to agriculture and environment
Proceeding of the 1
of the FAO CIHEAM
Mountain Pastures Network 25-27 May 2011, Kraków, POLAND
Agroscope Changins-
Institute of Technology and Life Sciences ITEP, Pol
to agriculture and environment
Proceeding of the 16th Meeting of the FAO CIHEAM
Mountain Pastures Network 27 May 2011, Kraków, POLAND
http://fao11.adcf.ch
Edited by
-Wädenswil Research Station ACW, Switzerland Institute of Technology and Life Sciences ITEP, Pol
th Meeting
27 May 2011, Kraków, POLAND
Wädenswil Research Station ACW, Switzerland
Institute of Technology and Life Sciences ITEP, Poland
16th Meeting of the FAO-CIHEAM Mountain Pastures Network Contribution of mountain pastures to agriculture and environment
137
Effects of grazing exclusion on vegetation and productivity of Kyrgyz pastures
Kilyazova1 N.V., #denov1$.I., Samsaliev1%.#., %&rybekov1#., Jeangros2 B.
1Livestock and Pasture Research Institute, Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic
2Research Station Agroscope Changins-Wädenswil, Nyon, Switzerland E-mail: bernard.jeangros@acw.admin.ch
Introduction
Livestock-breeding is a leading branch of agriculture in Kyrgyzstan. That is why high emphasis is placed on scientific development and improved feed production. Agricultural area makes up 10.6 million ha from which 9.2 million ha or 87% are used as permanent grassland (pastures and meadows for hay).
At present, livestock mostly belongs to small farmers. Almost all animals graze on near village and on spring/autumn pastures. Therefore, the stocking rate has increased up to 5-6 times. As a result, this surfaces have been highly overgrazed. Such a management system leads to total destruction of pastures in the regions where a high density of human population is observed. A loss of floristic diversity can be observed near settlements. Persistent vegetation types dominated by good plant species are replaced by undesirable and poisonous annual plants. It leads to a reduction of pasture productivity up to 2-2.5 times and, in some cases, to its total loss.
The total area of degraded pastures in Kyrgyz Republic (pastures covered with weeds, degraded or eroded at different degrees) accounts for more than 4.5 million ha or 49% of the area of permanent pastures.
Lately, 2.4 million ha of pastures were damaged by different degrees of soil erosion and 4.1 million ha were invaded by weed species like Rosa platyacantha, Caragana sp. or Carex spp. Five million ha are invaded by plant species with a low nutritive value, such as Artemisia dracunculus, Veratrum lobelianum and others. At the same time, remote and summer pastures are not fully grazed. As a consequence, large area of these pastures is occupied by undesirable and uneatable plant species.
The aim of this study is to assess the effect of grazing exclusion on the vegetation and productivity of i) near village intensively used pastures and ii) summer pastures which are less intensively used, and to evaluate the potential of degraded pastures to recover when protected from overgrazing. This paper presents some preliminary results after two years of grazing exclusion.
Material and methods
With local community representatives, six pastures have been selected in three pilot regions of Kyrgyzstan, three on near village pastures and three on summer pastures.
The pilot region of 'rgochor is situated on the south-east part of Issyk-Kul oblast, on the territory of Jety- Oguz rayon. Near village pastures in Orgochor are situated at 1700 m above sea level and belong to wormwood-ephemeral dry steppes. The demonstration plot is located on the eastern part of Orgochor village. Mean annual rainfall is 300 mm per year. Annual average temperature lies between 6.0 and 7.0
oC. Summer pastures of Orgochor region are located on the northern mountainside of Terskei Ala-too, in a place called Kaindy, about 12-15 km to the south. Vegetation type here is a grass-forb meadow-steppe.
Altitude is 2000 m above sea level and mean annual rainfall is 400 mm per year. Annual average temperature is comprised between 5.0 and 6.0 oC.
Lahol pilot region is located in the central part of inner Tyan-Shan, in Karakujur valley, on the territory of Naryn rayon and oblast. Altitude is 2700 m above sea level. The demonstration plot on near village pastures is situated in Tura-Suu village. Vegetation is a grass-forbs steppe. Climate is sharply continental with large fluctuations in air and soil temperature. Frosts are typical here even in summer time. Average annual air temperature lies between –0.4 and –0.5 oC and the mean annual rainfall is comprised between 360 mm (in valley part) and 400 mm (mountainous part). The demonstration plot on summer pastures is situated in Danakan area, near Tura-Suu head river, at an altitude of 2900 m. Vegetation is also a grass- forbs steppe. Climate is more severe than in the valley and weather changes several times a day. Mean annual rainfall reaches 400 mm.
()r)k pilot region is situated on south-east part of Kyrgyzstan, in Ak-Tala rayon of Naryn oblast. The near village pasture of Terek is a grass-forbs dry steppe. Climate is sharply continental with large fluctuations in air and soil temperature. Average annual air temperature lies between –5.0 and -6.0 oC and average annual rainfall in the valley reaches 320 mm. The demonstration plot on summer pasture is
is 360 mm.
Grazing was excluded with fences since 2008 or 2009. Depending on the local situation, the size of each protected area varies between 300 and 900 m2. The botanical composition have been observed during summer in 2009 and 2010 according to the quick start methodology (Herrick et al., 2005). Plants have been identified according to Golovkova (1962) and Nikitina et al. (1959). In 2009 and 2010, four small plots of 1 m2 were cut monthly from May to September inside the exclusion area and outside next to the fenced area at a height of 2-3 cm (near village pastures) or 4-5 cm (summer pastures) above soil level.
The harvested plant material was air dried and weighed to determine the dry matter yield. Observations and main calculations have been conducted according to the experimental methods for meadows and pastures described by Iglovikov (1971) and Imenov and Djoldoshev (2009).
Figure 1. Specific contribution (%) of the main plant species inside and outside the six demonstration plots (Orgochor, Tura-Suu and Terek = near village pastures, Kaindy, Danakan and Kara-Tash = summer pastures; mean of 2009 and 2010).
Results
Orgochor region
In the near village pasture of Orgochor, Artemisia spp. constitute about 70% of the biomass (figure 1).
There are few grasses and Carex turkestanica is less developed inside than outside the fenced area.Vegetation starts to grow at the beginning of April and reaches its maximum at the end of July, with 640 kg DM ha-1 outside the fenced area and 755 kg DM ha-1 within the fenced area (table 1).
In Kaindy, Festuca valesiaca, Dactylis glomerata and Poa pratensis dominate among grasses (figure 1).
Legumes represent 10% of the biomass. Artemisia dracunculus reaches a higher proportion outside than inside the fenced plot. Plant vegetation starts to grow 8-10 days later than on near village pastures (Orgochor). Maximum productivity of the vegetation was obtained at the end of July, with 1980 kg DM ha-1 outside the fenced area and 2550 kg DM ha-1 inside the fenced area (table 1).
Orgochor / inside Orgochor /outside
Kaindy/ inside Kaindy/ outside
Tura-Suu / inside Tura-Suu / outside
Danakan / inside Danakan / outside
Terek/ inside Terek/ outside
Kara-Tash / inside
Kara-Tash / outside 0
20 40 60 80 100
Festuca valesiaca Stipa capillata Poa pratensis Dactylis glomerata Other grasses Astragalus spp.
Other Legumes Carex turkestanica Artemisia spp.
Geranium collinum Phlomis oreophila Other forbs
16th Meeting of the FAO-CIHEAM Mountain Pastures Network Contribution of mountain pastures to agriculture and environment
139
Lahol region
The near village pasture in Tura-Suu is dominated by Festuca valesiaca and Stipa capillata, the former grass reaching a higher proportion inside the plot, the latter being more developed outside (figure 1).
Legumes occupy 7% of the biomass and Geranium collinum is the main forbs species. Vegetation here begins to grow at the end of April, i.e. 15-20 days later than in Orgochor and reaches its maximum in August only. At this time, the productivity reaches 405 kg DM ha-1 on free grazing area (unfenced) and 505 kg DM ha-1 within the fenced area (table 1).
In Danakan (summer pasture of Lahol), Poa pratensis is the most important grass species and seems to be favored by grazing exclusion (figure 1). Geranium collinum and Phlomis oreophila occupy a high proportion in the biomass, the same one inside and outside the fenced plot. The vegetation starts to grow in May. Maximum productivity was reached in August and show higher values than in Tura-Suu: 1095 kg DM ha-1 outside the fenced area and 1400 kg DM ha-1 inside the plot (table 1).
(&ble 1. Dry matter yield (kg DM ha-1) produced by the pastures from May to September outside (unfenced) and inside (fenced) the six exclusion area located in the three pilot regions (means 2009-10)
Pilot region Pasture type Plot type
Dry matter yield (kg DM ha-1)
May June July Aug Sept
Orgochor Near village pasture unfenced 110 345 640 600 555
(Orgochor) fenced 140 415 755 720 675
Summer pasture unfenced 190 900 1980 1625 1530
(Kaindy) fenced 200 1215 2550 2100 1885
Lahol Near village pasture unfenced 105 205 310 405 365
(Tura-Suu) fenced 130 260 395 505 470
Summer pasture unfenced 140 500 875 1095 825
(Danakan) fenced 180 605 1090 1400 1030
Terek Near village pasture unfenced 85 215 380 505 475
(Terek) fenced 100 275 520 670 625
Summer pasture unfenced 180 350 320 435 395
(Kara-Tash) fenced 220 430 370 495 460
Underlined values indicate the maximum value from May to September
Terek region
In Terek (near village pasture), Festuca valesiaca and Stipa capillata are the dominant grasses (figure 1).
Astragalus spp. are well developed and legumes represent about 8-9% of the biomass. Outside the fenced area, the proportion of Artemisia dracunculus is relatively high (14%). The highest productivity was reached in August, with 505 kg DM ha-1 outside the fenced area and 670 kg DM ha-1 within the fenced plot (table 1).
In Kara-Tash (summer pasture of Terek), Festuca valesiaca and Stipa capillata are also the dominant grasses, but they are less developed than on the near village pasture (figure 1). Legumes, mainly Astragalus schanginianus, constitute 15% of the biomass. The main weed species are Artemisia dracunculus and Carex turkestanica, the latter species being much more developed outside than inside the fenced plot as in Orgochor. The productivity reaches its maximum value in August and was low: 435 kg DM ha-1 outside and 495 kg DM ha-1 inside the fenced area (table 1).
Conclusions
To assess the effects of grazing exclusion, long term observations are required. Nevertheless, two years of observations already reveal first effects of grazing exclusion. On overgrazed near village pastures, grazing exclusion favored the emergence of plant species with a good nutritive value and reduced the proportion of some undesirable species. For this type of pastures, it is necessary to introduce rest periods to avoid pasture degradation. On less overgrazed summer pastures, the positive effects of grazing exclusion are
Acknowledgements
This study has been realized in the framework of the twinning arrangement between the %yrgyz Livestock and Pasture Research Institute and the Swiss research station Agroscope Changins-Wädenswil.
It is part of the Agricultural and Investments and Services Project (AISP) led by the Ministry of Agriculture, Water Resources and Processing Industry of the Kyrgyz Republic (APIU) and funded by the World Bank and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).
References
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