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Abstract At world level, the current official number of large camelids cannot be determined exactly (it is estimated to be more than 35 million heads), and the role of camels in the livestock economy is highly variable. The only reliable statistics are provided by FAO since 1961. According to these data, five different patterns of demographic changes have been observed. In countries marked by a regular or drastic decline of their camelid population, a tendency to re-increase has been in force since the beginning of the century, except in India. Generally, countries marked by a sharp recent increase in their large camelid population have implemented a census and readjusted their data. Many inconsistencies occur in available data, most notably cases arising from changes occurring in state status (for example secession of Eritrea, Soviet Union collapse). Moreover, large camelid stocks in Australia, in countries of new camel establishment (Western countries) and those related to the expansion of camel farming, notably in Africa, are not recorded in the international database. In addition, there is no distinction between dromedary and Bactrian data. The present large camelid population in the world is probably more than 40 million and could reach 60 million after 25 years from now if the current demographic trend is maintained.

Abstract We conducted a quantitative assessment of forage biomass in Harshin district to determine its annual productive potential, carrying capacity, and stocking rates. The dominant Land Use and Land Cover include woodland (35.5%), shrubs (28.3%), grassland (10.6%), and bare land (25.5%). The region has browse‐rich shrubland that is edible to dromedary and goats, as well as massive grassland plains for sheep and cattle. The interannual rainfall variation is 16.5% which implies that the rangeland is a subsistence equilibrium system. The range of forage production is between 105 and 2,310 kg/ha, whereas the average productivity of the district is 742.6 kg/ha. The result indicates that the average carrying capacity of the district is 0.3 TLU ha−1 year−1 (4.9 ha TLU−1 year−1) while the existing stocking rate is 5.4 TLU ha−1 year−1 (0.18 ha TLU−1 year−1). This implies that the grazing intensity in the district is much higher than its carrying capacity (recommended rate), which has seen overstocking or grazing pressure excesses of 5.1 TLU/ha (7.2 cattle/ha). Thus, it clearly signals the risk of overgrazing in the district. If this trend continues, the grazing will not be sustainable and there will be shortage of forage as well as expansion of land degradation (due to overgrazing) in the near future.

Soil fertility decline continues to be a major challenge limiting agricultural productivity globally. Despite the novelty of organic-based technologies in enhancing agricultural production in Kenya's central highlands, adoption is low. Therefore, we carried out a cross-sectional household survey of 300 randomly selected smallholder farmers to determine the specific organic-based practices by farmers; and the socioeconomic factors that influence the adoption intensity of selected organic-based technologies. We used descriptive statistics to summarize the data and the Tobit regression model to evaluate the socioeconomic determinants of adoption intensity of selected organic-based technologies. We identified nine organic-based technologies that had different adoption rates among the farmers. The majority of the farmers had adopted manure (97%) and manure combined with fertilizer (92%) in Murang'a and Tharaka-Nithi, respectively. Manure was applied to the largest land in Murang'a with 31% of the cultivated land. In comparison, manure combined with fertilizer had the highest adoption intensity in Tharaka-Nithi applied to about 25% of the cultivated land. Gender, age of the household head, level of education, household size, access to external labor, training, Tropical Livestock Unit, agriculture group membership, access to credit, land cultivated, and farming experience influenced the adoption intensity of organic-based technologies among smallholder farmers. Based on the smallholder farmers' adoption behavior, this study can be used to disaggregate the farming households better in order to tailor specific organic-based soil fertility technologies solutions that meet their unique needs. One group would be those households that face specific constraints, as reflected in their low adoption rates, women-headed households and older farmers, and thus require more targeted / intensive efforts to overcome these barriers. The other group would be those households that require less focus because, when confronted with the technologies, they are more likely to adopt them easily, for example, the male-headed households. Hence, the smallholder farmers' adoption behavior, can enable policymakers to form a base for designing appropriate policies that encourage the adoption of organic-based soil fertility technology by smallholder farmers.

The dynamic between humans, livestock, and wildlife is evolving owing to growth in populations, a finite global landmass, and shifting climatic conditions. This change comes with certain benefits in terms of food security, nutrition, and livelihoods as livestock populations increase, but is not without risk. The role of livestock in infectious disease emergence, environmental degradation, and the development of antimicrobial resistance is becoming more apparent. An understanding of these risks and development of mitigation tactics, especially in low- and middle-income countries where the pace of change is most rapid, is increasingly based on comprehensive models and tools built to map livestock populations at the global, regional or national level. Translation of model estimates into evidence is often underpinned by a quantification of livestock biomass to support policy development and implementation. This paper discusses the application of the Tropical Livestock Unit in the context of measuring biomass. It examines the established method of calculation, designating all cattle a standard weight of 175 kg, and compares it to two proposed alternatives. In doing so, the potential to refine estimates of biomass in low and middle-income countries is explored, though this concept could be extrapolated to higher income economies as well. Publicly available data from six countries in sub-Saharan Africa was utilized to demonstrate how breed liveweight, herd structures, and growth rates have the potential to dramatically alter the estimates of cattle biomass in each country. Establishing standardized data collection procedures to capture this information on a regular basis would grant a better understanding of the true nature of livestock populations, aid in the development of superior disease prevention and response measures, bolster food security initiatives through improving livestock production, and inform the intelligent management of shared ecosystems to improve conservation and biodiversity.

We conducted a quantitative assessment of forage biomass in Harshin district to determine its annual productive potential, carrying capacity, and stocking rates. The dominant Land Use and Land Cover include woodland (35.5%), shrubs (28.3%), grassland (10.6%), and bare land (25.5%). The region has browse‐rich shrubland that is edible to dromedary and goats, as well as massive grassland plains for sheep and cattle. The interannual rainfall variation is 16.5% which implies that the rangeland is a subsistence equilibrium system. The range of forage production is between 105 and 2,310 kg/ha, whereas the average productivity of the district is 742.6 kg/ha. The result indicates that the average carrying capacity of the district is 0.3 TLU ha−1 year−1 (4.9 ha TLU−1 year−1) while the existing stocking rate is 5.4 TLU ha−1 year−1 (0.18 ha TLU−1 year−1). This implies that the grazing intensity in the district is much higher than its carrying capacity (recommended rate), which has seen overstocking or grazing pressure excesses of 5.1 TLU/ha (7.2 cattle/ha). Thus, it clearly signals the risk of overgrazing in the district. If this trend continues, the grazing will not be sustainable and there will be shortage of forage as well as expansion of land degradation (due to overgrazing) in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial and temporal availability of pasture vegetation and cattle grazing behaviour in three seasons (intermediate season [IM], peak season [PS] and dry season [DS]) in the Guinea Savanna agroecological zone of Ghana was examined. The frequency of occurrence of three species groups (grass, legume and forbs) and biomass yield was estimated in 1 m2 plots. The grazing behaviour of 18 cows from six herds was monitored over three days per animal. Season affected the prevalence of species groups with grasses being most dominant in all seasons. Most grazing lands were heavily grazed in IM and DS but moderately grazed in PS. Whilst harvested rice fields represented the most frequently grazed land in DS, fallowed hard pans were used in PS and IM. Biomass yield was highest in DS owing to the contribution of crop residues from harvested farmlands. Carrying capacity was linked to biomass production and averaged 0.55 in DS, 0.38 in PR and 0.21 in IM. Animals spent less time outside the kraal in PS than IM and DS. Walking time was higher in DS than in IM and PS. Less than 20% of the time on pasture was spent on resting, watering and social interaction across seasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamic between humans, livestock, and wildlife is evolving owing to growth in populations, a finite global landmass, and shifting climatic conditions. This change comes with certain benefits in terms of food security, nutrition, and livelihoods as livestock populations increase, but is not without risk. The role of livestock in infectious disease emergence, environmental degradation, and the development of antimicrobial resistance is becoming more apparent. An understanding of these risks and development of mitigation tactics, especially in low- and middle-income countries where the pace of change is most rapid, is increasingly based on comprehensive models and tools built to map livestock populations at the global, regional or national level. Translation of model estimates into evidence is often underpinned by a quantification of livestock biomass to support policy development and implementation. This paper discusses the application of the Tropical Livestock Unit in the context of measuring biomass. It examines the established method of calculation, designating all cattle a standard weight of 175 kg, and compares it to two proposed alternatives. In doing so, the potential to refine estimates of biomass in low and middle-income countries is explored, though this concept could be extrapolated to higher income economies as well. Publicly available data from six countries in sub-Saharan Africa was utilized to demonstrate how breed liveweight, herd structures, and growth rates have the potential to dramatically alter the estimates of cattle biomass in each country. Establishing standardized data collection procedures to capture this information on a regular basis would grant a better understanding of the true nature of livestock populations, aid in the development of superior disease prevention and response measures, bolster food security initiatives through improving livestock production, and inform the intelligent management of shared ecosystems to improve conservation and biodiversity., (Copyright © 2020 Rothman-Ostrow, Gilbert and Rushton.)