Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
16
Environmental Enhancement
A. Peischel , PhD
KEY TERMS
Mob—a group of goats used as biological vegetation control agents.
Synergistic motion—a dynamic process including biological and environmental sequences to improve the sustainability
of lands.
Biotic component—the living entity of an ecosystem.
Abiotic component—nonliving entity of an ecosystem.
Pugging—refers to intentionally walking on vegetation.
Ecosystem—a dynamic system encompassing succession, the water cycle, energy cycle, and mineral cycle.
Ladder fuel—vegetative understory in a treed area capable of ignition creating crown fi ring.
Land EKG — vegetation monitoring tool.
OBJECTIVES
By completing this chapter, the reader will acquire knowledge on:
•
Use of goats as biological control agents for vegetation management
•
The planning of a land enhancement project
•
The synergistic motion of environmental and biological factors involved in the holistic management of lands to
maintain biodiversity
•
Using goats for fuel load reduction
•
Using goats for forest management
•
Using goats for stream bank restoration
INTRODUCTION
The goat is an extremely agile, gregarious, and opportu-
nistic creature. Management, through innovation and
creativity, can successfully use those characteristics for
the enhancement of lands. The management goal encom-
passes the use of all ecosystems, biological and environ-
mental, and success depends on fl exibility of management
plans and the ability to re-plan. To accomplish this,
biodiversity must be maintained, the physiology of plants
and soil must be understood, and man must make environ-
mentally, economically, and socially sound decisions
(Savory, 1998). Goats, under control, are being used to
enhance land productivity and encourage vegetative
biodiversity.
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