Reversing desertification with livestock in Zimbabwe

Discussion in 'Environment & Conservation' started by Margot, Mar 27, 2011.

  1. Margot

    Margot Account closed, not banned

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    FYI...............
     
  2. Margot

    Margot Account closed, not banned

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    FYI........................
     
  3. Not Amused

    Not Amused New Member

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  4. wyly

    wyly Well-Known Member

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    something related(sorry I don't have a link) there is research being done into switching our current annual food crops into perennial crops...I read about this just yesterday, researcher in the article said 10 out of 13 major annual food crops like wheat have perennial counterparts with selective breeding for bigger yields they could replace annual crops....the benefits of this is are obvious and huge, less erosion as plowing becomes unnecessary top soil builds up instead of being depleted, lower farm costs machinery/labour/fuel, seed costs, fertilizer costs...some obvious resistance as well, seed and chemical company's aren't going to like it...
     
  5. jackdog

    jackdog Well-Known Member

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    funny stuff here

    http://timeforchange.org/are-cows-cause-of-global-warming-meat-methane-CO2
     
  6. Not Amused

    Not Amused New Member

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    Cows create a lot of methane because they are fed corn. Grass fed cows create less methane, and their meat is healthier as it contains more omega3 (in grass, not in corn - farm raised salmon have almost no omega3's as well, because they are fed...........................................corn).

    http://www.motherearthnews.com/home...rass-fed-cattle-zm0z10zrog.aspx#axzz2WZeMNOpL
     
  7. jackdog

    jackdog Well-Known Member

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    I am not a expert on flatulence and have no desire to look into it further. I am sure mother earth news has a ton of experience in putting out BS and it's related gasses so I will defer to their knowledge of the matter at hand

    Being a devout omnivore, more grass fed beef can only be a good thing regardless of it's affect on some trace gasses
     
  8. Not Amused

    Not Amused New Member

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    Having recently converted to vegetarian + healthy fish (thus the insight on farm raised salmon), I concur.
     
  9. Margot2

    Margot2 Banned

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    ........................
     
  10. Dingo

    Dingo New Member

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    Not to argue against the benefits of grazing but what about all the trees that are cut down to accommodate a greater and greater number of grazers? That would seem to work against trying to sequester the excess CO2 in our air.
     
  11. Margot2

    Margot2 Banned

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    Did you read the details of this project?

    What trees?
     
  12. Dingo

    Dingo New Member

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    I saw a few trees in the pictures. I'm simply expanding the discussion. How did many of these areas become subject to desertification? Clearing trees out for cattle would seem to be one explanation. If say extensive cattle grazing has a high economic value, even if you do it intelligently you characteristically want to expand the extent of that grazing over say what appears to be unproductive trees. So how does that play out down the road?
     
  13. Margot2

    Margot2 Banned

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    Probably overgrazing... as opposed to the short cycle.
     
  14. politicalcenter

    politicalcenter Well-Known Member

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    Proper grazing of cattle on grassland actually benefits the grass. The cattle fetilize the grass through manure abd the grass grows thicker because it is always being cut. A field planted in new grass takes several years to become as productive as an established pasture.

    But I go just the opposite route. I fence off an area for pigs and they eat everything down to bare ground and uproot the trees. Within a year I have the prettiest dark soil and then move the pigs to another area. I then plant the old "pigpen" in vegetales and never add any more fertilizer. I seed the ground for corn, pole beans, and other warm veggies in the summertime and plant brassicas in the winter for pig food.

    Then i plant forage for the cattle and turn it into pasture. The pigs cost little, the cows eat grass, and the family eats well....but we don't live in a desert. All in all wothless land becomes productive.

    But I do have an area that grows nothing but trees....we harvest the acorns for pig feed.
     
  15. Dingo

    Dingo New Member

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    From what I've seen cattle grazing integrates well without tree cutting or great disturbance of the land(Concentration of cattle around watering troughs being an isolated exception) along the central California coast, even in some of the state parks. In the rain forest areas the matter appears to be quite different.
     
  16. Margot2

    Margot2 Banned

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    ..........................
     
  17. politicalcenter

    politicalcenter Well-Known Member

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    Savory used to think grazing animals were causing desertification. But he discovered that livestock grazed in natures image actually improves drylands. Mob grazing is catching on. You can even graze more animals on the same acreage.
     
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  18. politicalcenter

    politicalcenter Well-Known Member

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    Plants in dryland areas not grazed tend to oxidize and blow away rather than being returned to the soil.
     
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  19. Margot2

    Margot2 Banned

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    FYI.................
     
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  20. Margot2

    Margot2 Banned

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    Notice the date on this thread.
     
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  21. Margot2

    Margot2 Banned

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    fyi...................
     
  22. camp_steveo

    camp_steveo Well-Known Member

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    Thank you for sharing this. Regen Ag is catching on. It is the best method and profitable.
     
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  23. Josephwalker

    Josephwalker Banned

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    There is another issue here to consider. Should we encourage and promote livestock grazing in Africa in any fashion at all much less in a fashion that requires more land be used. Elephants have already been pushed out of most of their natural environment in Africa. But then again that's not an AGW issue so most people just don't care. Once again AGW soaks up all the oxygen in the room.
     
    Last edited: Oct 19, 2018
  24. camp_steveo

    camp_steveo Well-Known Member

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    https://www.savory.global/controlled-intensive-grazing-savannah-grasslands-africa/
     
  25. Josephwalker

    Josephwalker Banned

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