Topveld BK’s Post

A cattle/game farmer is actually farming with grasses. That is why it is very important to know the grass species on your farm, because if you know which grass species dominate in a given camp, it can give you an idea of the condition the veld is in, namely underutilized, overutilized or that it is managed correctly. Grass species differ in grazing value in terms of their nutritional value and their response to the management that takes place on a veld. If a camp rests too much, it creates conditions that are favourable for certain grass species to dominate (what we call Increaser 1 grass species). If the opposite happens because a camp e.g. being overgrazed, too much burning, the timing of fire being wrong, disturbances, drought etc., the veld is overutilizes causing another group of grass species (which we call Increaser 2 grass species) to dominate. Both Increaser 1 & 2 grass species are usually not very palatable and nutrient rich. If the veld is also dominated by Increaser grass species, the grazing potential of the veld decreases. However, if there is a balance between overutilization and rest, it creates favourable conditions for productive and palatable grass species (what we call Decreaser grass species) to flourish. Decreaser grass species have good leaf production and a high nutritional value. If a camp is managed correctly, the grass composition will be correct with Decreaser grass species that will dominate which will ensure that the livestock/game benefit productively and the farmer financially. If you are interested in improving your veld condition ecologically, you are welcome to call me, Shobie Arnoldi, on 082 801 4114. I also offer grass identification courses. Please also visit my facebook page (https://lnkd.in/e9pA3g9x) to learn more about the type of ecological services I offer, and for veld management guidelines.

Vegetation monitoring forms the basis to determine the field condition. It is directly related to the historical impact that grazers and browsers had on the area. One must also have a good understanding how the field will respond to under- and over-utilisation. Based on that one can apply sound ecological principles to improve the field condition. Together with Sekela Impilo Services, which is specialising in land management, we address most of the basic challenges in field management. For more information or to book an appointment, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Game Permits done and approved on behalf of the client. The game management plan recommendations which is based on the trends in vegetation monitoring data, game census and ecological carrying capacity assessments is the most important management interventions. These recommendations need to be implemented, monitored and maintain to ensure sustainable management interventions and optimal wildlife production whilst not over or under utilizing natural resources. Please feel free to contact us at TopVeld Ecological Services for more information on 082 801 4114 or topveld123@gmail.com Together with Gustav le Roux from Sekela Impilo Services, who does land management we develope site specific and integrated management plans for the veld and game. This includes alien invasive plant species control programmes and veld management interventions to restore the ecological integrity and carrying capacity of veld and pasture in areas invaded by shrub species like Bankrupt Bush. We look forward to hearing from you. #sustainable #management #data #legalrequirements #landmanagement #gamemanagement

Doing assessments on Bankrupt Bush (a Shrub Assessment), determining the abundance and density. With this information one can develope a management plan to control this common invader. #bankruptbush #veldmanagement #invasivespecies

As a grassland ecologist, I (Shobie Arnoldi from TopVeld CC) recently had the privilege to review a new grass identification guide, 50 Grasses of the Limpopo Valley - Visual identification guide, prior to its publication on the science website 'African Journal of Range and Forage Science'. Grasses are extremely dynamic, and can be used in a scientific way to determine the field condition, determining the carrying capacity, the water catchment potential of the area etc. and that's what I specialize in.  It was an absolute privilege to review this book. https://lnkd.in/ddCKBSJm #fields #grasslands #grass #bushveld #grazing #fieldmanagement #carryingcapacity #identification #environmental #environmentalconsulting #science #EIA #enviromentalimpactassessment

ANDROPOGON APPENDICULATUS (Vlei bluestem / Vleiblougras) is a densely tufted perennial grass. This hardy and attractive grass has beautiful colours of red, green, and bronze at this time of year. CULMS: Can be up to 1100 mm high, erect, branched with slender internodes, yellowish with reddish tinge. The nodes have a yellow band. LEAF: Lamina up to 500 mm long x 6 mm wide, tapering to a fine point. Folded, keeled, glabrous and smooth on the margins. Ligule a short (1.5 mm) minutely fringed membrane. One of the most distinctively features to identify this grass is its basal sheaths that are laterally compressed (flattened) and keeled, distichous and shining. INFLORESCENCE: The summer-borne flowers are striking against the purple racemes with the white feathery stigmas (female parts) and yellow stamens (male parts). There are up to 10 racemes in subdigitate groups, 90–100 mm long, slender, flexuous, sparsely pubescent, exserted from the spatheoles, dark purple; Peduncles longer than the racemes; internodes and pedicels filiform, ciliate on both margins, the internodes shorter than the sessile spikelets. SPIKELET: The spikelets are borne in pairs, namely: A sessile spikelet of 4.5–5 mm long with marginal hairs towards the apex with a geniculated awn about 9–10 mm long. The other spikelet is pedicelled, male, awnless and about 4.0 mm long. The flowering time is from October to April. Vlei Bluestem is ecologically categorized as a Decreaser, meaning it will decrease if the area is over-utilized. It is a highly palatable grass. As it does not tolerate heavy or continuous grazing, it can be a useful indicator of the level of disturbance in an area. High abundance in the veld indicates a healthy veld condition with adequate land management. In South Africa this grass in occurs all provinces except Northern Cape. It is also found in Zimbabwe. Vlei Bluestem prefers wet and/or semi-shaded places, and is commonly found in wetlands. The genus name Andropogon is Greek, where andros = man and pogon = beard, as the hairy spikelets characteristic of this genus are said to resemble a man's beard. The epithet appendiculatus = with an appendage, possibly referring to the pedicels of the racemes that produce into a subulate appendage facing the upper glume. SHOBIE ARNOLDI is a grassland ecologist, and can be contacted on 082 801 4114 for more information on veld management. # # # # # #veld management #southafrica #eswatini #namibia #africa #botswana #lesotho #moçambique #grasslands #grazing #agriculture #cattle #cattlefarm

These are the shoots of 𝑯𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒐𝒈𝒐𝒏 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒖𝒔 (𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗿- 𝗼𝗿 𝗧𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘀 / 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘀). The leaves are bluish-green, rigid, folded, usually glabrous or with few hairs (like this specimen) with a rounded apex. It also has a few hairs near the base at the ligule. The ligule is membranous. Spear grass is a good forage and fodder grass when young, but very troublesome to animals after flowering because of the sharp-pointed seeds which may penetrate the skin and the membranes of the mouth and intestines. The specific epithet 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒖𝒔, means 'tangled' or 'twisted'. Just before the dormant stage the awns twist into a spire and forming a malignant tangled knot. In its vegetative stage it can easily be confused with 𝑯𝒂𝒓𝒑𝒐𝒄𝒉𝒍𝒐𝒂 𝒇𝒂𝒍𝒙 (𝗖𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘀 / 𝗥𝘂𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘀), but can be distinguished by the many long hairs at the base of the leaf and the relative sharp apex of 𝑯. 𝒇𝒂𝒍𝒙.

Alloteropsis semialata subs. eckloniana (Dark seed grass / Donkersaadgras) in its reproductive stage. To see this grass in its vegetative stage, go to: https://lnkd.in/dafgVK9 #grass #veldmanagement