Multitemporal 1 km NOAA/AVHRR Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) maximum composite imagery was utilized in combination with rainfall, soil types, and field survey data on dominant rural activities to assess the risk of land degradation in southern Mauritania. Mauritania is one of eight continental West African Sahel countries that stretch from Chad to the northwestern Atlantic coast, and from the southern fringe of the Sahara Desert to the northern limit of the Sudanian climatic zone.

This study employs scale-dependence as an analytical approach to understanding effects of livestock grazing on rangeland degradation in northern Kenya. It used extensive datasets previously collected from 13 200 km2 rangelands where grazing pressure gradients of livestock (varied from none, light, moderate, heavy and very heavy grazing) in conjunction with seasonality across different ecological scales influenced plant responses and probably contributed to land degradation.

Loss of biodiversity is the single most important threat to the conservation and sustainable use of drylands in northern Ethiopia due to many centuries of cultivation and heavy livestock grazing pressure. The current study assessed the restoration of biodiversity in highly degraded areas in eastern Tigray, northern Ethiopia using area enclosures (AEs). The study assessed whether the differences in biodiversity between AEs and open management schemes and time of land abandonment influenced diversity of plant life forms (i.e. herbs, shrubs and trees).

In a naturally heterogeneous landscape in arid central Australia, a previous study found that grazing changed the distribution of water and nutrients amongst different geomorphic strata of the landscape. In this concurrent study, we show that herbage biomass, cover and composition responded primarily to these geomorphic strata and not to grazing. The cover of palatable species as a group proved the exception, and decreased with increasing grazing. The quantity of shrubs responded to both strata and grazing, and was greatest under least grazing.

The distribution and quality of soil and land resources in heterogeneous grazing lands of central Australia were changed by grazing. Sites located at increasing distances from livestock watering points showed greater degrees of landscape organization and soil productive potential. The depositional strata, where resources tended to accumulate, occupied a larger proportion of the landscape as distance increased. Physical and nutrient cycling soil properties improved.

The rating of biodiversity in arid and semiarid regions on the basis of ecological function and genetic traits of adaptation to severe environmental stresses produces significantly higher values, than that based solely on the commonly applied structural criteria of forms of life and levels of organization.

Library has French version: TIC au secours des éleveurs du Sahel

Looks at key problems affecting land reform beneficiaries in FARM-Africa projects in the Northern Cape: livelihoods, the right to settle, lack of infrastructure, too poor to farm?, development plans, the management capacity of executive committees, gaining access to technical agricultural support and credit, equitable access and grazing fees, obligations of having water rights, the responsibility for Act 126 projects, government policies and their effects on emerging farmers.

A detailed guide covering communal land boards, communal land areas, allocation of customary, grazing and leasehold rights in respect of communal land, general provisions.

These Regulations, made in terms of section 45 of the Communal Land Reform Act, provide with respect to a wide variety of matters concerning communal land and communal land rights. Part I deals with (application for) customary land rights. It specifies the maximum size of land that may be held under customary land right and specifies particulars pertaining to allocation of customary land right.

The present Law lays down provisions relating to the right of wood and pasture exploitation in the Region of Carinthia. The text consists of 63 articles divided into 9 chapters as follows: General provisions (I); New regulation and regulation of traditional rights (II); Transfer of exploitation rights (III); Safeguard of rights of use (IV); Basic rights of wood cutting in case of need (V); Special field services (VI); Authorities and proceedings (VII); Penalties (VIII).