Aspects of effects of climate change on condition of grasslands in Ghana

Abstract

The grasslands or rangelands of Ghana occupy about 70% of the total land area of 238 530 km2 and are made up of internal and coastal savanna zones. The grasslands of the country carry 92.3% of the total livestock population of 1.2 m. There is visual evidence of environmental degradation such as reduced vegetation cover of large areas of the grasslands and this is mainly attributed to intensification of fixed [crop] farming, animal production and to increase in human population. There is evidence of declining rainfall and increasing temperatures in the rangelands of the country but there have been no studies yet to link climatic change with changes in vegetation cover. (CAB Abstracts)