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.
