Table 7. Pre-emptive and reactive strategies to reduce crop loss across all three villages

This study presents an integrated examination of
both the ecosystem services (ES) and ecosystem disservices (EDS) associated
with smallholder animal husbandry in rural livelihoods in three villages in
southeast South Africa. It recognises the contribution of ES supporting and
resulting from smallholder livestock and poultry production, but also details
the limiting factors or EDS, such as tick-borne disease, birds of prey or
unpalatable rangeland, produced by the same system. Using a mixed-methods
approach, including focus group discussions with various Participatory Learning
and Action (PLA) activities, key informant interviews, household surveys and
land-use change mapping on GIS, we consider the relative value and benefits
from ES after the effects of EDS, as well as the management and strategies that
households adopt to minimise EDS