Evaluation of the livestock carrying capacity of land resources in the Hills of Nepal based on total digestive nutrient analysis

Land degradation and poverty caused by traditional arable agriculture have been serious problems in the ecologically fragile and economically backward mountains of Nepal. There is a prospect to address both of these problems to some extent by promoting livestock raising. However, a large livestock population exceeding the carrying capacity of land resources will risk undermining the sustainability and productivity of these resources. On the basis of these concerns, this study analyzes the carrying capacity of land resources under on-going and improved management systems based on total digestive nutrient (TDN) demand and supply situation in the study area. Results of analyses revealed that under the current type of management system, land resources in Shyangja district could provide the required amount of TDN to 147,735 livestock standard units (LSU), whereas the total number of LSU had already reached 203,510 as of 1996/97. Provided improvements are made in forest and grazing-land management as well as in crop production and agroforestry systems in line with assumptions made, land resources in the study area will be able to accommodate additional 6408 LSU on top of existing stock by the year 2001/02 and 63,113 LSU by the year 2006/07. (C)2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.