A university don, Dr Samuel Ibbi, has advised cattle rearers against overgrazing in particular forests to prevent desertification.
Overgrazing occurs when plants are exposed to intensive grazing for extended periods of time, or without sufficient recovery periods.
It can be caused by either livestock in poorly managed agricultural applications, game reserves, or nature reserves.
Ibbi, a lecturer with the Department of Geography, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lapai on Saturday.
“The only thing to stop overgrazing is not to limit the animals space to roam around. Cows, goat, sheep, donkeys are the major causes of overgrazing and this lead to desertification,’’ he said.
He explained that overgrazing always reduced the biodiversity, potentiality, usefulness and productivity of land.
According to him, this can cause erosion.
Ibbi further said that an eroded soil could not yield quality crops as soil loses many of its nutrients through rill, gully, splash and sheet erosion.
He then called on the federal and state governments to take appropriate measures to curb erosion for optimum agricultural yield.
He stated that once that ia done food security will be assured. (NAN)
