Pastoral mobility is key to managing livestock and rangeland resources in the most plant diverse desert in the world. Here, forage availability varies and Nama pastoralists in South Africa need to match this variability by moving their herds to different vegetation types in the rangeland. This results in some vegetation types being overstocked whereas others are left ungrazed by livestock. Policies on rangeland management should acknowledge this variability and not recommend fixed and similar stocking rates for all vegetation types.

The increase of trees in rangelands negatively affects grass availability for livestock and wild animals. In this study, we reduced the number of trees in the field to increase grass production. We found that tree removal does not guarantee increased grasses for livestock in all rangelands; however, it may improve tree growth. In conclusion, we have shown that regardless of the substantial investments accompanying the application of tree management in rangelands, the grass layer may not recover.

Bush control is a management tool used to restore herbaceous biomass production to increase rangelandgrazing capacity. Assessment of grass productivity traits, e.g. tiller and leaf production responses to bush control, is key to derive fine-detailed management. Bush control increased tiller, leaf and biomass production of most bunch grasses, indicating that bush control can be used as a tool to combat bush encroachment and increase forage production.

Understanding forage availability is important for the management of large, vertebrate herbivores for conservation. Between 2016 and 2019 we sampled understorey biomass in semi-arid woodlands in south-eastern Australia, where regeneration has been lacking due to grazing pressure exerted by western grey kangaroos; we found that within woodlands, forage regularly dropped to critical levels in summer and autumn, even in years of average rainfall. This information can help managers prioritise areas for herbivore management and identify areas where revegetation requires additional protection.