Supplement 1

Assessing the impacts on biodiversity of livestock production in rangeland ecosystems

Authors: Rob Alkemade, Robin Reid, Maurits van den Berg, Jan de Leeuw, Michel Jeuken

Table S1.2 Grazing intensity * is based on the scoring on 4 variables: reported intensity, vegetation alteration, rangeland management and seasonal variation (see below). Intensity is scales as: 0 = no grazing; 1 = natural rangelands; 2= moderately used rangelands; 3 = intensively used rangelands and 4 = man-made grazing lands. MSA values are calculated from the datasets published in the papers.

Paper / Grazing categories / Reported intensity / Vegetation alteration / Rangeland management / Seasonal variation / Intensity / MSA
Andersen et al., 2001 / Relatively undisturbed savanna habitats,
Disturbed sites in various degrees, vegetation partly removed, but soil remains intact / 1
- / 0
1 / 0
1 / 0
- / 1
4 / 1
0.41
Aumann, 2001 / national park
aboriginal land
cattle station / 1
2
2 / 0
1
1 / 0
0
0 / -
-
- / 1
2
2 / 1
0.68
0.54
Bock et al., 2006 / livestock excluded from the pastures at research farm (sanctuary)
moderate grazing by 1 cow on 12-17 ha and limited rotation to less then 45 days a year / 1
2 / 0
1 / 0
0 / 0
0 / 1
2 / 1
0.51
Bock et al., 2008 / livestock excluded from the pastures at research farm (sanctuary)
moderate grazing by 1 cow on 12-17 ha and limited rotation to less then 45 days a year / 1
2 / 0
1 / 0
0 / 0
0 / 1
2 / 1
0.83
Bouyer et al., 2007 / national park
moderate cattle grazing
recent fallow areas / 1
2
- / 0
1
1 / 0
0
1 / -
-
- / 1
2
4 / 1
0.21
0.28
Bouyer et al., 2007 / national park
moderate cattle grazing
recent fallow areas / 1
2
- / 0
1
1 / 0
0
1 / -
-
- / 1
2
4 / 1
0.82
0.51
Brotons et al., 2005 / Steppe habitat, Nature reserve
improved pastures, consisting of fallows and alfalfa crops
irrigated grain crops / 1
2
- / 0
1
1 / 0
1
1 / -
-
- / 1
4
4 / 1
0.14
0.01
Cagnolo, L. et al. 2002 / old exclosure of 19 years
young exclosure of 7 years
low intensive discontinuous grazing
heavily grazed site: stocking rate of 0.25-0.5 cows / ha / 0
0
1
2 / 1
1
0
1 / 0
0
0
0 / -
-
0
1 / 0
0
1
3 / 0.56
0.64
1
0.2
Clark et al., 1998 / upland ungrazed native prairie, wildlife present
upland mowed prairie (once a year)
Pasture continuously grazed by cattle, pasture includes introduced grass-species. / 1
2
2 / 0
1
1 / 0
0
0 / 0
0
1 / 1
2
3 / 1
0.50
0.50
Fabricius, et al., 2003 / nature reserve, grazing by wildlife occurs
Three sites ranging from moderate stocking using rotations to very heavily stocked, over 4 times the recommended rate. / 1
2 / 0
1 / 0
0 / 0
1 / 1
3 / 1
0.54
Gebeyehu and Samways, 2002 / inside the Mountain Zebra national Park; only wildlife grazing
Grazing pressure of domestic animals substantially higher than that of game animals inside the park / 1
2 / 0
0 / 0
0 / 0
0 / 1
2 / 1
0.64
Hart, 2001 / Exclosures, without grazing
Light grazing, removing 20% of herbage annually
Moderately grazed, at stocking rates similar to natural grazing by Bison.
heavily grazed prairie, stocking rate to the higher end of natural grazing by Bison / 0
0
1
2 / 1
1
0
0 / 0
0
0
0 / -
-
-
- / 0
0
1
2 / 0.47
0.48
1
0.55
Hayes and Holl, 2003 / Abandoned grassland, no cattle grazing, no wildlife grazing
Natural prairies lightly grazed (only during growing season) by cattle / 0
1 / 1
0 / 0
0 / -
- / 0
1 / 0.89
1
Herremans M., 1998 / Fully protected, only wildlife grazing
High stocking rates of cattle resulting in Thornbush vegetation / 1
2 / 0
1 / 0
0 / 0
1 / 1
3 / 1
0.85
Laiolo et al.,2004 / Abandoned pasture, grazing no longer occur
Low grazing intensity, by free roaming cattle and rapidly crossing sheep or cows
High grazing intensity in fenced pastures
Very high intensity: herb layer uniformely kept short / 0
1
2
2 / 0
0
0
1 / 0
0
0
0 / 0
0
0
1 / 0
1
2
3 / 0.88
1
0.52
0.39
Laiolo et al., 2004 / Abandoned pasture, grazing no longer occur
Low grazing intensity, by free roaming cattle and rapidly crossing sheep or cows
High grazing intensity in fenced pastures / 0
1
2 / 0
0
0 / 0
0
0 / 0
0
0 / 0
1
2 / 0.83
1
0.63
Loeser et al., 2007 / No cattle but wildlife grazing occurs
Moderate grazing with 1 cow-calf pair/ha for 20 days/year. Biomass removal less than 50%
High impact grazing, avoiding killing plant root systems. (200 cow-calf pairs/ha/yr for about 12 hours) / 1
2
3 / 0
0
1 / 0
0
0 / 0
0
0 / 1
2
3 / 1
0.87
0.85
O’Connor, 2005 / Wildlife grazing at stocking rates of 0.07 animal units per ha. (Unit = a 455 kg steer)
Commercial rangeland with cattle at about 0.4 AU. Mown 2-4 times a year
Communal open rangeland by cattle, sheep, goats and horses at > 0.8 AU / 1
2
3 / 0
0
0 / 0
0
0 / 0
0
1 / 1
2
3 / 1
0.74
0.72
Sanchez Zapata et al., 2003 / Dry and saline steppes with little or no human presence
semi-natural grasslands dominated by extensive livestock and extensive agriculture, including degraded lands
agricultural areas with managed pastures and irrigated crops / 1
2
- / 0
1
1 / 0
0
1 / 0
1
- / 1
3
4 / 1
0.50
0.26
Sisay et al., 2002 / Benchmark light grazing in parks and national reserach centres
Seasonaly grazed area with intermediate pressure
High grazing pressure on communal areas / 1
2
3 / 0
0
1 / 0
0
0 / 0
0
1 / 1
2
3 / 1
0.47
0.19
Smart et al., 2005 / protected area of savanna, wildlife grazing occurs
Savanna rangeland, high population density high cattle stocking rates with 0.88 livestock units per ha. (4 times as recommended) / 1
3 / 0
1 / 0
0 / -
- / 1
3 / 1
0.88
Utrera et al., 2000 / Lowland savanna
Pastures planted with Cynodon nlemfuensis
mechanised agriculture
subsistence agriculture / 1
-
-
- / 0
1
1
1 / 0
1
1
1 / -
-
-
- / 1
4
4
4 / 1
0.35
0.60
0.42
Wanget al. 2002 / Non-degraded grassland (steppe)
Intermediate degree of degradation due to cattle grazing
Degraded grassland with heavy grazing / 1
2
3 / 0
1
1 / 0
0
0 / 0
0
0 / 1
2
3 / 1
0.53
0.31
Woinarski & Ash, 2002 / Grazing excluded for 30yr, natural grazing occurs
Grazing by moderate to high densities (0.1 adult equivalent per ha) resulting in open grassland dominated by introduced perennial grass / 1
2 / 0
1 / 0
0 / 0
1 / 1
3 / 1
0.45 (mammals)
0.39 (Reptiles)
0.78 (Birds)
Woinarski et al., 2002 / Grazing excluded for 30yr, natural grazing occurs
Grazing by moderate to high densities (0.1 adult equivalent per ha) resulting in open grassland dominated by introduced perennial grass / 1
2 / 0
1 / 0
0 / 0
1 / 1
3 / 1
0.43
Zeidler et al., 2002 / Low impacted open rangeland, 3.5 km from villages
High livestock impacts recorded, close to village / 1
2 / 0
1 / 0
0 / 0
1 / 1
3 / 1
0.54

* Grazing intensity was extracted from the paper by scoring 4 indicators:

-reported intensity by author, sometimes with corresponding stocking rate, un-grazed or abandoned (0) natural grazing (1), moderate grazing intensity (2); high grazing intensity (3);

-visual alteration of the vegetation structure, not or slightly altered (0), significantly altered in height or species composition , including exotics (1);

-rangeland management, no management (0), presence of management such as soil disturbance, clearance of vegetation and application of fertilizers, planting or sowing grass or forage crops (1)

-seasonal variation, only seasonal grazing corresponding to natural grazing pattern (0), continuous grazing regardless of the season (1)

The four indictors were combined into 4 grazing intensity classes, using the following rules: If the reported intensity of rangeland management equals 0, and the description is clear on the absence of wildlife grazing then grazing is assigned as un-grazed, abandoned rangeland (Intensity: 0);if the rangeland management equals 1, then the intensity class is man made grasslands (Intensity: 4); If the sum of reported intensity, visual alteration of the vegetation structure and seasonal variation equals 1 than grazing is ‘natural’ (Intensity: 1); If this sum is 2 or 3 then it moderately used grazing lands (Intensity: 2); and if the sum is 4 or 5 then the intensity class is intensively used rangeland (Intensity: 3).

References

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