Implications of land use land cover change and climate variability on future prospects of beef cattle production in the lake Victoria basin

Kashaigili, Japhet Joel; Zziwa, Emmanuel; Ernest, Siwa; Laswai, Emma; Segatagara, Bernard Musana; Mpairwe, Denis; Kadigi, Reuben Mpuya Joseph; Ebong, Cyprian; Mugasi, Samuel Katambi; Laswai, Germana Henry; Mupenzi, Mutimura; Ngowi, Polycarp Jacob; Kadigi, Ibrahim Lwaho

dc.creator	Kashaigili, Japhet Joel
dc.creator	Zziwa, Emmanuel
dc.creator	Ernest, Siwa
dc.creator	Laswai, Emma
dc.creator	Segatagara, Bernard Musana
dc.creator	Mpairwe, Denis
dc.creator	Kadigi, Reuben Mpuya Joseph
dc.creator	Ebong, Cyprian
dc.creator	Mugasi, Samuel Katambi
dc.creator	Laswai, Germana Henry
dc.creator	Mupenzi, Mutimura
dc.creator	Ngowi, Polycarp Jacob
dc.creator	Kadigi, Ibrahim Lwaho
dc.date	2017-03-30T12:52:15Z
dc.date	2017-03-30T12:52:15Z
dc.date	2015
dc.date.accessioned	2022-10-25T08:52:39Z
dc.date.available	2022-10-25T08:52:39Z
dc.identifier	https://www.suaire.sua.ac.tz/handle/123456789/1367
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/92914
dc.description	This paper presents the lessons learnt from a research project titled “Improving Beef Cattle Pro- ductivity for Enhanced Food Security and Efficient Utilization of Natural Resources in the Lake Victoria Basin” which includes Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda. The key focus is on the implications of land use land cover change and climate variability on the future prospects of beef cattle produc- tion in this region. The study utilizes information and data from natural resources and climate components to deduce the impact of land use and land cover changes on climate variability. Addi- tional analysis is conducted to summarize the land use and land cover data to carry out analysis on climate data using the Mann-Kendal test, linear regression and moving averages to reveal patterns of change and trends in annual and seasonal rainfall and temperature. The findings reveal that the study areas of Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania in the Lake Victoria Basin (LVB) have changed over time following land cover manipulations and land use change, coupled with climate variability. The grazing land has been converted to agriculture and settlements, thereby reducing cattle graz- ing land which is the cheapest and major feed source for ruminant livestock production. Although the cattle population has been on the increase in the same period, it has been largely attributed to the fact that the carrying capacity of available grazing areas had not been attained. The current stocking rates in the LVB reveal that the rangelands are greatly overstocked and overgrazed with land degradation already evidenced in some areas. Climate variability coupled with a decrease in grazing resources is driving unprecedented forage scarcity which is now a major limiting factor to cattle production. Crop cultivation and settlement expansion are major land use types overtaking grazing lands; therefore the incorporation of crop residues into ruminant feeding systems could be a feasible way to curtail rangeland degradation and increase beef cattle production.
dc.format	application/pdf
dc.language	en
dc.publisher	American Journal of Climate Change
dc.subject	Beef Cattle Production
dc.subject	Climate Variability
dc.subject	Crop Residues
dc.subject	Land Use Land Cover Change
dc.subject	Lake Victoria Basin
dc.title	Implications of land use land cover change and climate variability on future prospects of beef cattle production in the lake Victoria basin
dc.type	Article