Track 3-1-1: Multi‐Stakeholder Platforms for Addressing Grassland Issues and Sustainable Use of Forage and Grassland Resources
Description
In Sri Lanka, nearly 12,000 km2 of the total land area is under grass (Pemadasa, 1990). Use of grassland for livestock through traditional way goes back a number of centuries. Almost 20% of the countryside of the earth is covered by grassdominated flora, which includes numerous communities (Pemadasa, 1990).The cohesiveness of traditional societies and social groups in livestock rearing led to complete approaches that resulted in appropriate, environmentally sound sustainable technologies in sustainable grassland management. However, due to growing population and mismanagement, Sri Lankan grasslands are deteriorating. Moreover grasslands play key role in livestock production and environment stability. There is a continuing need to maintain a broad spectrum of production and conservation interests in order to ensure the effective and suitable management of the grassland resource (Premaratne et al., 2003). The local grass species have high diversity and environmental adaptability indicating their potential utilization in future improvement programs especially under changing climate. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to review status of local grassland/species with respect to climate, topography and soil types and its improvement potential.
Citation
Ratnasekera, Disna, "An Overview of Current Status and Future Prospects of Grassland Resource in Sri Lanka" (2020). IGC Proceedings (1993-2023). 2.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/23/3-1-1/2
Included in
An Overview of Current Status and Future Prospects of Grassland Resource in Sri Lanka
In Sri Lanka, nearly 12,000 km2 of the total land area is under grass (Pemadasa, 1990). Use of grassland for livestock through traditional way goes back a number of centuries. Almost 20% of the countryside of the earth is covered by grassdominated flora, which includes numerous communities (Pemadasa, 1990).The cohesiveness of traditional societies and social groups in livestock rearing led to complete approaches that resulted in appropriate, environmentally sound sustainable technologies in sustainable grassland management. However, due to growing population and mismanagement, Sri Lankan grasslands are deteriorating. Moreover grasslands play key role in livestock production and environment stability. There is a continuing need to maintain a broad spectrum of production and conservation interests in order to ensure the effective and suitable management of the grassland resource (Premaratne et al., 2003). The local grass species have high diversity and environmental adaptability indicating their potential utilization in future improvement programs especially under changing climate. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to review status of local grassland/species with respect to climate, topography and soil types and its improvement potential.
