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Research, Policy and Practice

Table 2 Herder scouts and ecologist's assessments of the Orma rangelands at landscape scale

From: Harnessing pastoralists' indigenous knowledge for rangeland management: three African case studies

Transect name

Landscape classificationa

Soil indicatorb

Season of grazing

cGrazing suitability1 (GS)

dLandscape grazing potential2 (LGP)

Conditione

Trendsf WC

GPg

Degradationh

Moye Buya Guyo

Wayaama

Red soil

Wet

Goats-High

Low-cattle

Moderate

25%--Stable

VHi

Threat high But resilient

    

Cattle-low

     

Qote Jijiga

Omaara sala j

Gray

Dry

Cattle-high

High-cattle

Good

50%

VH

Threat high but resilient

    

Goats-low

 

Fair

Declining

Bare ground -80%

 
    

Reduced by bush encroachment

     

Onmirti

Omaara-adhi k

White

Wet/dry

Cattle-high

High-cattle

Poor

Declining, invasive sp. WC 30%

VH

Threat high

        

Bare ground 60%

But high resilient

Komora Jiila

Omaara-adhi

White

Wet/Dry

Cattle-high

High-cattle

Moderate

Stable

H

Threat moderate

    

Goats-moderate

  

WC no change

Bare ground 30%

 

Bura-Komora

Biiy-boora

Dark soil

Wet

Only camels

Low

Poor

Declining, WC 50%

Bare 80%

Threat high

  1. aClassified by the abuuru scouts.
  2. bClassified by the abuuru scouts.
  3. cRated by the abuuru scouts.
  4. dIbid.
  5. eJointly rated by ecologist and the abuuru scouts on the survey team.
  6. fRated by the abuuru scouts and woody cover estimated by ecologist.
  7. gGrazing pressure (GP) assessed by the abuuru scouts.
  8. hJoint rating by abuuru scouts and ecologist.
  9. iVery high (VH).
  10. jThe oomaar soil of the Oryx (saala).
  11. kWhite oomaar landscape with gray soils showing the presence of limestone
  12. GS, grazing suitability; LGP, landscape grazing potential; WC, woody cover; GP, grazing pressure; VH, very high; H, high. The indigenous words are explained in the text.