26 May 2021 – A new atlas published today shows that 54 per cent of the world’s land surface consists of vast tracts of land covered by grass hardy vegetation that support millions of pastoralists ranchers and large populations of wildlife--and store large amounts of carbon Yet while most climate plans focus on forests much less importance is given to rangelands leaving these massive planetary ecosystems supporting people and nature exposed to a wide variety of threats. This is among the key conclusions of the new Rangelands Atlas — a first of its kind inventory compiled by a coalition of international environmental conservation and agricultural organisations cataloguing the contemporary character of the world’s rangelands the pampas of South America and the Great Plains of North America. Their goal is to make rangelands part of policy discussions around everything from confronting climate change to reducing poverty managing threats to biodiversity and freshwater and developing sustainable food systems. we have an accurate understanding of how much of our planet’s land is covered by rangelands conservation and development efforts have focused mostly on forests – we now know that rangelands should also receive increased attention,” said Shirley Tarawali assistant director general of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) which collaborated on the Rangeland Atlas. and supporting the world’s largest rivers and wetlands A key reason they have been underappreciated is the lack of definitive data capturing their size and value The Rangelands Atlas helps to fill that void and will be regularly updated It captures key elements of the importance of rangelands grazing livestock across remote tracts of parched rangelands accounts for 11 per cent of GDP The Northern Great Plains in the United States are one of the world’s four remaining intact temperate grasslands birds and reptile species and providing home to several Native American nations But the atlas reveals that due to threats, including large-scale industrial agriculture these lands are being lost at a faster rate than the destruction of the Amazon rainforest. “This preliminary set of maps fills in key data gaps about rangelands and pastoralism for key stakeholders and decisions makers as they work toward sustainable rangelands and pastoralism The maps will also contribute to the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030) to help inform decisions around prioritizing where restoration should take place in rangeland areas" said Abdelkader Bensada UN Environment Programme’s focal point on Pastoralism 12 per cent of rangelands are designated as protected areas Much of the rest is threatened from escalating conversion The atlas shows that in the past three centuries more than 60 per cent of wildlands and woodlands have been converted – an area larger than North America - and an area approximately the size of Australia (7.45 million km2) is now used to produce crops This land-use change contributes to the climate crisis but the atlas shows rangelands will also suffer from global warming Drastic effects are predicated in an area twice the size of Europe with nature being dangerously destabilized and the ability to produce food “If we’re to have any chance of achieving climate the management and use of rangelands must be addressed at the highest levels Our hope is that rangelands will be included at upcoming UN conferences on biodiversity “Rangelands help keep carbon in the ground and offer necessary space for renewable energy like wind and solar, whilst hosting diverse ecosystems and endemic species This makes them important for the three Rio Conventions and ultimately for achieving the SDGs We must protect and restore rangelands while securing the livelihoods for millions of people including pastoralists who are the custodians of these lands government leaders will participate in annual conferences for the three Rio Conventions biodiversity (UNCBD) and desertification (UNCCD) along with the first ever UN Food Systems Summit Published ahead of the 5 June launch of the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration, the atlas can help guide governments protecting and better managing rangelands. conservation and development efforts have focused on forests overlooking other valuable ecosystems. This atlas shows us the extent of our rangelands and highlights that we must stop neglecting them if we are to address the world’s climate and nature crises whilst sustainably meeting global food demand management and restoration of the rich and varied ecosystems of rangelands is fundamental and their relevance must be reflected within global conservation agendas” said Karina Berg Global Grasslands and Savannahs Initiative Lead International Union for Conservation of Nature Global Coordinator “Rangelands include some of the earth’s most precious habitats and biodiversity and they support the livelihoods of millions of pastoralists who have a strong tradition of nature conservation This Atlas provides the long-awaited evidence that rangelands need to be greatly elevated as an investment and policy priority in order to achieve sustainable development worldwide.” The Rangelands Atlas consists of preliminary maps that are a starting point for gathering more detailed data on the exact ecosystem services and economic and social benefits that rangelands deliver to people and nature "The atlas is a valuable tool to gather data and to experiment with participatory forms of mapping together with the pastoralist communities on the ground The world's pastoralists - estimated to be over 200 million people - need to be heard supported and recognized for their role in caring and sustainably managing rangelands and therefore must be part of the solution to the critical environmental situation that we find ourselves in" said Fernando García Dory © 2025 UNEP Terms of Use Privacy Report Project Concern Report Scam Contact Us The authors are with: 1 International Development Research Centre India; 2 Office of the Opposition Critic for Agriculture 4 Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária Wallace Institute for Alternative Agriculture For comments on an earlier draft of this paper we are grateful to Henning Steinfeld Carlos Sere and other participants in the Expert Consultancy on Policies for Animal Production and Natural Resources Management des indices simples de la production et de la variabilité des prix sont présentés dans deux études de cas pour expliquer pourquoi les systèmes de gestion intensive ne sont pas répandus dans l'ouest de l'Amazonie même s'ils semblent présenter des avantages agronomiques et financiers Une étude de cas est consacrée au choix de la production dans un récent projet de colonisation L'autre étude concerne la municipalité d'Ouro Preto à Rondônia une colonie agraire bien implantée où la production laitière est le système dominant qui permet d'imaginer comment sera Pedro Peixoto dans 15 à 20 ans Cette dernière étude de cas est axée sur l'avantage financier qu'il y a à adopter un ensemble de technologies améliorées pour l'élevage bovin compte tenu des risques liés aux prix et à la production Un risque élevé lié aux prix s'oppose à une intensification et à une spécialisation plus poussées dans la région de Pedro Peixoto; ce risque a le plus grand retentissement sur les utilisations intensives des terres qui donnent les produits agroforestiers et le moins grand sur les produits issus des pâturages - viande de boeuf et lait Cela contribue à expliquer la dominance croissante des pâturages et des bovins dans cette zone la question est de savoir s'il faut continuer à avoir recours aux pâturages extensifs et relativement peu productifs ou intensifier ce système en améliorant le pâturage et la gestion Des simulations effectuées compte tenu du risque lié à la production et aux prix ont donné le plus souvent des résultats négatifs montrant à quel point celui-ci limite l'adoption des technologies En este artículo se presentan medidas sencillas de la variabilidad de la producción y de los precios en dos estudios monográficos con el motivo de que los sistemas de ordenación intensiva no se adopten de manera generalizada en el Amazonas occidental aún cuando parezcan derivarse de ellos beneficios agronómicos y financieros Un estudio monográfico se refiere a la selección de la cesta de producción en nuevo proyecto de asentamiento en Pedro�Peixoto en el estado de Acre en el Amazonas occidental El otro corresponde al municipio de Ouro Preto asentamiento ya antiguo en el que predomina la producción lechera que constituye un punto de referencia sobre el aspecto que puede tener Pedro�Peixoto dentro de 15-20 años Este estudio monográfico se concentra en los beneficios financieros de la adopción de un conjunto de tecnologías mejoradas para el ganado vacuno con un riesgo en los precios y la producción El riesgo elevado en los precios constituye un obstáculo para aumentar la intensificación y la especialización en la región de Pedro�Peixoto con una utilización máxima de la tierra de carácter intensivo y mínima en cuanto a los productos basados en el pasto derivados del ganado vacuno para carne y leche Esto contribuye a explicar el creciente predominio del pasto y el ganado vacuno en la zona la alternativa está en continuar con un pasto extensivo y relativamente improductivo o intensificarlo pasando a sistemas mejorados de pasto y ordenación Las simulaciones con riesgo en la producción y los precios dieron resultados en su mayor parte negativos indicando la función decisiva que desempeña el riesgo en la limitación de la adopción de tecnología Simulated mean gross returns (mean ± 2 standard deviations) Pasture-based production (beef cattle and milk) The requested URL was not found on this server Posted in From the Library on September 2 2011, by Mertz Library The atlas includes an illustration of a coquelicot Also available on the photostream are detailed and thumbnail views of other illustrations in the book (Side note: also in the 1870s, in Argenteuil, France, Claude Monet painted his famous Coquelicots (Poppies), which today resides at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris.) The Biodiversity Heritage Library is a consortium of twelve natural history and botanical libraries that cooperate to digitize and make accessible the legacy literature of biodiversity held in their collections and to make that literature available for open access and responsible use as a part of a global “biodiversity commons.” The LuEsther T. Mertz Library is a BHL partner Posted in Learning Experiences, Science on October 22 2009, by Plant Talk a consortium of natural history libraries that are digitizing and making freely available the world’s literature on biodiversity the 12-member consortium holds most of the recorded knowledge of the natural world The Botanical Garden is a founding member of the BHL which began in 2006 and is expanding to include a BHL Europe and partners in China and Australia It has rapidly become an international sensation The project saves immense hours of research time for both information seekers and library staff. The Mertz Library research staff can now refer to the BHL portal to fill interlibrary loan requests or research inquires. Previously, staff would photocopy pages of books or journal articles upon request. Now, if a scientist in South Africa needs to reference The Grasses and Grasslands of South Africa (1918) for instance she can do so on her own and from her own computer 2900 Southern Boulevard Bronx, NY 10458-5126 Directions Call: 718.817.8700 Contact us Privacy Policy Press Room Jobs This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee Bucks today named Mike Budenholzer as the team’s new head coach “We are thrilled to welcome Mike Budenholzer as the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks,” said Bucks General Manager Jon Horst “Mike has played a key role in building successful teams throughout his career He’s widely respected and has shown a special ability to teach and develop players championship-level experience and communication skills make him the right fit to take our team to the next level.” it was clear that Mike was the ideal choice as we enter into a new era of Bucks Basketball,” said Bucks owners Wes Edens “Mike has demonstrated the ability to lead and communicate and understands what it takes to build a winning culture This move puts our organization in a terrific position as we work together toward our collective goal of sustained success and winning championships.” most recently served as head coach of the Atlanta Hawks where he guided the team to a 213-197 (.520) record over the last five seasons including four playoff appearances and a franchise best 60-22 record in 2014-15 He was named NBA Coach of the Year following the 2014-15 campaign that saw the Hawks reach the Eastern Conference Finals “I’m extremely grateful to the Bucks ownership group and Jon Horst to be named the next head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks,” Budenholzer said “There are terrific people throughout the organization and together we have a tremendous opportunity to take the Bucks to the next level I look forward to working with our group of young and exciting players and helping us evolve in many ways to succeed on the court The venues are also in place with an incredible new state-of-the art arena and first-class Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin Sports Science Center The tremendously supportive fans in Milwaukee and throughout Wisconsin are waiting and ready Now it’s up to us to put all the pieces together Budenholzer spent the previous 19 seasons with the San Antonio Spurs including the final 17 seasons as an assistant coach During his time with the Spurs he was part of one of the most successful eras in NBA history he helped lead San Antonio to a league-best 908-438 (.675) regular season record and four NBA Championships (1999 Budenholzer spent his first two seasons with the Spurs as a video coordinator and also served as the team’s summer league head coach on numerous occasions He served as an advance scout for Team USA for the 2004 Olympics Budenholzer is a 1993 graduate of Pomona College where he received a bachelor’s degree in politics philosophy and economics and was a four-year letterman in both basketball and golf he played professionally in Denmark for the Vejle Basketball Klub averaging a team-high 27.5 points per game during the 1993-94 season and getting his start in coaching serving as the head coach for two different teams in the Vejle system Details on an introductory press conference for Budenholzer will be announced soon the 2-time NBA Coach of the Year becomes the franchise's 3rd head coach in 3 seasons Horst's moves helped the Bucks win the championship last season for the first time since 1971 In a team meeting before Sunday's clinching win Draymond Green explains he was 'embarrassed' after losing his poise in Game 6 All eyes will be on Anthony Edwards as he and the Wolves try to slow down Stephen Curry and the Warriors in the semifinal matchup Kenny & others reveal their picks for the conference semifinals of the 2025 NBA Playoffs Sunday marked the 1st time Jrue Holiday wasn't on the injury report since missing final 3 games of first round Stay in the know on today's NBA Playoff action with the latest news scores and highlights from around the league It's an action-packed Sunday featuring a win-or-go-home matchup in Houston and Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker The humid zone of West and Central Africa Source: Derived by C de Hsan from a map prepared by A Blair Rains a Data in parentheses have been taken from ILCA (1979). Available feed resources for small ruminants in the zone ROLE OF PASTURE AND BROWSE IN SMALLHOLDER SMALL RUMINANT PRODUCTION Introduced fodder trees for small ruminant production in the humid zone * NFE = Nitrogen-free extract; ADF = Acid detergent fibre. a Values in parentheses are yield expressed as percentage of yield under conventional cropping. Animal response to supplementation with legume tree fodder POTENTIAL ROLE OF PASTURE IN INTENSIVE/COMMERCIAL SMALL RUMINANT PRODUCTION Values within a column with the same letter are significantly different P<0.05 af; P<0.01 bdegjl; b<0.001 chik * Between 8 weeks prepartum and 12 weeks postpartum + Between weaning at 12 weeks postpartum and 24 weeks. Establishment and management of sown pastures Stay updated with the latest regional grass and quality data including predictions from AFBI’s 7–10 day grass growth model Get expert recommendations to optimise pasture management and maximise productivity Make informed decisions—whether it’s adding an extra paddock for silage and assessing its impact on demand or ensuring that growth rates align with your needs Use the grass growth wedge to identify potential surpluses or deficits Access the Forage For Knowledge database and resources to manage risks effectively and enhance your decision-making process Use the interactive dashboard to view the latest regional grass growth and quality data Pasture to Profit consultant Piers Badnell will provide comments (usually every two weeks) throughout the main grass growing season This week's published growth rates are starting to kick in with the majority over 40 and plenty in the 60’s and some 70’s These growth rates reflect last week so I would expect them to have moved on again It is vital to plate meter once a week and potentially have a second look (a bit of a cheat but effective) by plating the top middle and bottom of the wedge to give you an idea of what is actually happening Change happens quickly at this time of the year It’s critical now to know where you are with such rapid growth The key now is managing average farm cover We are trying to maximise quality and quantity not just now but for the rest of the season Decisions now have ramifications for the rest of the season Temperatures are rising and day length is increasing if not all of the country has had good rain by the time cows are due to get to it on Saturday that entry cover is now 3075 (65 growth a day as an example) This is grazeable and a good residual is achievable have you or your team made some allowances for extra growth is not to be in the mindset that the paddock is for Saturday as that will maybe tend towards “chasing grass” there are probably other paddocks that could be grazed at 2800 So if you end up chasing the grass you will end up with entry covers over 3000 This sounds like basics and might be a little patronising but I see this often enough to make the point Plate twice a week and adapt the plan in the week with the second plating being the cheat method as described above Residuals being hit and quality being maintained going forward depends on correct average cover and correct residuals Dry matter of the grass – in the dry March and early April each hectare had more dry matter than the plate meter measured Accuracy of your allocation – if they required 0.6 ha for a 12-hour break did they get 0.6 or was it 0.7 ha there will be more than the cows can eat and the residual will suffer How important they are to you – good residuals now can mean 12+ME all season with minimal rejection MJ ME/ha and more milk and Kg MS/ha and less supplement This data set includes predictions from AFBI’s 7- and 14-day grass growth model Sign up to receive the latest information from AHDB © Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board 2025 | All Rights Reserved Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board