Soils for the Future Tanzania
Publications
The wildlife corridor between Ruaha and Katavi National Parks is under threat from cultivation and increased fire frequencies. This study evaluated the impacts of protection, fire, and habitat conversion on carbon stocks and biodiversity in the Ruaha Katavi Landscape.
PLANT COMPENSATION TO GRAZING AND SOIL CARBON DYNAMICS IN A TROPICAL GRASSLAND
The effects of grazing on soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics, particularly in the tropics, are still poorly understood. Plant compensation to grazing, whereby plants maintain leaf area (C input capacity) despite consumption (C removal) by grazers, has been demonstrated in tropical grasslands but its influence on SOC is largely unexplored. Here, the effect of grazing on plant leaf area index (LAI) was measured in a field experiment in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. LAI changed little for grazing intensities up to 70%.
SUPERSIZING SUSTAINABILITY IN SAVANNAS
Increasing pressure for communities to conserve wildlife in mixtures with livestock faces skepticism about whether such management is sustainable. The study by Sitters et al. shows that wildlife–livestock coexistence may be sustainable, but only if megaherbivores are included.
EFFECTS OF GRAZING ON GRASSLAND SOIL CARBON: A GLOBAL REVIEW
Soils of grasslands represent a large potential reservoir for storing CO2, but this potential likely depends on how grasslands are managed for large mammal grazing. Previous studies found both strong positive and negative grazing effects on soil organic carbon (SOC), but explanations for this variation are poorly developed. Expanding on previous reviews, we performed a multifactorial meta-analysis of grazer effects on SOC density on 47 independent experimental contrasts from 17 studies.
Carbon emissions from savanna burning contribute to global climate change. Improved fire management in Africa could dramatically reduce carbon emissions and build ecosystem resilience, reduce threats to biodiversity and provide much-needed financial support to local economies.
TECHNICAL ADVANCES IN ASSESSING NATURAL CLIMATE SOLUTIONS FOR GLOBAL CARBON MARKETS
The Terra Carta serves as the guiding mandate for HRH The Prince of Wales’ Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI). It calls for urgent action to build a sustainable future for Nature, People and Planet. Investments in natural climate solutions can simultaneously address each of these pillars.
GRAZING MANAGEMENT, FORAGE PRODUCTION AND SOIL CARBON DYNAMICS
Soil carbon pools remain a target for sequestering greenhouse gases, but appropriate land management options to achieve such sequestration remain uncertain. Livestock grazing can have profound positive or negative effects on soil carbon.