Range management, Pakistan

Range management, Pakistan

 Introduction

In Pakistan, the local term for rangeland is "Chiragah," which is erroneously considered as wasteland and synonymous with desert or arid land. The term “Range” refers to a vast area supporting natural vegetation which is suitable for grazing and browsing by livestock. Rangelands are those areas of the world, which by reason of physical limitation-low and erratic precipitation, rough topography, poor drainage, or cold temperatures are unsuited to cultivation and which are a source of forage for free-ranging native and domestic animals, as well as a source of wood products, water, and wildlife

About 60% of the total area of the country comprises rangelands. The area partly supports 93.5 million head of livestock. Rangelands are mostly used for livestock grazing in northern Pakistan. Baluchistan, which covers about 40 percent area of the country, primarily depends on livestock production from its rangeland, similarly in The Punjab and Sindh, livestock rearing is an important source of income in the arid and semi arid areas. Currently, sheep and goat obtain major portion of feed from rangelands while horses, donkeys and camel receive about half of their feed from rangelands. 

The rangelands spread across various ecological zones, from tropical to alpine and sub-alpine zones. Around 60pc of the total feed for the entirety of the country’s 181.2m head of livestock is contributed by these zones.

Livestock Pakistan

Pakistan have a total livestock population of about 120 million heads, composed primarily of goats, sheep, cattle, buffaloes, camels, horses, donkeys and mules. About 3 million people living from Himalayas to the coast of Arabian Sea depend on livestock for their bread and butter and are engaged in its herding and rearing.

Reasons for rangeland mismanagement

Most of the rangelands in Pakistan are overused due to certain practices, customs and problems peculiar to the Hindu Kush, Himalayan region. By and large, the rangelands are common tribal or village property not conducive to the regulation of proper grazing.  The nomadic grazing also results in over-exploitation of the resource. Stockmen make little effort to improve their rangelands.

Khalil  (1960)  and  Said  (1961)  also studied  constraints  of  range  and forest lands and identified the following biophysical factors as causes of the deterioration of rangelands in Pakistan.

Number  Versus  Quality:  In  the  rural  areas,  the  status  of  a  man  is judged  by  the number  of livestock  he owns, irrespective  of  their  quality. This has led to the retention of useless unproductive, uneconomic animals, which adds to the grazing pressure on rangelands.

Land Tenure System: Most of the rangelands are common tribal or village property. Everybody in that group is allowed unrestricted grazing. But nobody is responsible for conservation, resulting in utter ruination of the area.

Migratory Herds: Another important factor contributing to over- grazing of rangelands in the western region is the seasonal influx of pawindahs (nomads) along with their livestock from Afghanistan. These nomads come to Pakistan at the start of winter and feed their animals in Pakistan ranges throughout the season. It increases the grazing pressure on rangelands which are already heavily grazed. This of course with the present situation of terrorism related activities has subsided to a large extent .

Arid Climatic Pattern: The major part of Pakistan lies in the arid and semi-arid zone, characterized by low precipitation, extreme temperature and low humidity. These conditions are very difficult for plant life. There are frequent droughts and the forage capacity. Under such circumstances, stringent efforts are required to prevent overgrazing; as once vegetation is lost, it is difficult to restore.

Scarcity of Water: This is another limiting factor in the proper utilization of range resources. Many areas are not grazed because no facilities exist for stock watering.

Underground water supplies are limited and flooding has resulted in the destruction of low lands due to deposition of sterile sand and gravel on otherwise fertile fields. Wind erosion has ·also played havoc with this area by spreading sterile sand on good agricultural land and shifting sand dunes choke canals and lines of communication .

Some of the major constraints identified by Sub-Committee on Range Management are listed below (Government of Pakistan, 1983):-

Absence of an independent range management agency vested with authority, responsibility and accountability to undertake a range management program.

Lack of awareness, appreciation and encouragement on the part of senior administrators has discouraged those who have earned their post -graduate degrees in range management from advanced countries. The range management cadre has never been allowed to grow. This situation has forced most of the highly trained scientists to leave the country. Those still struggling within the country have little opportunity.

In any range management/development program, effective cooperation and participation of people is essential. Such participation by stockmen has been almost completely absent in all of the range management  projects implemented  so far.

The funds available for range management/improvement are generally very meager and their impact is minimized by spreading them over large areas.

Although livestock is the chief product of rangelands, very little attention has been paid to range livestock management.

Range               management research or development programmes launched and executed so far lacked necessary support, such as adequate resource analysis and surveys.

Since range management activities were carried out by the Forest Department, it continued to be of secondary importance to forest development activities.    Being both arduous and difficult,  range management assignments were given to those outside the field of specialization, thus preventing the development of a cadre of professionals duly motivated and devoted.

Exceptionally difficult and unfavorable working conditions and the absence of suitable incentives have dissuaded members of the Forest Service from accepting range management jobs in the Forest   Department.

Planning and development authorities generally give low priority to range management/development projects as these do not measure up to criteria involving direct economic returns.

Because of limited irrigation resources, the vast arid and semi arid areas of the country cannot be brought under crop cultivation.  However, these areas have high potential for livestock grazing and dry a forestation. The recent prolonged drought prevailing in the country further warrants the necessity of developing a comprehensive master plan for the management of rangelands in Pakistan

Impacts of mismanagement of rangeland

The current productivity of rangelands is low, with most attaining less than 40pc of their potential output. Such low productivity naturally has adverse impacts upon livestock resulting in huge economic losses. Low productivity is mainly caused by mismanagement of rangelands, overstocking, over-grazing, and desertification. The livestock provides food security, nutrition, and livelihoods for 8m poor and vulnerable people in the rural areas.

  Pakistan’s rangelands covering 52.3m hectares, or about 60pc of the country’s total geographical area, are faced with the threat of desertification, the Food and Agriculture Organization has warned in a   report

A country where 65 to 70 percent of the total area consists of mountains, gullied foot hills, arid waste and deserts, can never achieve harnessed to the advantage of its people. These areas which can be potential source to feed millions of livestock of this country have been put to extreme misuse in the past leading to their deterioration almost to the point of no return. Original natural vegetation has been ruthlessly destroyed by the cultivators and the grazers alike. These tract which are range lands merely in name have borne the brunt of not only the local sheep, goats, and cattle, but also have served the insatiable appetite of thousands of grazing animals from across KP, which streak into the border provinces, get fattened on some of the richest range lands of the country and are driven back by the owner when nothing is left. This yearly cycle of devastation has been perpetrated on this country since ages. The consequences of such un-thoughtful use of this great asset can be seen all over in the form of denuded hill sides and degraded pastures.

In addition to producing fodder, the rangelands also perform a number of important functions including the regulation of water flow, conservation of biodiversity and the provision of income generation opportunities in the form of non-timber forest products for local people.

FAO report

The FAO report deals with the current status, threat and potential of the rangelands. It estimates that more than 60pc of the rangelands are considered degraded, reverting towards desert due to excess grazing.

Over the past two decades, according to the report, the proportion of palatable species has decreased by up to 30pc, foliar cover of grass and forage by up to 40pc. Owing to climate change and other biotic factors, desertification is happening at an alarming rate, especially in the arid and semi-arid zones, affecting a total of 43.4m hectares of rangelands.

The report published in cooperation of Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), emphasized comprehensive rangeland policies both at national and provincial levels in order to protect and properly manage the rangelands. This should be then followed with government commitment and proper budgeting to support implementation with a focus on community empowerment and community based management.

Commenting on the alarming situation, FAO Representative in Pakistan, Patrick Evans said “it is a tragedy of the commons” in that no one is responsible and everyone uses it to their maximum benefit. Management responsibility has been entrusted to the Department of Forestry whose main focus is on trees,” Evan said.

FAO official regretted that in spite of the high value of rangelands, there is nearly a total lack of proper management. Over-grazing is a major issue, which deteriorates the range condition in terms of the foliar cover, species composition, palatability and over productivity, he said.

Baluchistan rangeland

Baluchistan, rangelands attain on average, 28pc of their total productive potential, and the FAO report finds there is immense scope to increase production through employing improved practices. The inescapable fact of the matter is that the rangelands in Baluchistan are deteriorating and at an accelerated rate. They are overstocked by six to seven times over their carrying capacity.

Rangeland ecosystems have vital role in Baluchistan due to many direct services to the society like food, forage, medicines, fuel, building materials, industrial products, and indirect services of maintaining the composition of the environment, mitigating climate and moderating weather, fertilizing and stabilizing soils, disposing of wastes, cycling nutrients, storing and purifying water. Rangelands degradation in Baluchistan is a major issue and affecting not only the direct users of pastoral communities but many others benefiting from the environmental services. Some of the indicators of rangelands degradation include reduction in vegetation cover, above ground plant productivity, soil erosion, elimination of soil seed bank, and shift in species composition. Rangeland degradation is site specific due to spatial, temporal variation of vegetation and utilization practices. Studies on recovery of natural vegetation, re-generation of native species, seasonal biomass variations, evaluation of fodder shrubs and community based efforts are being carried out by the Arid Zone Research Centre (AZRC), Quetta in various districts of Baluchistan. Above ground dry biomass production varies from 40 to 200 kg/ha in open areas as compared to 200 to 865 kg/ha in protected areas. Heavily grazed grasslands have good recovery potential under favorable climatic conditions. Re-generation potential of native range species is limited due to weak persistent soil seed bank and insufficient rainfall distribution during germination and establishment of seedlings. Biomass availability gradually declines and winter months are critical for grazing. Fodder shrubs like Atriplex canescens and Salsola vermiculata have potential for establishment of forage reserve blocks with micro-catchment water harvesting techniques. Communities degraded rangelands can be rehabilitated either by grazing management or plantation of drought tolerant fodder shrubs on appropriate sites. A viable and sound rangeland policy and implementation strategies are mandatory for conservation and utilization of the rangeland resources on sustainable basis

Sindh rangeland

Sindh’s rangelands are not balanced; they are either under the control of communal heads or the government. The government-owned lands suffer from mismanagement resulting from vulnerability to adverse forces and unjustified influence from private individuals, either legally or illegally. An area of 7.79m hectares lying on both the eastern and western borders of Sindh is designated as rangeland.

The 2010 rains and floods, and 2011 rainfall are the most recent incidences of the climate change pattern which has adversely affected the people, yet they had a positive impact on the rangelands. There is no concrete government policy to manage these rangelands through the adoption of an integrated and co-managed system to enhance the productivity of range resources for the benefit of the society and the government.

The rangeland zones in Sindh include Kohistan, Thar and Nara with areas of 4.3, 2.3 and 2.2m hectares respectively, and the condition and productivity has also been declining at an alarming rate due to natural, environmental, and anthropogenic factors. Neglect of rangeland management has had a very painful and disastrous impact upon the population of Thar, which is very heavily dependent upon livestock. Livestock is their major asset, and in days gone by possibilities and .opportunity to migrate to settled areas in times of drought , this is no longer possible , the result has been a slow gradual and very painful impoverishments of the population in Thar , any effort to arrest this has to address the issue of  livestock rehabilitation which means improved grazing and fodder availability with rain water harvesting .

Punjab rangeland

The province of Punjab is situated in the sub-tropics, with varying climate ranging from arid to semi arid. The major part of the province is situated in the rainfall zone 5” to 15”. Water being the limiting factor, intensive agriculture (both irrigated and barani) is practiced on about 54% of the total area only. The rest of the area of about 43% (excluding 2.6% under wooded forests) with poor rains and soil topography are favorable for used as rangeland. Thus range use is the single biggest land use in the province. These grazing lands wholly or partially support most of the livestock population of the province which produce beaf, mutton, hides, skins, wool, hair, bones, manure and other products both for consumption within the country and for export earnings. The scientific management and development of this huge land resource has remained neglected in the past. In the revenue records these lands are classified as “Wastelands”.

Punjab: Punjab’s rangelands cover nearly 8.28m hectares. Potentially the richest rangelands are in the Himalayan forest grazing areas of Pothwar scrub, Thal desert, Cholistan and Dera Ghazi Khan. It indicates that the rangeland management situation in Punjab is comparatively better than other provinces. However, sustainable rangeland management faces multiple constraints and bottlenecks including policy impediments and limited land use, insufficient financial resources for monitoring, lack of baseline data and absence of a sectoral and awareness policy especially for nomads and communities situated there.

KP and FATA rangeland

Khyber-pakhtunkhwa: In KP, 4,639m hectares are under rangeland and pastures, which constitutes more than 50pc area of the province. Unfortunately, at present the range management sector is not getting its fair share in the development programme. The focus of the Livestock Department is only on livestock, health and breeding.

FATA, the range and pasture resources amount to about 1.4m hectares. Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber and Orakzai agencies, lower part of Kurram, north and South Waziristan agencies, fall within the arid and semi-arid rangelands. The majority of the mountains are extremely degraded, with barren rocks and without prominent vegetation.

Continuous overgrazing and mismanagement has resulted in the desertification of these ranges, which has negative implications on its overall production, functions and services. The frequent and prolonged drought has also badly affected the whole ecosystem. No proper survey of the vegetation has ever been conducted in these agencies, thus production of cereals from existing farmlands is meager and local communities mostly depend upon income from livestock.

GB Rangeland

Forests and rangelands constitute about 4.1pc and 33pc of the land area of Gilgit-Baltistan and 42.6pc and 43pc of AJK respectively. They are rich in biodiversity and rare and endangered species, some of which are endemic to the region

Rangeland by types

The main range resources are described below:

 Alpine Pastures

The areas lying above an altitude of about 3000 and below the perpetual snow constitute alpine pastures. These are characterized by short, cool growing seasons and long, cold winters. The vegetation is mostly dominated by slow growing perennial, herbaceous and shrubby vascular plants and extensive mats of cryptogams. Much of the landscape of the alpine pastures is rugged and broken with rocky, snowcapped peaks, spectacular cliffs and slopes. However, there are also many large areas, gently rolling to almost flat topography.

Trans- Himalayan Grazing Lands

These grazing lands are spread over Northern Mountains in Dir, Chitral, Swat, Gilgit, Chilas and Skardu districts. The region constitutes a series of high mountain ranges of Karakorum, Hindu Kush and Pamir. The altitude varies from 1500 to 8600 meter and includes 19 peaks over 7600 meter, such as K-2, Nanga Parbat, Rakaposhi, and Trichmir. The area has rugged, steep and dissected slopes, and narrow valleys, subject to active geologic erosion. The terrain is naturally unstable. Landslides and rock falls are very common. The climate of the area is that of a mountain desert with bitterly cold winters and hot dry summers. The climatic variation in the area is greatly influenced by altitudinal differences. Lower altitudes experience marked diurnal as well as seasonal temperature variations and scanty precipitation. The areas between 2300 and 3300 meter receive sufficient snow and enjoy a temperate climate. Areas above 3300 meter are very cold with a limited growing season. Most of the area is beyond the reach of summer monsoon rainfall. Average annual rainfall (100-300 m.m) in valleys is mostly received during winter and early spring. Crop production, livestock rearing and forestry are major land uses in the area. Maize, rice, wheat and barley are important cereal crops. Marginal and newly reclaimed lands are used for fodder production. Livestock grazing is done in alpine pastures and forests. The areas are subject to heavy pressure by livestock as well as a shortage of fuel wood. Alpine pastures are in good condition but due to environmental limitations, the growth period is short. Low lying ranges are in fair to good condition.

Himalayan Forest grazing lands

These lands cover Siran, Kaghan, Neelam and Jhelum valleys. These areas can be ecologically divided into moist temperate and sub tropical humid zones. The wet temperate zone occurs between 2000 meters to the timber line. Kail, deodar, spruce and fir forests are abundant in this zone. Jammu, Kashmir and Hazara have extensive wet temperate areas. These areas receive plenty of snow during winter. About 3-4 meters of snow fall has been recorded at Kaghan, Shogran, Naran and Nathiagali. Most of the areas in this zone receive more than 1000 mm during the monsoon which creates heavy soil erosion as the topography is steep and disturbed by unscientific cropping. Summers are cool but winters are very cold.

The sub tropic humid zone is represented by “chirpine” but “kail” forests also occur on higher slopes. The altitude varies from 1000 to 2000 meters. Rainfall is usually more than 1000 mm. Flat and plain areas are fir for the cultivation of wheat, rice and maize with occasional irrigation. Most of the areas are subject to soil erosion. Forestry, cropping and livestock are the major land uses. As the areas receive monsoon rainfall, plenty of soil moisture is available for crop cultivation. Apple orchards cover a large area. Bluepine and chirpine forests cover an extensive area throughout the tract.

Pothar Plateau

It includes Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Chakwal, Jhelum and Attock districts. It covers the area of 1.5 million hectares. This tract lies between Jhelum and Indus River. Altitude varies from 300 to 1500 meters. Ecologically, it is located in sub tropical semi arid to sub humid zone. Geo-morphologically, the plateau can be classified into mountains, hills, rock plains, weathered rock plains, piedmont plains, loess plains, and river plain. The soils of the area have developed from wind and water transported materials consisting of loess, old alluvial deposits. Some of derived from shale’s and sandstones.

The climate is temperate in the northeast to sub tropical semi arid in the south west. Annual rainfall varies from 250 mm in the southern part of Salt Range to over 1500 mm at Islamabad. Temperature extremes are 45 C in June to often drop below freezing during January.

Dry land farming is the main land use. Wheat, Maize, Sorghum, millets, groundnut, gram, mustard, sunflower and soybean are the major cultivated crops. Livestock rearing is the main component of the rural economy. The tract possesses scrub forests of Kala Chitta, Margala Hills, Pabbi Hills, and Salt Range which are gradually disappearing due to excessive exploitation for fire wood and grazing by livestock.

Thal Desert Ranges

It stretches over an area of 2.6 million hectares. The tract is bound by the piedmont of the Salt Range in the north, the Indus River flood plains in the west and Jhelum and Chenab River flood plains in the east. Ecologically, it is situated in the tropical plains. The mean maximum and minimum temperatures recorded in the tract are about 44 C and less than 0 C respectively. The wind affects the amount and distribution of rainfall in the desert, most of which is received in monsoon. It varies from 133 mm in the southern areas to 30 mm in the northeastern region of the tract. The soils are alluvial with sandy textured sand dunes covering 50 to 60 percent of the area. Continued heavy grazing and ruthless cutting of trees and shrubs have resulted in the complete disappearance of several desirable species. The topsoil has been eroded by wind erosion and sand dunes have become unstable. The vegetative cover and forage production have declined substantially. Geo-morphologically, this area consists of sand ridges, abandoned channels and flood plains.

Livestock rearing is the major occupation of the people. With the construction of Thal irrigation canal, about 1 million hectare sand dunes have been converted into productive cultivated areas. However, about 1.6 million hectare is still used as grazing lands. In years of normal rainfall, sand dunes are used for gram, water melons, millets, and guar cultivation. Persian wheels are very common in these areas.

Dera Ghazi Khan Rangelands

These rangelands lie between the Sulaiman Range and the Indus River over an area of 0.5 million hectares. Average slope is gentle. A few sand dunes are also found. The general climatic regime of D. G. Khan Tract is typical of very arid sub mountainous, sub tropical area. Ecologically, it is a tropical plain. Climate is broadly characterized by cold winters and very hot summers. Average rainfall varies from 75 to 162 mm. Most of the rainfall storms from the high mountains (1540-3400 m) and lose their moisture before reaching range areas which are at lower altitudes (150 m).

Most of the herbs and annual plants start growing in early spring and complete their life cycle with in two to three months. Deterioration of the rangelands has been associated with irregular grazing by nomadic and local livestock and illicit cutting of shrubs for fuel and fodder. Most of the range lands are in poor condition. Shrubs, grasses and herbs are the best used by different kinds of livestock.

Cholistan Desert Ranges

This desert is located in Bahawalpur, Bhawalnagar, and Rahim Yar Khan Districts. It covers about 2.7 million hectares. Its north and south boundaries are surrounded by areas irrigated by canals. On the east, it is situated at the Indian Rajasthan Desert. Ecologically, it is tropical arid sand desert. The area is subjected to wind erosion. Rainfall is erratic and ranges from 100 to 200 mm. Mean minimum and maximum temperature are 20 to 40 C, respectively. Soils of this tract are saline, alkaline and gypsiferous. The area consists of shifting and dunes. The dunes may reach to the height of 100 meters.

Livestock production is the major profession. Wildlife is hunted during the winter. Unavailability of drinking water is a serious problem as underground water is brackish. Aridity precludes dry land farming.

Tharparkar Desert Ranges

This desert is situated in Tharparkar, Sanghar and Mirpur Khas Districts. It covers about 2.65 million hectares. Ecologically, the tract can be categorized as tropical thorn desert. The four major landforms are sand dunes, valleys, flat alluvial plains and rocky hills.

The Thar Desert is subjected to heavy soil erosion partly due to dry land cultivation. In the northwestern and southwestern dunes windblown sand is a natural phenomenon. The landforms and soils of Thar are similar to Cholistan Desert. The climate is arid. Rainfall is scanty and erratic and mostly received in monsoon season. The area has received a severe drought for the past four years. In a normal year, rainfall varies from 150 mm in the north to 400 mm in the south near Nagarparkar. Summers are hot (45C) and winters are mild (5C).

Livestock rearing is the major occupation this area. Dry land farming is also practiced where annual rainfall is adequate. Millet, sorghum and castor crops are cultivated in the dune valleys. Forestry is limited to irrigated areas and riverbank belt. Small villages are found where water ponds are found. Underground water is 200-300 meter in depth and brackish.

Kohistan Ranges

These ranges are situated in Karachi, Thatta, Dadu Districts and part of Lasbela District. They cover about 2.3 million hectares.

Range Management

Range Management is the application of scientific knowledge on range lands and related resources for obtaining maximum feed for a variety of livestock on sustained basis  Management  of rangelands  implies the application  of ecological prinlciples. Stoddart et al. (1975) defmed range management as the science and art of optimizing the return from rangelands through the manipulation  of range ecosystems. The American Society for Range Management (1964) defined range management as the art and science of planning and directing range use to obtain sustained maximum animal production consistent with perpetuation  of the natural resources. Viewed within the ecosystem framework, range management has been defined as management of a renewable natural resource composed of one or more range ecosystems for the optimum sustained yield by the combination of goods and services (Vallentine, 1971). In the past, the rangelands in Pakistan have primarily been managed for livestock production. However, the multiple use concept of rangelands also includes the protection of watersheds which drain into a number of big dams like Tarbela and Mangla, and providing of wildlife with a vast complex of natural habitats. These concepts have been recognized by researchers, planners and environmentalists

Technologies developed by Rangelands Research Program located at NARC are as under:

Shelterbelt Technology

Under this technology multiple rows of trees and shrubs are planted at the right angle to the direction of the wind. For establishment of shelter-belts locally adopted, hardy species like Tamarix aphylla (frash), Acacia nilotica, (kikar, babul) and Prosopis cineraria (Jand, Kandi) are preferred. Frash proved to be an ideal species to withstand hot desiccating wind. It is easy to establish as compared to other species, relatively fast growing and has readily available market. Shelterbelts are easy to establish as planting material is locally available. For rising of fresh shelterbelts, one year old cuttings are planted at right angle to the direction of the prevailing wind before monsoon.

Sloping Agricultural Land Technology (SALT)

Under the SALT system, the degraded slopes are divided into strips of land for cultivation (4-6 m wide depending upon gradient) separated by double hedgerows of nitrogen fixing trees or bushes planted along the contour lines. These hedgerows are the key elements of the entire system. They act as erosion barriers and stabilizers for hill slopes. The hedgerows also contribute to soil fertility through nitrogen fixing and the biomass of the hedges is either used as mulch for soil cover and soil moisture conservation or as animal fodder to be recycled back into the soil as compost.

Ranching Models for Different Ecological Zones.

Land classification is done on the basis of physiography and natural vegetation. Area is divided into different sites according to its capability. Each site delineated is planned for proper land use. The flat area is put under dry land farming and crops like sorghum, millet etc. are grown to be conserved as hay and silage to overcome the feed shortage during lean period. On slopes silvi-pastoral models are developed by planting suitable multipurpose trees and reseeding with improved grass and legumes ecotype. Water points are also developed at appropriate places for uniform distribution of livestock. Cash crops like sesame, wheat, barley and mustard are also grown at proper sites to enhance farm income. Local species like ber are raised by top working and grafting with improved varieties. Apiculture is also an Integral part of the model which not only increases income through honey production but also enhances crop yield through pollination.

Low Cost Plant Nursery 

Raising of nurseries provide quality planting stock and self-employment opportunities to the farmers where they can use their free time for nursery operations. Precious plants such as indoor ornamental plants, fruit and forest trees using nursery facilities, ensure sustainable economic returns. By using scientific techniques plants can be raised and a farmer can earn a reasonable income by selling them. This technology is highly environment friendly, is ecologically and economically sustainable. Nursery techniques for various multipurpose tree species have been developed and perfected. Under these techniques large number of saplings can be raised with minimum cost and labour. Special emphasis is given to the low cost local material for developing nurseries for forest, fruit and ornamental plants. Moreover, expertise, regarding grafting budding of trees/shrubs has also been standardized.

Forage Reserves on Marginal Lands

This technology covers the following aspects of forage plants:

Method of sowing different grasses e.g.(i) seeding method (ii) Rootstock planting.

Various sowing distances.

Different cutting intervals and levels.

Optimum harvest level.Various grass/legume mixture interpretation.

Seed collection.

Major achievements of PARC in rangelands improvement

Forage and Pasture Research Units have been established at NARC, Islamabad; Thal (Punjab); Dhabeji (Sindh); Mastung (Balochistan), PFI (NWFP) and Muzaffarabad (AJ&K).

Promising forage grasses and legumes have been selected for different ecological regions of Pakistan. Moreover, production technology including sowing methods and time, improved cultural and management practices for the promising grasses have been standardized.

Range improvement practices were demonstrated in Pothowar, Thal, Tharparkar and Mastung area.

Techniques for rehabilitation of vast range areas through range reseeding have been developed. Reseeding of degraded rangelands with improved varieties of forage grasses and legumes has resulted in increased forage and livestock production.

Various range management and pasture

Establishment techniques suitable for subtropical dry areas of Pothwar have been developed after integrated range resources surveys and determining grazing capacity.

To reclaim vast areas of the Thal desert, Shelterbelt technology has been developed and successfully implemented. Vast desert area has been reclaimed from the hazards of wind erosion and shifting sand dunes. Keeping in view the impact of this technology, this project was awarded with the UNEP award for environmental protection.

A ranching model has been developed for the Pothwar area. By adopting this model, production of rangelands can be improved 3-4 times. This model can also be replicated in other parts of the country with certain modifications depending upon socio-economic and environmental conditions.

To ensure supply of planting material for farmers, private individuals, NGOs government agencies and research trials, a high-tech plant nursery has been developed at NARC, planting stock of various multipurpose tree species are raised from local and exotic seed sources.

SALT (Sloping Agricultural Land Technology) has been tested and modified according to the climatic and physiographic conditions of the sub-mountainous areas of Himalayan range in the country. This technology which requires no or very little external inputs can play an important role in sustainable use of sloping agricultural lands.

To document the economically important plant species of the Cholistan desert and create awareness among the students, general public, botanists and pharmaceuticals for the longterm preservation and exploitation on sustainable basis, available plant species have been collected and Ethno-botanical description compiled.

National Program of Action to Combat Desertification in Pakistan has been developed and submitted to the Ministry of Environment, Local Government and Rural Development.

The following research based technologies have been developed, tested and evaluated and  been handed over to the Transfer Institute, NARC for onward transmission to the end users

·          Introduction and development of shelter belts for deserts.

·          Sloping Agricultural Land Technology (SALT) for hilly and mountainous areas.

·          Ranching model for Pothwar tract

·          Establishment of high-tech and low-cost nurseries.

Conclusions

Utilization of rangelands without any grazing management plan and extraction of vegetation for fuel wood are the major causes of rangeland degradation. Feed scarcity particularly in winter months is the major constraint of small ruminant production. Increase in forage production in the plain areas of Baluchistan may delay the early spring migration of nomads from summer grazing areas. Provision of stock water particularly in mountain rangelands during summer months may provide additional grazing period. Reseeding either with native or exotic grass species is not feasible, uncertain and very costly intervention. Pitting of flat lands encouraged seed trapping, water and seedling establishment. Eradiation of less preferred species like Haloxylon griffthii is not desirable due to high erosion risk and difficult to establish a cover of preferred species.

Re- generation of native species should be given more emphasis because they evolved under the extreme climatic and grazing. Effective protection of the range area is pre-requisite for the success of any range management program. However, fencing is too expensive, traditional systems for resting some range areas should be encouraged. At least four to six years protection of vegetation from grazing is essential for recovery of heavily grazed rangelands and proper utilization. The use of hay, concentrates or mineral supplements during breeding, lambing and lactation is essential for small ruminant production. De-stocking is hard because the higher herd size is considered the wealth of the nomads. However, it is possible to raise a lamb of marketable size in one season from February-March to October-November of the same years with grazing and supplemental feeding. Conflict resolution for land ownership and resource utilization is very important and all the stakeholders should be involved with responsibilities before the implementation of any community based range management interventions. Creation of a separate Range Management Directorate under the Balochistan Forest Department is vital for planning, policy, research and development of a holistic range management approach and shift in range projects to range programmes approach.

The share of rangelands in Baluchistan amounts to Rs327.09bn or 68.5pc of the total monetary value. Should they be improved to meet their potential, there is a possibility that they could support a livestock population of up to 90.5m head and the monetary value, based on the current market prices, could be raised by up to Rs1, 300bn, while the share of rangelands in monetary terms could rise to Rs890.8bn.

Rangeland management has the potential to eliminate poverty on the poorest districts of the country, it does not have the glamour of  capital investments in industry or in reforestation efforts but it has the potential to reach the poorest households in a relatively short time.