here: http://www.ted.com/talks/allan_savory_how_to_green_the_world_s_deserts_and_reverse_climate_change.html
Many of his publications are readily available through Google Scholar and, if not, can likely be obtained through your institution.
Thank you for leading me to that TED Talk, Sir Clements, it actually solved so many questions I had and more (The solution can actually partly solve the rising amount of carbon released by burning of fossil fuels).
Skip Holistic grazing. It does not include five very important issues about domesticated animal grazing--
1.) Mining by the animals of soil nutrients. When you slaughter the animals or remove their milk, you take those nutrients out of the ecosystem, in effect doing soil nutrient mining.
2.) Selection and truncation of the grassland ecosystem. Grasslands world-wide are losing their other half, the wildflowers and other dicots. For example, the wildflowers in California are 99.99% spatially extinct, after only 250 years of grazing. See my paintings at http://www.ecoseeds.com/
3.) Soil nutrient mining drawing down the levels below which native grassland plant seedlings need for survival. See http://www.ecoseeds.com/good.example.html where the grazing/nutrient mining of the soil caused the seedlings to sprout then die from starvation when 4 cm. tall.
4.) Removal by the animals of the local Pseudomonas host plants, which is the bacteria that help create rain clouds for that area.
5.) Native animals including carnivores are usually excluded from grazing areas, further narrowing the areas where those animals have habitat to survive.
Sincerely, Craig Carlton Dremann - Restoring native grasslands for 45 years.
- Badges
- Science method
- Similar topics
- Biological Science
- Ecology