Grazing Value And Ecological Status Of Veld

In the early days when game roamed freely on the grasslands of South Africa, there was no overgrazing as the game moved from one area to another and the different animals use the grazing differently. As it was explained earlier in this chapter, the animals use the natural vegetation at different levels and select the different parts of the plants. This creates a balance in the vegetation.

In the course of time the natural feeding areas of game was invaded by mankind. Game had to make way for increasing farm activities such as cattle, sheep and goats, which fortunately, also preferred different parts of the vegetation - Cattle preferred long grass while sheep preferred short grass.

With the fencing off of farms, the movement of animals are restricted, allowing (force?) over grazing of a specific camp or area if they are not moved in time. The selection of animals can be used as indicator for veld management. The aim of this section is to result in an understanding of the value of natural veld and vegetation. There must be a balance between the natural veld and the number of animals kept on the specific area.