The Improvement of Tropical and Subtropical Rangelands (BOSTID): Part I: The economic context: Resource evaluation

The Improvement of Tropical and Subtropical Rangelands (BOSTID)

(introduction...)

Acknowledgements

Panel on the improvement of tropical and subtropical rangelands

Contributors

National research council staff

Preface

Overview: Dimensions of a worldwide environmental crisis

The geographical scope

References

Part I

Introduction

(introduction...)

References

The nature of tropical and subtropical rangelands

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Range classification

Social system-ecosystem interactions

References

The social context for rangeland improvement

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Production systems in tropical and subtropical regions

Context of environmental degradation

References

The economic context

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Range systems

The basis of range economics

Project analysis

Determining costs and benefits

Resource evaluation

Market price determination

References

Regional resource assessment

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Information needs

Information acquisition

References

Site evaluation

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An ecosystem perspective

A systems approach to site evaluation

Evaluation of abiotic and biotic components

Integrated evaluations

References

Grazing management

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Grazing management concepts

Time of grazing

Distribution of grazing

Type of animal grazing

Number of animals grazing

Grazing management planning

Grazing management systems

Livestock management

The herima system in Mali

References

Rehabilitation techniques

Establishing plants on the range

Natural revegetation

Direct seeding

Improvement of tropical and subtropical rangelands

Selected practices

References

Criteria for plant selection

Project planning

Socioeconomic and management considerations in feasibility studies

Adaptation to ecoclimatic conditions

Adaptation to soils

Adaptation to physiography, geomorphology, topography, slope, and aspect

Ability of introduced species to compete with native vegetation

Use regimes

Availability of seeds and plant materials

Maintenance of biological diversity

Plant improvement

References

Part II

Introduction to the case studies

Pastoral regimes of Mauritania

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Physical geography

Migration cycle

The Beni Mguild of Morocco

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Physical geography

Migratory cycle

The Kel Tamasheq

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Introduction

Camp organization

References

Dromedary pastoralism in Africa and Arabia

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Introduction

Reproduction and risk

Management and labor

Subsistence production

Marketing

Predatory pastoralism

The future of camel pastoralism

References

The mountain nomads of Iran: Basseri and Bakhtiari

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The physical environment

The basseri

The bakhtiari

The Marri Baluch of Pakistan

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Physical environment

Seasons and migrations

A mixed economic system

Conclusiones

Changing patterns of resource use in the Bedthi-Aghanashini valleys of Karnataka state, India

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Introduction

The setting

Human communities

Traditional patterns of resource management

Colonial period

After independence

Recent trends

References

Kenya: Seeking remedies for desert encroachment

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Introduction

Background

Traditional pastoralism

Baseline studies

Vegetation and livestock

Directions for the future

The hema system in the Arabian peninsula

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Rights of ownership or use

The hema system in Saudi Arabia

The mahmia or marah, and the koze system in Syria

Neglect of the hema and its consequences

Hema in the range improvement and conservation programs in the near east

References

Wildlife land use at the Athi River, Kenya

(introduction...)

Background

Some early findings

Conclusion

Camel husbandry in Kenya: Increasing the productivity of ranchland

(introduction...)

Introduction

Location

Vegetation

Livestock

Introduction of camels

Management and adaptability

Reproduction and lactation

Veterinary notes

Economics

Reference

The potential of faidherbia albida for desertification control and increased productivity in Chad

(introduction...)

Background

Characteristics of faidherbia albida

Project description

Project analysis and evaluation

Conclusions

References

Improving Nigeria's animal feed resources: Pastoralists and scientists cooperate in fodder bank research

Board on science technology for international development

(introduction...)

Members

Resource evaluation

Evaluating the quality and adequacy of various resources for possible alternative uses is the first step in project planning. The climate and characteristics of land and soils, water supply (whether for irrigation, livestock, or domestic use), and incidence of weedy types of vegetation, insect pests, and plant or animal diseases should all be considered. The objectives of the evaluation process are to determine the forage and livestock enterprises that may be feasible and whether some alternatives can be ruled infeasible without further evaluation. These factors are described in more detail in chapters 4 and 5.

Location of the project and access to markets both for sale of products and for purchase of necessary supplies is another key consideration for determining feasibility. The location, climate, land, and water supply factors are often fixed. It is impossible, or at least difficult and often costly, to modify these factors. Water supply can sometimes be augmented by drilling wells or creating storage; however, the ecological consequences must be considered.

Human resources are the most difficult to assess. Most projects rely on organizations of pastoralists. Important questions to address are the following: Will the existing organizations be used, or will a new organization be established? What should be the size of the organization? How complex will be the functional specialization and what type of membership (inclusive versus exclusive, voluntary versus forced) is expected?

A new organization can only be established at a cost. Because of low population densities associated with arid rangeland, communication between members is difficult. Difficulties in decision making, therefore, increase as group size increases. For the same reason (lack of opportunity to communicate), there are limits to functional specialization.

Sanford (1983) emphasizes that the "costs" of project organization are often underestimated if not overlooked altogether. A first step to the evaluation of human resources is a good understanding of the existing social organization.

Data Needs and Sources

Data required for cost and benefit evaluation, frequently called "input-output" data, include: herbage or animal production or possible alternatives; physical quantities of inputs used, whether a product is produced or purchased; prices for inputs; and prices for output to be sold.

The principal sources of physical input-output data for projects may include well-trained professionals with technical expertise in the area, data from other projects of a similar type and under similar conditions, people from the locality with good knowledge of the area and what might be expected, and data from controlled experiments.

Preliminary experiments are very important sources of data for technical specialists who must make judgments about the productivity of resources in new projects. The preliminary experiments do not yield perfect or reproducible results, particularly when applied to international projects of an agricultural nature where factors such as weather, variability in inputs, and the performance of the field crew typically are incompletely controlled. Situations in developing countries lead to what might be called “the experimental gap" between the yields that are obtained on the experimental plots and those likely to be achieved on projects. The technical specialists must attempt to estimate the extent of experimental gap and the extent of adjustment or correction. Farming systems research is attempting to narrow this gap.

In general, local data are most useful for ascertaining the response to different treatments or the change in output resulting from a change in level of the inputs.

Farmers or pastoralists may be the best source of information on crop or vegetation and animal performance, requirements for labor, materials, machinery use, feed requirements, and so on. Information collected locally by survey procedures can be used to establish benchmarks for current enterprise combinations and production practices, and to obtain crop and livestock labor requirements and machine use levels for operations of different sizes.