Abstract

The range-land ecosystem is important because it provides vast grazing areas that serve as the primary source of feed for domestic and wild animals, as well as serving as their habitat. However, the current productivity of range-land is diminishing due to invasion of cultivation land, climate change as well as excessive livestock grazing pressure. This study aimed to assess impact of different cattle stocking rate soil chemical parameters, vegetation diversity and dry matter yield of herbaceous species. A total of one hectare of range-land which have nearly equal carrying capacity was divided into 12 paddocks in which 0.08ha each paddock and randomly stocked with heavily-stocking rate of five animals unit per month/ ha (T1); moderately-stocking-rate of 2.4 animal unity per month/ha (T2) and lightly-stocking-rate of 1.67 animal unity per month/ha (T3). The higher organic carbon and organic matter were observed from the plot stocked with T3 as compared to plot stocked withT1 and whereas, lower nitrogen content was obtained from plot area stocked with T1 than plots stocked T2 and T3. Likewise, lower dry matter yield of 2.77 t /ha was obtained from plot area stocked with T1 as compared to plots stocked withT2 (4.52 t/ha) and T3 (4.81 t/ha). The grass species diversity and richness were not influenced (P>0.05) by different stocking rates, but more grass species diversity was obtained from plot area that stocked with T2 than T1 and T3, whereas the lower (P<0.05) grass species richness was obtained from plot area that stocked withT1 as compared plots stocked withT2 and T3. Overall results from this study indicated that lightly stocking rate (T3) has the potential to improve forage dry matter yield, soil chemical compositions and herbaceous species diversity and richness as compared to heavily and moderately stocking rates.