An evaluation of techniques for monitoring rangeland health in semi-arid savannas in southern Africa

Abstract

Rangeland health plays an important role in increasing the connectivity/contact between wildlife, livestock and people. Communal rangelands throughout the savanna areas of South Africa are experiencing increasing magnitudes of pressure as they are reduced in size mainly due to a rapidly expanding human population. These pressures emanate in greater levels of degradation, which results in greater competition between livestock and wildlife across the interface for ecosystem services (such as grazing). Ultimately, this brings wildlife and livestock closer together and enhances the probability of disease transmission. Long-term monitoring of rangeland health using survey methods that are comprehensive, rigorous (and accurate) and efficient in terms of time and cost are essential for the development of sustainable management approaches that aim to optimise the ecological, social and economic well-being of an area. The primary aim of this study was to objectively assess a number of rangeland monitoring techniques [Multiple Indicator Monitoring (MIM) method, Adapted Point-centred Quarter (APCQ) method, Basal Cover (BC) method, Line-point Intercept (LPI) method and the Disc Pasture Meter (DPM) method that uses 100 recordings)]; taking into account efficiency (time and cost) and usefulness in recording indicators of rangeland health. The findings further provide a basis for the implementation of sound management practises across multiple land-use types. The Mnisi Study Area (MSA) is situated in the Lowveld region of Mpumalanga, South Africa, and is comprised of communal rangelands and land zoned for conservation purposes. The rangelands under communal tenure belong to community members from various villages; and are the sole source of available grazing to the local livestock population, made up mainly of cattle and goats. Some of the communal rangelands exist at the wildlife-livestock interface of the Manyeleti Game Reserve. The Manyeleti is managed as an open system and contains a full suite of wild herbivores endemic to the area. The MIM method was considered to be an efficient and rigorous survey method that can be used to detect comprehensive information of the health and status of rangelands across semi-arid savannas of southern Africa.