Case Study of Adaptive Rangeland Management by an Innovative Kalahari Farmer

Scientists can learn a great deal from innovative farmers who apply adaptive management principles based on experience gained over decades. This paper records 31 observations that a farmer, Jan Labuschagne, made on his farm to the south of Gobabis. The observations relate to aspects such as animal behaviour and performance, animal trampling, and applications of grazing and fire. They are tabulated together with their possible explanations and their management applications. The conceptual model the farmer has built to aid his understanding and decision making is also shown as a diagram and explained. Of critical importance is the strategic timing of management interventions on different parts of the farm in relation to rainfall events, texture and organic content of the soil and maturity of the vegetation. Data are presented to support some of the observations.