This cow looks out of place high up in the Haghier mountains, but hunger drives it higher and higher until there is nowhere to go. Without the cattle and goats, the naked ground would have been full of perennials and grasses. Now that the soil is not protected it will erode and seeds will have a hard time germinating, and only the hardiest species of grasses will hold on.
What would Socotra look like without the cattle and goats? Over the years several initiatives have fenced off important areas to evaluate the state of the vegetation inside. All of them have shown a dramatic difference, with a dense vegetation and erosion resistant habitat inside the exclosure, opposed to the arid and poor soil and scarce vegetation outside. Time and time again these fences have been torn down, either due to the end of the study or when harsh conditions have driven the Socotris out of desperation. With unchecked numbers of livestock, the pressures of the endemic species is beyond sustainable.
Fortunately there are scientists and friends of Socotra worldwide working on protecting the flora and fauna, and now we understand that such fences or any kind of protection will not last unless the local communities are on board with them, and see the benefit.
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Case study: Pilot exclosure on the Firmihin Plateau, Socotra Island
Last updated on 31 January 2022
