Grazing and grazing management terminology in southern Africa

Abstract

In order to avoid misunderstanding arising in discussions and from the literature on grazing management problems in Southern Africa a proposed list of terms and definitions to cater for all grazing situations and concepts is presented. The terms are classified into two groups, those dealing with properties of the vegetation and those dealing with aspects of management. The former group includes veld, fynbos, karoo, grassveid, bushveld, sourveld, swectveld, pastures, leys, permanent pastures, cultivated pastures, introduced pastures, species selective grazing, area selective grazing, grazing capacity, current grazing capacity and potential grazing capacity. Some of these terms are well known to pasture scientists in Southern Africa and their inclusion here is largely to facilitate understanding by overseas readers of the literature from this sub‐continent. Those terms dealing with aspects of management are continuous grazing, rotational grazing, rotational resting, rotational grazing and resting, zero grazing, stocking rate, stocking pressure, stocking density, stocking density index, period of occupation, period of stay, stocking intensity, period of rest and resting intensity. Many of these terms are not in current use in Southern Africa. They nevertheless are related to important concepts in grazing management deserving of greater attention.

UITTREKSEL

Om moontlike misverstand nit besprekings en in die literatuur oor weibestuur in Suidelike Afrika te vermy, is ‘n voorgestelde lys terme en definisies wat in die behoeftes van alle weidings aangeleenthede mag voor‐sien, aangebied. Die terme is in twee groepe verdeel, nl. terme wat eienskappe van die pluntegroei behels en terme wat fasette van bestuur beskryf. Die eersgenoemde groep sluit in veld, fynbos, karoo, grasveld, bosveld, suurveld, soetveld, weidingsgewas, rusoes, permanente weidingsgewas, aangeplante weidingsgewas, ingesaaide weidingsgewas, spesie selektiewe beweiding, gebied selektiewe beweiding, weidingkapasiteit, hui‐dige weidingskapasiteit, potensiële weidingskapasiteit. Sommige van hierdie terme is reeds goedbekend in Suidelike Afrika en word hier ingesluit hoofsaaklik om ons literatuur meer verstaanbaar vir die buitelander le maak. Terme wat aspekte van bestuur beskryf is aanhoudende beweiding, wisselweiding, wisselrus, wisselweiding en ‐rus, zerobeweiding, veelading, veedruk, veedigtheid, veedigtheidsindeks, periode van besil, periode van verblyf, periode van afwesigheid, bew eidingsintensiteit, periode van rus en rusintensiteit. Baie van hierdie terme is tans nie in gebruik in Suidelike Afrika nie, ofskoon hulle in verband staan met belangrike weidingsbestuurbeginsels wat meer aandeg verdien.