Key Approaches of Natural Rangelands Management Rawashda forest, Eastern Sudan

Abstract

The study was conducted in (Rawashda forest) east of Gedarif areas. Under the objective of investigating the key approaches towards sustainable management of natural rangelands. Provision of information that assist in range management is rather problematic under existing pattern of open rangeland use, in term of numbers and types of livestock, time of entrance, time of exist, and duration of the stay. Where range resources and their pattern of utilization were assessed in carried twice in the rainy season early and late, the early was in the first week of August, and the late was in October, where ground cover was assessed in the four sites in open and forested areas, each of the sites with an area of two ha. In addition to tow, circular plots for assessment available browse each of the circular plots with an area of 0.1ha. The seed bank was assessment at both sites, where the socioeconomic survey done for the pastoral communities. The quantitative and qualitative assessment such as composition, density, frequency, diversity, covers, biomass productivity and carrying capacity in the ground vegetation were assessed. In addition to quantitative and qualitative assessment such as trees density, height, browsing level, diameter at browsing point, crown area, diameter at breast height, available twigs numbers and available browse productivity in the forested range were done. Data collected were organized and tabulated for vegetation survey. The study showed that, there were variations in the quantitive and qualitive results of the cover assessment between open and forested areas. The open site has higher frequency, density, composition, cover, biomass productivity than forested site at both assessment readings. The open site was dominated by Justica flava, الفخة)), Chenopodium spp العفين)) and Spermacoce spp أم دقيلات)) early and Justica flava( الفخة) , Coccirea grandis عرق أبو دم)), Abutilon spp (أم قريقدانا) and Corchorus spp(خضرة) late, while the forested are dominated by Justica flava الفخة) ), Pennisetum spp ضنب الكديس)) and Brachiaria eruciformis (أم فراو) early reading and Justica flava الفخة) ), Coccirea grandis عرق) أبو دم), Pennisetum spp ضنب الكديس)) and Ophirus spp (الرزة)late reading. The results showed that, the available browse estimated as relatively low, because the density of trees was high leading to tall trees and less all available branches. According to this the grazing browsing ratio was small. The seed bank density obtained was 703 seed /m2 in open site and 391 seed /m2 in the forested site, where many of species were absent in the seed bank. The study showed that the rangeland and forest were utilized by three groups of users (Nomads- Villagers- Farmers). The socioeconomic survey showed that, 86.66% of the nomads, 69.23% of the villagers and 83.33% of the farmers were illiterate. The herders from all groups preferred herding in open grazing area, because they had different kinds of livestock and an open site has higher productivity than forested site. The majority of the herders come to the areas early in the season for 2-3 months, this is considered as an improper time of use, and such utilization has its negative impact on the range resource, and may affect the species composition and production of the vegetation. The study concluded that there is a need for management interventions rainy season and summer domains in addition to transhumant routes in order to control reasonable the time of entrance and exit in addition to duration of stay.