Grazing management for the sustainable use of rehabilitated rangelands of Majidya (Jordanian Badia)

Abstract

Rangeland improvement and controlled grazing on arid rangelands are effective tools for sustainable management of these harsh but resilient ecosystems. Grazing management is a tool to balance the capture of energy by the plants, the harvest of that energy by animals, and the conversion of that energy into a marketable product. Timing of grazing and growth rate of plants after grazing events are key factors in controlling frequency, intensity, and duration of grazing. These factors enhance soil stability, forage production, efficiency of forage use, and livestock production. The calculation of carrying capacity was done based on the amount of dry matter produced by the rehabilitated rangeland either from planted shrubs or productivity of natural annual herbaceous plants. The objective of determining the potential of the existing grazing areas in an economically and environmentally justifiable way was achieved. A change in grazing management, be it more days grazing or a greater number of livestock in spring 2020, also led to increasing the carrying capacity. The carrying capacity was highest in spring and thereafter declined rapidly until early fall when grazing was limited to the shrubs.