EFFECT OF CLIMATE AND LAND USE/LAND COVER CHANGE ON LIVESTOCK FEED AVAILABILITY, TRENDS AND CAMEL MILK PRODUCTION IN EAST GUJI ZONE, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

This study was aimed to analyse the impacts of climate and land use/land cover change on livestock feed availability, quality, milk yield and physicochemical composition. The study used a mixed research approach whereby quantitative and qualitative data were gathered from multiple sources to address the impacts of climate variability on livestock production and livelihood of pastoral agro-pastoral communities of Gujji zone. Data on the perception of local communities were collected from 198 randomly selected households using a semi-structured questionnaire. Climate data were obtained from the national meteorological agency to assess climatic water balance. The land use/land cover data were generated from Landsat images of 1986, 1995, 2010 and 2018. Moreover, samples of edible portions from 16 browse plant species were collected during the dry and wet seasons and their chemical compositions were analyzed. Furthermore, twenty lactating camels with 2-3 months postpartum and 3-4 parities were selected for evaluations of milk yield and the physicochemical properties, and body temperature measurements. The result of this finding showed that majority of the respondents perceived decreasing trends of rainfall and feed availability. Similarly, the trend analysis of rainfall showed declining trends of annual (-4.7 mm), autumn (-4.5 mm) and winter (-0.54 mm) rainfall. There was significant difference (p< 0.001) in death of cattle and small ruminants than camel per household during the disastrous drought occurrence of 2008/9 and 2015/16. Nonetheless, the result indicated a significant difference (p< 0.01) in the amount of milk yield (3.32 litre/day) of dairy camel during dry periods than cattle and small ruminants. This study also revealed transition of land use/cover from grassland, woody and forest vegetation cover to bush/shrub and cropland in the study area. There was a high significance difference (p<0.01) in the rangeland carrying capacity that decreased from 3.76 TLU/ha/year in 1986 to 1.74 TLU/ha/year in 2018. However, the stocking rate was increased from 1.8 TLU/ha/year in 1986 into 7.15 TLU/ha/year during 1986-2018. The crude protein (CP), in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) and relative feed value (RFV) of the evaluated browse species showed significantly higher (p< 0.01) in wet season except for Acacia asak, Ipomoea donaldsonii and Acacia mellifera. Nonetheless, the neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent fibre (ADF) contents were higher (p< 0.01) in the dry season except for Acacia asak and Ipomoea donaldsonii. Moreover, the body temperature, physicochemical properties and milk yield of dromedary camels were significantly varied (p< 0.01) with local weather conditions and seasons. Camel and goats were perceived as drought-resistant livestock species and Boranas cattle keepers are shifting to more camels and goats in response to the prevailing climate variability. The transition of available feed type from grazing to browsing has not been able to meet the growing amounts of required feed in the study area. With increasing temperature and IX | P a g e decreasing pattern of rainfall, the probability of choosing camel and goat is more likely than cattle and sheep. The result of this finding showed that chemical composition and feed quality of examined browse species were varied across seasons. Browse species that meet the prime quality standard were G. evolute, G. tembensis, A. bussei, C. erythraea, I. donaldsonii, A. mellifera, B. spinisepala and A. asak. Moreover, this study found that climate variability such as temperature and relative humidity had more likely influence diurnal body temperature, physicochemical properties and milk yield of dromedary camels. At richest level on vital components (CP and fibres) of evaluated feed resources, these species can serve as well ruminant diets, like for camel. The result of the current finding revealed that the dromedaries are producing the better quality and nutritious milk for human consumption during wet and cold weather condition due to nutritional status of the dromedaries during the wet season, where feeds are more easily available and are richer in CP, carbohydrates, and minerals and lesser in fiber and cell-wall contents. Further investigation also needed on animal based trials at on-station (controlled environment) in order to confirm the observed free-ranging camel body temperature, milk yield and physicochemical qualities, and feed quality throughout the lactation period considering the ambient weather condition