TheImprovement ofTropical and Subtropical Rangelands

68 IMPROVEMENT OF TROPICAL AND SUBTROPICAL RANGELANDS
projects use genetically superior seed, hybridization, fertilizers, or
pesticides for control of weeds, insects, or disease. Increased production
may result in marketing of the larger amount of products for the
benefit of society or may allow greater consumption for the family or
the social unit directly involved in the project.
When a resource development project involves forage production
and livestock, then increases in forage production can be followed by
increases in the number of livestock on the land and a greater yield
of consumable or marketable livestock and products. This would
produce one kind of effect on flow of returns, as the requirement for
increased animals requires a savings (or investment) in addition to
the resource development costs. It is also important to recognize
that benefits in livestock production may be reflected in increased
production of calves, lambs, kids, or young camels without larger
numbers of the basic breeding herd.
Overstocking of rangeland is detrimental to livestock production.
Increased production of livestock, therefore, can only be considered
in light of long-term efforts to improve the range resource. Increased
forage supply used only to ameliorate overutilization of rangelands
can result in improvement in percentage of calf or lamb crops, in increased
gains of growing animals, and probably in reduced mortality
of both breeding stock and growing animals. Special use pastures
or pastures to fill particular seasonal needs may produce these effects
also. Benefits of these types may well be associated with very
high returns on resource development costs. Output may also be
increased by a simple increase in forage production and expansion of
livestock output. Increased forage also makes it possible to increase
the number of breeding herd animalsj even if they are producing at
the same level as without the project, output will increase.
RESOURCE EVALUATION
Evaluating the quality and adequacy of various resources for
possible alternative uses is the first step in project planning. The
climate and characteristics of land and soils, water supply (whether
for irrigation, livestock, or domestic use), and incidence of weedy
types of vegetation, insect pests, and plant or animal diseases should
all be considered. The objectives of the evaluation process are to
determine the forage and livestock enterprises that may be feasible
and whether some alternatives can be ruled infeasible without further