Page 20 - AWA Vol. 42-No.4 issue

Dairy FarmiNg

Everything you ever wanted to know about rangelands

and pastoralists
ered by grasses, grass-like plants, forbs
(a type of flowering plant), shrubs and
sometimes trees where livestock can
graze. They cover nearly half of the
Earth’s land surface and comprise dry-
lands, grasslands, shrublands, savannahs,
deserts, steppes, mountain areas and
wetlands, among other ecosystems.
Rangelands help regulate water and
protect soils. In healthy rangelands,
plants grow deep roots to access water
and nutrients. These roots hold down
the soil while aerating it, improving soil
structure, porosity, water infiltration and
soil biodiversity. Plant cover also mod-
erates surface temperatures and shields
the soil from rain, helping stop erosion. By
capturing up to 30 percent of the world’s
carbon, rangelands also help mitigate cli-
mate change.
2. Where are rangelands?
Unconstrained by borders, rangelands
can be found on all continents. From the
semi-arid plains of the Patagonian Steppe
to the expansive grasslands of Mongolia,
what rangelands all have in common are
Rangelands are often portrayed as idyl- tant ecosystems? pastoralist communities who live there
lic panoramas or backdrops in films: al- In this International Year of Rangelands and coexist with the environment.
pacas ambling through grassy highlands and Pastoralists 2026, the Food and Ag-
or bison roaming great plains. These are riculture Organization of the United Na- These landscapes support a rich vari-
picturesque scenes, but perhaps abstract tions (FAO) is highlighting everything ety of fauna and flora and supply natural
forage for animals that graze and browse
concepts.
you need to know about rangelands and (i.e. feed on leaves and trees). Vegetation,
What exactly are these lands and who pastoralists to celebrate their impor- wildlife and livestock vary based on their
calls them home? How are these land- tance. Here are five of the basics: location. In some regions, rangelands are
scapes, the animals that roam them and home to wild yaks and antelopes, while
the people who shepherd them inter- 1. What are rangelands? in others pronghorns and guanacos can
twined in one of the earth’s most impor- Rangelands are expanses of land cov- be found.
Their plant diversity can be remarkable,
as a recent study found that permanent
grasslands in France contain up to 100
different plant species. Rangelands con-
tinually evolve with the seasonal move-
ments of both people and animals.
Rangelands also connect communities
through local and cross-border trade, and
their impact on meat, dairy and fibre pro-
duction is global.
Worldwide, an estimated two billion
people —including pastoralists, small-s-
cale herders, ranchers and farmers—
depend on healthy rangelands for their
homes and livelihoods.
3. Who calls rangelands home?
Enter the pastoralists, the true guard-

18 Vol. 42 No. 4