The effect of a prescribed burn, followed up with browsing pressure, on rangeland condition in the mountain savanna and karstveld of Namibia.

Abstract

Measurements were taken before and after the application of a prescribed burn, aimed at controlling bush thickening, on a commercial farm in the Mountain savanna and Karstveld of Namibia. The high fuel load, due to high rainfall during the previous season, resulted in an intense fire that caused considerable top kill of bushes. However, the bushes, dominated by Dichrostachys cinerea, resprouted at varying time intervals after the fire, mostly from the ground level. The occasional goat browsing pressure that was subsequently applied was insufficient to keep the majority of bushes under control. Hence browsing pressure would need to be applied more frequently and over a longer time period after a fire, in order to keep more of the bush regrowth under control. The goats also grazed significantly on the regrowth from perennial grasses. Therefore the browsing pressure should not be excessive, as the goats also threaten the perennial grasses.