rangeland management

RANGELAND MANAGEMENT

MIDHUN M.NAIRMsc Environmental SciencesSchool of Environmental SciencesMG University ,Kottayam,Kerala,India

RANGE???? An extensive area of land that is occupied by

native herbaceous or shrubby vegetation which is grazed by domestic or wild herbivores.

The vegetation of ranges may include tallgrass prairies, steppes (shortgrass prairies), desert shrublands, woodlands, savannas, chaparrals, and tundras

ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITONS

Precipitation 25-75cmHigh water tableHigh humas content

Forage

Recreation

Livestock Production

Open Space

Native PlantsWater

Wildlife Habitat

Why are rangelands important?

Energy

Minerals

IMPORTANCE OF RANGE Rangeland is largely used for grazing livestock Rangelands also provide habitats for wildlife provide watersheds for use by surrounding

communities Aesthetic point of view Provide food

Types of rangeland “lands on which the native vegetation(climax

or natural potential plant community) is predominantly grasses, grass-like plants, forbs, or shrubs suitable for grazing or browsing use.” (EPA)

The EPA classifies natural grassland and savannas as rangeland, and in some cases includes wetlands, deserts, tundra, and “certain forb and shrub communities.”

Grasslands Grasslands are characterized as lands

dominated by grasses rather than large shrubs or trees.

grasses (Poaceae), sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae)

Prairie,steeppe,pumps,savanna

Prairie Prairies are considered part of the temperate

grasslands,savannas and shrublands biome Lands typically referred to as "prairie" tend to

be in North America. Three types-1)Wet:-soil is moist most of the growing season

and has poor water drainage2)Mesic :-has good drainage 3)Dry:-dry soil during the growing season

Prairie grasseTallgrass prairie flora

Prairie, Badlands National Park,South Dakota, USA

Steppe is an ecoregion, in the montane grasslands

and shrublands and temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biomes

Steppes are usually characterized by a semi-arid and continental climate

Temperate steppe: the "true" steppe, found in continental areas of the world

Subtropical steppe: found in the driest areas

Sagebrush steppe in northeastern Nevada USA

Steppe in Kazakhstan

pampas The Pampas of South America are a grassland biome.

It covers from the Atlantic Ocean to the Andes Mountains.

The Pampas of South America are a grass land biome. It covers from the Atlantic Ocean to the Andes Mountains.

savannaA savanna or savannah is a grassland ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to support an unbroken herbaceous layer consisting primarily of grasses.

Savanna:-

Tundra tundra is type of biome where the tree growth is

by low temperatures and short growing seasons. There are three types of tundra: arctic

tundra,alpine tundra and Antarctic tundra. In tundra, the vegetation is composed of dwarf

shrubs, sedges and grasses, mosses, and lichens. Scattered trees grow in some tundra regions. The

ecotone(or ecological boundary region) between the tundra and the forest is known as the tree line or timberline.

Tundra range in Alaska

Desert A desert is a barren area of land where little

precipitation occurs and consequently living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life

Hot desert Cold desert

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION25

15

103

47 FORESTCROP LANDICE& DESERTSLAND USERANGE

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION

Rangeland Regions of North America

five geographic zones that vary in topography, climate, and soil types

1) Mediterranean Region southwest coast, along the Pacific Ocean climate similar to the lands that surround the

Mediterranean Sea Annual Grasslands :-region in California was

a bunchgrass prairie dominated by needlegrasses. Exotic annual plants such as cheatgrass and medusahead were well adapted to the Mediterranean climate.

Oak Woodlands and Savannas :-Several plant communities across western North America are dominated by oak trees or shrubs.

oak savannas in California and Texas, oak woodlands in southern California

central Texas and oak shrublands in northern Texas and New Mexico

the lower elevations of the Rocky Mountains in New Mexico and Colorado.

2) Pacific Northwest Intermountain Grassland - This region

includes a diversity of grasslands dominated by bunchgrasses including the Palouse Prairie and Canyon Grasslands of Idaho, Washington, Oregon and Montana.

Major grasses include bunchgrasses such as bluebunch wheatgrass and Idaho fescue.

3)Great Basin Sagebrush Steppe – The sagebrush steppe

is one of the most extensive range types in western North America.

Salt Desert Shrublands – In the Great Basin there are level areas in the lower elevations of the landscape that accumulate salt and create a plant shrub community that is well adapted to dry salty soils called the salt desert shrublands.

Pinyon-Juniper Woodlands – Woodland communities made up of pine and juniper are widely spread across the mid-elevation lands west of the Rocky Mountains and are collectively called the Pinyon-Juniper woodlands or P-J woodlands.

4)Southwest Desert Desert Shrublands and Grasslands –The

Desert Southwest includes three major desert types: Mojave, Sonoran, and Chihuahuan. The three deserts are collectively called the “hot desert”

5)Great Plains Tallgrass Prairie – This productive prairie

is dominated by tall grasses including big bluestem and Indian grass.

Mixed Prairie – As the name suggests, the mixed prairie is a mix of grasses: tallgrasses and mid-grasses and a cool-season and warm-season grasse

Shortgrass Prairie – The shortgrass prairie is dominated by low-growing wide-spreading grasses that are adapted to low precipitation.

AustraliaAbout 75% of Australia’s land he rangelands of arid and semi-arid Australia 70% of it is either arid or semi arid land. The arid zone is defined as areas which receive an

average rainfall of 250mm or less. The semi arid zone is defined as areas which

receive an average rainfall between 250-350mm. The rangelands of northern Australia The dry tropical rangelands of northern Australia

are characterised by vast tracts of eucalypt savanna and native grasslands, small areas of cleared land and scattered settlements, and the rivers and wetlands that sustain ecosystems. 

Africa

In Kenya, rangelands make up for 85% of the land surface

grasslands, savannas, and woodlands, which contain both grasses and woody plants

cover approximately 2.1x109 ha. Africa's livestock population of about 184

million cattle, 3.72 million small ruminants (sheep and goats), and 17 million camels extracts about 80% of its nutrition from these vast rangelands (IPCC 1996, WG II, Table 2-1).

China Rangeland types include; Semi-desert, Dry

Alpine Grasslands, Alpine Dwarf Shrub, Wetland types 1) The Northeast Prairie; 2) The Inner-Mongolia-Ningxia-Gansu

Rangeland 3) The Xinjiang Rangeland; 4) The Qinghai-Tibet Rangeland; 5) The Southern China Rolling Rangelands and

Mountain Slopes.

RANGE MANAGEMENTArthur William Sampson

Father of Range Management

Oakland, Nebraska (1884-67)

Plant Ecologist in U.S. Forest Service

first Director of the Great Basin Forest Research Station in the Wasatch Mountains

Management of range Herbicides spraying to reduce invasive Replacing barren areas that have been

overgrazed Mechanical removal of non-native species Rotational grazing of cattle Fensing off reserved areas where grazing is

never allowed

Invasive controlChemical Herbicides are generally classified by their

mode of action, selectivity, and location of application (foliar or soil).

Herbicides can be applied on rangeland by fixed-wing aircraft, helicopter, ground-application systems, backpack

sprayers, or rope wick.

Mechanical methods Weighted roller and cutter Mowing brush Land clearing ranke-plow Gridling Saw cutting and root plowing bulldozing

Grazing methods

Continuous grazing Rotational grazing Management intensive grazing Strip grazing

Continuous grazingRotational grazingManagement intensive grazingStrip grazing

Grazing methods

Rotational Grazing

Thank you……..

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