Rangeland resources of the highlands of Ethiopia
1990
Bekele Sisay (Alemay University of Agriculture, Dire Dawa (Ethiopia). Debre Zeit Agricultural College)
The highland regions of Ethiopia occupy 44 percent of the total land area of the country supporting 88 of the human and 70 percent of the livestock population. The rangelands occupy approximately 60 percent of the whole country and 58 percent of the highland regions. Crop and livestock are the most common agricultural practices of the higlands. About 95 percent of the regularly cropped land is situated in these regions. Rangelands provide more than 70 percent of the livestock feed; they are also valuable for wildlife habitat and as a source of genetic materials, and they are useful for soil and water conservation. In recent years there has been a tendency toward increased cultivation to meet the demand of an ever growing population, which is automatically associated with increases in grazing pressure. As a consequence, significant losses of soil by erosion, rangeland deterioration, and the reduction of livestock products and other rangland resources have occurred. More than half of the rangelands of the highlands are classified as poor to fair in condition, based on their estimated carrying capacity. This paper describes the physical characteristics, the importance and status of the rangelands based on the agro-ecological zones of the region. To develop, maintain, and improve the rangeland resources, application of proper grazing management practices is recommended. National revegetation, seeding, reduction of livestock numbers, and integration and introduction of productive forage in the farming system require special attention
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