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AB-10: Improving awareness of riparian and rangeland environmental health |
The Challenge.
Generate awareness regarding riparian and rangeland health and
management, which leads to carbon sequestration in the soil and a
reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
Project Applicant.
Cows and Fish, Alberta Riparian Habitat Management Society.
Funding Allocation.
The Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Program for Canadian Agriculture (GHGMP) has
allocated $2.1 million for beef sector projects over three years ending
March 31, 2006. The GHGMP has contributed $38,400 toward this project.
Increasing producer awareness of the importance of riparian areas and the
benefits of healthy rangelands and pastures are the core goals of several
presentations and field days planned by the Alberta Cows and Fish program.
The field days and presentations will improve producers’ understanding of
how natural landscapes function and how management practices can impact
the long-term health of the land. Communications efforts will provide
information on how well-managed pastureland can reduce soil erosion while
increasing plant productivity and plant litter. These management practices
play a role in increasing the amount of carbon sequestered in the soil and
in reducing greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.
The presentations and field days are being partially funded by the
Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Program for Canadian Agriculture (GHGMP). The
federal program is designed to promote the awareness of agricultural
practices that reduce atmospheric levels of greenhouse gases or increase
carbon storage in soil. The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association administers
the delivery of the beef sector component of the program.
The Cows and Fish program works with rural producer groups, watershed
groups and other community organizations to give people tools to make
better management decisions about the land and water.
Generating awareness
Cows and Fish delivers presentations to producer groups, community
organizations and schools. The goal is to identify the numerous benefits
provided by riparian areas, explain ecological principles associated with
pastureland and water bodies, and teach the basics of conducting range and
riparian health assessments.
Field days give producers opportunities for hands on experience. For
example, producers are shown how to complete a health assessment of
pasture and riparian areas.
“Producers who have participated in a field day tell us they look at
riparian areas differently now,” says Norine Ambrose, program manager for
Cows and Fish. “They see they have many options when it comes to managing
their land with the goal of enhancing both productivity and environmental
health.”
While the focus of the presentations is on the importance of taking care
of land and water, many of the management options also increase carbon
sequestration in the soil. A healthy plant community means less bare soil,
and an increase in plant litter and root mass. This results in more carbon
being stored in the soil, year after year.
Contributing to GHGMP goals
“Among other benefits, improved management of riparian areas reduces soil
erosion, which reduces the amount of stored carbon lost to the
atmosphere,” says Pat Walker, beef project co-ordinator for the GHGMP. She
also notes, “riparian pastures can produce very high quality forage. With
proper grazing management, this diet can lead to reduced methane emissions
from the cow’s rumen for every pound of feed eaten.”
Walker adds that in riparian areas, the impact of reducing greenhouse
gases or increasing carbon sequestration in the soil is high due to the
natural conditions of the area. Increased moisture or proximity to water
makes for more productive land, more vegetation and more organic matter
build-up in the soil.
Producers and public benefit
Producers are the first to benefit from the adoption of new management
practices. These practices help producers maintain efficiently functioning
ecosystems, and demonstrate their commitment to being accountable stewards
of the land and responsible business owners.
“Improving pasture and range management includes management of livestock
stocking rates and improved cattle distribution,” says Ambrose. A key
component of improved management involves providing “rest” or not grazing
pastures for a period of time to allow for plant re-growth sometime during
each growing season. “These strategies improve the sustainability and
efficiency of forage production, overall riparian and range health, and
the operational viability of the farm or ranch enterprise.”
Many of the practices explained at the presentations and field days are
cost-effective. It may be a simple change, such as moving a salt block
around the pasture so livestock are not milling in the same area, but
these simple changes can make a big difference in forage productivity.
Off-site watering systems are another possible beneficial option for
producers. These systems provide livestock with cleaner water, which
increases productivity, can decrease cases of hoof rot in cattle, and
results in healthier calves.
Producers are not the only ones to benefit from a healthy land base. Rural
communities and other land owners benefit by having healthier plant
communities, which contribute to cleaner water supplies by trapping
sediments that can leach into water systems. Fish and other wildlife also
benefit from a vibrant ecosystem. These areas rebound much faster after
drought and other natural disasters than those areas that are not as
healthy and productive.
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© Canadian Cattlemen's
Association, 2004, |
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© Canadian Cattlemen's
Association, 2003,
CCA Calgary - #310, 6715 - 8th St. NE, Calgary, AB T2E 7H7, (403) 275-8558
Fax: (403) 274-5686
CCA Ottawa - #1403, 150 Metcalfe St., Ottawa, ON K2P 1P1, (613) 233-9375
Fax: (613) 233-2860 |
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