A tale of two grasslands
The slow road to restoration in British
Columbia and Kenya
Story by Mitchell Gray
Grasslands around the world are under threat. They are being chewed up by development and
urbanization, or literally chewed up by animal overgrazing and other types of poor management.
In parts of Africa, this can mean a direct and immediate threat to human life, as soils are
degraded and eroded and the carrying capacity of the land — its ability to support animal
and human life — is reduced. Canadian researchers and conservationists are working hard
in this country to stop the destruction and to rehabilitate damaged land, but the knowledge
they gain is not always transferable to the African context. Experiences with conservation
efforts in British Columbia and Kenya using grazing animals to manage areas at risk demonstrate
the challenge of preserving two very different grassland environments.
The B.C. project
The Nature Trust of British Columbia employs cattle in a grassland restoration project on
the approximately 53,000 hectares of its two biodiversity ranches in the south Okanagan
area of the B.C. Interior. "The Nature Trust has established two ranches with carefully
controlled stocking rates and rotational grazing," says Jim Hope, B.C. conservation
land manager for the non-profit organization. "On each ranch, a co-operating family
operation owns and manages the cattle herd under a jointly developed management plan." The
primary goal is to manage and restore sensitive grassland habitats, recreating natural
grassland development patterns and encouraging biodiversity while allowing sustainable
livestock grazing. In general, too little activity by grazing animals leads to a buildup
of vegetation lacking nutrition. Overgrazing by livestock degrades grassland by stripping
the foliage, leaving the soil prone to weeds and wind and water erosion, and reducing carrying
capacity.
The group’s grassland plan focuses on the holistic management principles
outlined by well-known conservationist Allan Savory. "He demonstrated that
you could use short-duration grazing to imitate wildlife and restore damaged
range," Hope says. "Our thesis is that with rotational grazing and
excluding cattle from the most sensitive areas, we can improve the productivity
of the range for both livestock and wildlife."
Each of the ranch areas has been actively grazed by cattle for more than 100
years, Hope says, and effecting change will require patience. "We’re
envisioning this will take probably two decades," he says. Advances have
been recorded using biomass measurements and by observing photographs of the
same plots taken over time.
Kenya’s balancing act
It is heartening to know that grazing animals are making a difference in British Columbia,
but there is work to be done before the information gained there can be adapted for other
parts of the world. Kenya is one country that stands to benefit greatly from an information
exchange on conservation. "The pressure on the grasslands is very heavy in Kenya," says
conservationist Vernon "Bert" Brink. "Some places are managed better than
others, but in some places it’s a disaster." Brink, whose more than 50-year
contribution to conservation has been recognized with the Order of Canada, has made numerous
trips to African grassland areas and has worked with Kenyan researchers in Canada.
Basic seasonal differences — British Columbia has four, Kenya mostly
has only two, a wet season and a dry one — necessitate different management
approaches in the two areas, Brink says. But perhaps the main challenge particular
to the Kenyan situation, Brink says, is the process of balancing the use of the
land by two very different classes of animals: wildlife, such as big cat, elephant
and giraffe populations; and domestic stock, like cattle. "There are more
types of animals to contend with in Kenya," Brink says. "It’s
a more complex situation."
Wildlife creates serious grazing pressures, but those who seek to reduce wildlife
numbers face opposition from both animal welfare advocates and the tourism industry.
Financial issues are also a factor. "They don’t have the opportunity
to control animals like we do," Brink says. "Trying to integrate wildlife
and domestic stock in Kenya is challenging because the domestic animals are in
danger as prey." Livestock can be moved into areas away from the wildlife,
as is common in Canada, but this requires fencing. "Almost all grasslands
in Western Canada are fenced," Brink says. "Kenyans can’t afford
barbed wire, so in many places they have to herd rather than fence." Herding
livestock into an area, protecting them from wild animals while there, and removing
them again to safety in a small fenced area, is a labour-intensive and ineffective
management approach.
Brink is optimistic regarding grassland management in British Columbia. He
is more cautious concerning Kenya. "Some management in Kenya is excellent," he
says but adds that important hurdles remain that will be difficult to overcome
without greater levels of co-operation between stakeholders.
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