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<p>Pastoralism is currently facing challenges due to the deterioration of rangelands and the consequent decline in ecosystem services. This study examines the management of pastoral rangelands in Borana, Southern Ethiopia. The study focuses on five customary grazing territories including Dirre, Gomole, Golbo, Malbe, and Wayama locally referred to as Dheedas. Using a mixed qualitative-quantitative approach, we collected data through in-depth interviews, focus group discussions with pastoral communities, and vegetation sampling within each grazing territory. Moreover, we analyzed the spatial and temporal changes over the last 24&#xa0;years by employing satellite imagery. Our results revealed that significant challenges affecting customary grazing management included the absence of legal recognition (85%), the exclusion of local communities from decision-making processes (74%), and recurrent drought conditions (72%). A long-term analysis (2000–2024) showed heterogeneous spatiotemporal patterns across grazing territories, demonstrating measurable declines in productivity primarily due to the invasion of woody plants, the increase of bare ground, and the conversion of land for agricultural use. The Gomole grazing territory displayed the highest density of tree equivalents per hectare of encroaching woody plants (3319.11 ± 738.72 TE ha<sup>−1</sup>), which corresponded with the lowest levels of herbaceous biomass. Thus, our findings suggest that while excessive encroachment of woody plants negatively impacts biodiversity, a moderate level of such encroachment may enhance ecosystem services. To ensure the sustainability of dryland pastoralism, our findings advocate for initiatives that support customary natural resource management and the incorporation of indigenous ecological knowledge in global endeavors to address challenges associated with biodiversity loss and climate change.</p>

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Landscape-based traditional grazing management systems for the sustainability of southern Ethiopia’s Borana rangelands

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年2月6日

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  • Zinabu Bora,
  • Yongdong Wang,
  • Ayana Angassa,
  • Annah Lake Zhu,
  • Yuan You,
  • Na Zhou,
  • Kidane Welde Reda,
  • Minyahel Tilahun

摘要

Pastoralism is currently facing challenges due to the deterioration of rangelands and the consequent decline in ecosystem services. This study examines the management of pastoral rangelands in Borana, Southern Ethiopia. The study focuses on five customary grazing territories including Dirre, Gomole, Golbo, Malbe, and Wayama locally referred to as Dheedas. Using a mixed qualitative-quantitative approach, we collected data through in-depth interviews, focus group discussions with pastoral communities, and vegetation sampling within each grazing territory. Moreover, we analyzed the spatial and temporal changes over the last 24 years by employing satellite imagery. Our results revealed that significant challenges affecting customary grazing management included the absence of legal recognition (85%), the exclusion of local communities from decision-making processes (74%), and recurrent drought conditions (72%). A long-term analysis (2000–2024) showed heterogeneous spatiotemporal patterns across grazing territories, demonstrating measurable declines in productivity primarily due to the invasion of woody plants, the increase of bare ground, and the conversion of land for agricultural use. The Gomole grazing territory displayed the highest density of tree equivalents per hectare of encroaching woody plants (3319.11 ± 738.72 TE ha−1), which corresponded with the lowest levels of herbaceous biomass. Thus, our findings suggest that while excessive encroachment of woody plants negatively impacts biodiversity, a moderate level of such encroachment may enhance ecosystem services. To ensure the sustainability of dryland pastoralism, our findings advocate for initiatives that support customary natural resource management and the incorporation of indigenous ecological knowledge in global endeavors to address challenges associated with biodiversity loss and climate change.