Download or read book The role of ligneous vegetation for livestock nutrition in the sub Sahelian and Sudanian zones of West Africa Potential effects of climate change written by Nouhoun Zampaligre and published by Cuvillier Verlag. This book was released on 2012-10-17 with total page 122 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Kurzbeschreibung Aufgrund der starken Abhängigkeit von Niederschlägen und natürlichen Ressourcen gelten Ackerbau und Viehzucht im subsaharischen westlichen Afrika als besonders anfällig für klimatischen Wandel. Verstärkt wird dies durch das geringe Anpassungsvermögen der lokalen Bauern und Viehzüchter an die neuen Umstände. Das Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit war daher die Untersuchung der zu erwartenden Einflüsse zukünftiger Klimaveränderungen auf die Tierernährung und Weidenutzung in der südlichen Sahelzone und der nördlichen und südlichen Sudanzone in Burkina Faso. Um dies zu erreichen, wurden von 2009 bis 2010 drei Studien durchgeführt; dafür ausgewählt wurden die Dörfer und Dorfgebiete (100 km²) von Taffogo (südliche Sahelzone), Nobere und Safane (nördliche Sudanzone) und Sokouraba (südliche Sudanzone). Die Wahl von zwei Dörfern in der nördlichen Sudanzone war begründet durch die Dichotomie zwischen intensiver landwirtschaftlicher Nutzung und hoher Bevölkerungsdichte in Safane und geringer ackerbaulicher Nutzungsintensität in der Pufferzone zwischen dem Dorf Nobere und dem Nationalpark Pô. Unter Verwendung globaler Navigations- (GPS) sowie Geoinformationssysteme (GIS) wurden räumliche und zeitliche Veränderungen in der Weidenutzung sowie im Fressverhalten von Rindern, Schafen und Ziegen in den vier Dörfern untersucht. Hierzu wurden pro Dorf jeweils drei Herden der genannten Haustierarten über einen Zeitraum von einem Jahr beobachtet (Kapitel 2). Die längsten Weidewege (km/Tag) waren während der heißen Trockenzeit (März – Mai) festzustellen. Schafe (18,8) und Rinder (17,4) legten dabei signifikant größere Distanzen zurück als Ziegen (10,5; p0,05). Die tägliche Weidedauer lag zwischen sechs und elf Stunden und war bei den Rindern länger als bei den kleinen Wiederkäuern (p0,05). Artunabhängig wurden 52–72% des Weidetages mit der Aufnahme von Futter verbracht. In der südlichen Sahelzone verbrachten die Herden mehr Zeit pro Tag auf den Weideflächen und legten zudem größere Distanzen zurück als in den beiden sudanischen Zonen (p0,01); die effektive Fresszeit war dagegen in der südlichen Sudanzone am längsten (p0,05). Eine proportionale Abnahme von Ruhephasen war während der Regenzeit (Juni - Oktober) im Vergleich zur kühlen (November - Februar) sowie heißen Trockenzeit zu beobachten (p0,05), während gleichzeitig der proportionale Anteil der Marschzeit zunahm. Unabhängig von der Jahreszeit erfolgte die Futteraufnahme in der südlichen Sahelzone bei allen drei Arten signifikant häufiger in bewaldeten Bereichen (Baumdeckung 5-10% oder Strauchdeckung 10%), während sie sich in den beiden sudanischen Zonen vornehmlich auf Waldflächen (Baumdeckung 10%) konzentrierte. Daraus lässt sich ableiten, dass bei gleichzeitiger Ausdehnung von landwirtschaftlich genutzten Flächen verbleibende Waldinseln und baumreiche Bereiche, einschließlich älterer (und damit buschbestandener) Brachflächen wertvolle Weidegründe für die lokalen Wiederkäuerherden darstellen. Es sollten daher Maßnahmen ergriffen werden, um dem Rückgang solch bewaldeter Bereiche entgegenzuwirken und gleichzeitig den Schutz sowie die (Wieder-)Anpflanzung dürretoleranter Futterbäume aktiv zu fördern. In einer weiteren Studie (Kapitel 3) wurde die Futterselektion der genannten Herden weidender Rinder und kleiner Wiederkäuer untersucht, und 75 Tierhalter zum Weideverhalten ihrer Tiere sowie zur Behandlung von Tierkrankheiten mit traditionellen pflanzlichen Medikamenten befragt. Ziel war es, die Auswirkungen des Klimawandels auf die Ernährung und Gesundheit der Nutztiere zu erfassen. Über alle drei untersuchten agro-ökologischen Zonen hinweg zeigen die Ergebnisse eine bevorzugte Nutzung holziger Futterpflanzen durch die drei Tierarten. Der Anteil der auf Selektion solcher Pflanzen verwendeten Zeit an der Gesamfreßzeit war dabei bei Ziegen signifikant höher als bei Schafen und Rindern (p

Download or read book The Role of Ligneous Vegetation for Livestock Nutrition in the Sub Sahelian and Sudanian Zones of West Africa written by Nouhoun Zampaligré and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 102 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Pastoralism and Socio technological Transformations in Northern Benin written by Georges Djohy and published by Göttingen University Press. This book was released on 2017 with total page 368 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Pastoralists throughout Africa face increasing pressures. In Benin, governmental development policies and programmes in crop farming are changing power relations between herders and farmers to favour the latter. How are the Fulani pastoralists responding to these threats to their existence? Georges Djohy explores the dynamics in local use of natural resources and in inter-ethnic relations resulting from development interventions. He combines the approaches of science and technology studies – looking at the co-construction of society and technology – and political ecology – looking at the power relations shaping the dynamics of economic, environmental and social change – so as to throw light on the forces of marginalisation, adaptation and innovation at work in northern Benin. Having worked there for many years, Djohy has been able to uncover gradual processes of socio-technological change that are happening “behind the scenes” of agricultural development involving mechanisation, herbicide use, tree planting, land registration and natural resource conservation. He reveals how farmers are using these interventions as “weapons” in order to gain more rights over larger areas of land, in other words, to support indigenous land grabbing from herders who had been using the land since decades for grazing. He documents how the Fulani are innovating to ensure their survival, e.g. by using new technologies for transport and communication, developing new strategies of livestock feeding and herd movement, and developing complementary sources of household income. The Fulani are organising themselves from local to national level to provide technological and socio-cultural services, manage conflicts and gain a stronger political voice, e.g. to be able to achieve demarcation of corridors for moving livestock through cultivated areas. They even use non-functioning mini-dairies – another example of development intervention – to demonstrate their modernity and to open up other opportunities to transform their pastoral systems. This book provides insights into normally hidden technical and social dynamics that are unexpected outcomes of development interventions.

Download or read book Livestock and Sustainable Nutrient Cycling in Mixed Farming Systems of Sub Saharan Africa Conference summary written by J. M. Powell and published by ILRI (aka ILCA and ILRAD). This book was released on 1994-01-01 with total page 54 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Conference summary; Summary of plenary sessins; Opening session; Interactions between animals and plants; Interactions between animals and soils; Interactions between plant and soils; Nutrient cycling in mixed farming systems; Modelling nutrient cycles; Closing session; Summary of focus group sessions; Introduction; Animal-plant interactions; Animal-soil interacions; Socio-economic dimensions in nutrient cycling.

Download or read book Livestock and Sustainable Nutrient Cycling in Mixed Farming Systems of Sub Saharan Africa Technical papers written by J. M. Powell and published by ILRI (aka ILCA and ILRAD). This book was released on 1994-01-01 with total page 574 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Technical papers. Setting the scene. Interactions between animals and plants. Interactions between animals and soils. Interactions between plants and soils. Nutrient cycling in mixed farming systems. Modelling nutrient cycles in plant/animal/soil systems.

Download or read book Agroforestry Parklands in Sub Saharan Africa written by Jean-Marc Boffa and published by Food & Agriculture Org.. This book was released on 1999 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This document attempts to present the current state of knowledge on agroforestry parkland systems. These systems, which for many local populations are very important for food security, income generation and environmental protection, are found primarily in the semi-arid and sub-humid zones of West Africa. The document first provides a thorough description of their distribution and diversity and discusses different ways of classifying them. It also presents data on current trends in parkland development and assesses determining factors. The document then provides an in-depth analysis of biophysical tree-soil-crop interactions and the factors regulating them, and describes various improved parkland management techniques. It goes on to examine the strength and limitations of institutional arrangements as well as the constraints imposed by Sahelian forest policies on the sustainable management of parklands. The production, use and marketing of parkland products is reviewed with an emphasis on their contribution to food security, local and national income as well as social values. Overall costs and benefits of the practice of parkland agroforestry are evaluated. In conclusion, the document identifies crucial research needs and promising avenues for promoting sustainable management of parkland systems.

Download or read book African Handbook of Climate Change Adaptation written by Walter Leal Filho and published by Springer. This book was released on 2021-05-21 with total page 2838 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This open access book discusses current thinking and presents the main issues and challenges associated with climate change in Africa. It introduces evidences from studies and projects which show how climate change adaptation is being - and may continue to be successfully implemented in African countries. Thanks to its scope and wide range of themes surrounding climate change, the ambition is that this book will be a lead publication on the topic, which may be regularly updated and hence capture further works. Climate change is a major global challenge. However, some geographical regions are more severly affected than others. One of these regions is the African continent. Due to a combination of unfavourable socio-economic and meteorological conditions, African countries are particularly vulnerable to climate change and its impacts. The recently released IPCC special report "Global Warming of 1.5o C" outlines the fact that keeping global warming by the level of 1.5o C is possible, but also suggested that an increase by 2o C could lead to crises with crops (agriculture fed by rain could drop by 50% in some African countries by 2020) and livestock production, could damage water supplies and pose an additonal threat to coastal areas. The 5th Assessment Report produced by IPCC predicts that wheat may disappear from Africa by 2080, and that maize— a staple—will fall significantly in southern Africa. Also, arid and semi-arid lands are likely to increase by up to 8%, with severe ramifications for livelihoods, poverty eradication and meeting the SDGs. Pursuing appropriate adaptation strategies is thus vital, in order to address the current and future challenges posed by a changing climate. It is against this background that the "African Handbook of Climate Change Adaptation" is being published. It contains papers prepared by scholars, representatives from social movements, practitioners and members of governmental agencies, undertaking research and/or executing climate change projects in Africa, and working with communities across the African continent. Encompassing over 100 contribtions from across Africa, it is the most comprehensive publication on climate change adaptation in Africa ever produced.

Download or read book Vegetation Dynamics written by R. Knapp and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 333 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During the International Botanical Congress in Edinburgh, 1964, Mrs. 1. M. WEISBACH-J UNK of The Hague discussed a plan for preparation by her publishing company (Dr. W. Junk b.v.) of an international Handbook of Vegetation Science. She proposed a series that should give a comprehensive survey of the varied directions within this science, and their achievements to date as well as their objectives for the future. The challenge of such an enterprise, and its evident value for the further development of vegetation research, induced the undersigned after some consideration to accept the offer of the honorable but also burdensome task of General Editor. The decision was encouraged by a well formulated and detailed outline for the Handbook worked out by the Dutch phytosociolo gists J. J. BARKMAN and V. WESTHOFF. A circle of scholars from numerous countries was invited by the Dr. Junk Publishing Com pany to The Hague in January 1966 to draw up a list of editors and contributors for the parts of the Handbook. The outline and list have served since for the organization of the Handbook, with no need for major change. The different burdens of editors and authors have compelled quite different timings for completion of the individual sections.

Download or read book Forest Landscape Restoration written by John Stanturf and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-11-28 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Restoration ecology, as a scientific discipline, developed from practitioners’ efforts to restore degraded land, with interest also coming from applied ecologists attracted by the potential for restoration projects to apply and/or test developing theories on ecosystem development. Since then, forest landscape restoration (FLR) has emerged as a practical approach to forest restoration particularly in developing countries, where an approach which is both large-scale and focuses on meeting human needs is required. Yet despite increased investigation into both the biological and social aspects of FLR, there has so far been little success in systematically integrating these two complementary strands. Bringing experts in landscape studies, natural resource management and forest restoration, together with those experienced in conflict management, environmental economics and urban studies, this book bridges that gap to define the nature and potential of FLR as a truly multidisciplinary approach to a global environmental problem. The book will provide a valuable reference to graduate students and researchers interested in ecological restoration, forest ecology and management, as well as to professionals in environmental restoration, natural resource management, conservation, and environmental policy.

Download or read book Browse in Africa written by and published by ILRI (aka ILCA and ILRAD). This book was released on with total page 500 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book OECD FAO Agricultural Outlook 2016 2025 written by OECD and published by OECD Publishing. This book was released on 2016-07-04 with total page 136 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2016-2025 provides an assessment of prospects for the coming decade of the agricultural commodity markets across 41 countries and 12 regions, including OECD countries and key agricultural producers, such as India, China, Brazil, the Russian Federation and Argentina.

Download or read book The End of Desertification written by Roy H. Behnke and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-04-12 with total page 560 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The question in the title of this book draws attention to the shortcomings of a concept that has become a political tool of global importance even as the scientific basis for its use grows weaker. The concept of desertification, it can be argued, has ceased to be analytically useful and distorts our understanding of social-environmental systems and their resiliency, particularly in poor countries with variable rainfall and persistent poverty. For better policy and governance, we need to reconsider the scientific justification for international attempts to combat desertification. Our exploration of these issues begins in the Sahel of West Africa, where a series of severe droughts at the end of the 20th century led to the global institutionalization of the idea of desertification. It now seems incontrovertible that these droughts were not caused primarily by local land use mismanagement, effectively terminating a long-standing policy and scientific debate. There is now an opportunity to treat this episode as an object lesson in the relationship between science, the formation of public opinion and international policy-making. Looking beyond the Sahel, the chapters in this book provide case studies from around the world that examine the use and relevance of the desertification concept. Despite an increasingly sophisticated understanding of dryland environments and societies, the uses now being made of the desertification concept in parts of Asia exhibit many of the shortcomings of earlier work done in Africa. It took scientists more than three decades to transform a perceived desertification crisis in the Sahel into a non-event. This book is an effort to critically examine that experience and accelerate the learning process in other parts of the world.

Download or read book Governing Africa s Forests in a Globalized World written by Laura A. German and published by Earthscan. This book was released on 2009-12 with total page 445 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many countries around the world are engaged in decentralization processes, and most African countries face serious problems with forest governance, from benefits sharing to illegality and sustainable forest management. This book summarizes experiences to date on the extent and nature of decentralization and its outcomes, most of which suggest an underperformance of governance reforms, and explores the viability of different governance instruments in the context of weak governance and expanding commercial pressures over forests. Findings are grouped into two thematic areas: decentralization, livelihoods and sustainable forest management; and international trade, finance and forest sector governance reforms. The authors examine diverse forces shaping the forest sector, including the theory and practice of decentralization, usurpation of authority, corruption and illegality, inequitable patterns of benefits capture and expansion of international trade in timber and carbon credits, and discuss related outcomes on livelihoods, forest condition and equity. The book builds on earlier volumes exploring different dimensions of decentralization and perspectives from other world regions, and distills dimensions of forest governance that are both unique to Africa and representative of broader global patterns. Authors ground their analysis in relevant theory while attempting to distill implications of their findings for policy and practice.

Download or read book African Ecology written by Clive Alfred Spinage and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-01-28 with total page 1582 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In view of the rapidly changing ecology of Africa ,this work provides benchmarks for some of the major, and more neglected, aspects, with an accent on historical data to enable habitats to be seen in relation to their previous state, forming a background reference work to understanding how the ecology of Africa has been shaped by its past. Reviewing historical data wherever possible it adopts an holistic view treating man as well as animals, with accent on diseases both human and animal which have been a potent force in shaping Africa’s ecology, a role neglected in ecological studies.

Download or read book Combating Desertification with Plants written by D. Pasternak and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 451 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The conference "Combating Desertification with Plants" was held in Beer Sheva, Israel, from November 2-5, 1999, and was attended by 70 participants from 30 countries and/or international organisations. Desertification - the degradation of soils in drylands - is a phenomenon occurring in scores of countries around the globe. The number of people (in semiarid regions) affected by the steady decline in the productivity of their lands is in the hundred millions. The measures required to halt and reverse the process of desertification fall into many categories - policy, institutional, sociological-anthropological, and technical. Although technical "solutions" are not currently in vogue, the conference organizers felt that perhaps the pendulum had swung too far in the direction of "participatory approaches." Hence IPALAC - The International Program for Arid Land Crops - whose function is to serve as a catalyst for optimizing the contribution of plant germplasm to sustainable development in desertification-prone regions - felt the time was opportune for providing a platform for projects where the "plant-driven" approach to development finds expression. Some 45 papers were delivered at the conference, falling into the categories of this volume: Overview, Potential Germplasm for Arid Lands, Introduction, Domestication and Dissemination of Arid Land Plants, Land Rehabilitation, and Mechanisms of Plant Transfer. The conference was funded by UNESCO (Division of Ecological Sciences), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, and MASHAV, Israel's Center for International Development Cooperation.

Download or read book Indigenous Fruit Trees in the Tropics written by Festus K. Akinnifesi and published by CABI. This book was released on 2008 with total page 458 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book comprises 5 parts and 21 chapters discussing the domestication of indigenous fruit trees in Africa, Oceania, Latin America and Asia; and describes the biophysical and socio-economic aspects of Miombo fruit trees.

Download or read book Soils and Sediments written by Helene Paquet and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 523 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Clays and soils are of great importance in various scientific fields, such as agriculture and environmental science, and in mineral deposits. Students and close collaborators of Georges Millot, the eminent French clay sedimentologist, have put together a book with topics ranging from weathering processes and diagenetic evalution of sediments to sedimentary mineral deposits. The book is of interest to practitioners, advanced students as well as teachers in the above fields.