Describes the characteristics of dairy production and processing in South Darfur and provides an analysis of the way in which pastoral families vary their diets according to seasonal food shortages and shifting terms of trade between milk and food grains.

Presents results of a 6 year study on the livestock production systems, management practices herd & flock demography in an agropastoral system in central Mali as well as reproductive performance growth rate, weights, mortality, offtake and productivity in terms of meat & milk yield of cattle & small ruminants; includes recommendations on means of improving the system and future research.

Reviews various approaches and techniques used in a number of sub-Saharan African countries to collect and analyze data on large-scale ecological changes with particular reference to remote sensing and monitoring techniques in resource inventory; suggests ways to build more effective data bases.

Discusses ways of collecting livestock data, mentioning the usefulness and techniques of low-level aerial surveys to gather information on animal numbers; and methods of recording weight changes and milk yields.

Discusses the need for data on voluntary offtake & acquisition of livestock in pastoral production systems, and considers methods through which desired data can be collected, particularly multiple-visit, and single-visit progeny history technique.

This paper looks at African livestock herds in Zimbabwe over the period 1890-1980. The focus is on the livestock system in the tribal areas where, under communal land use, there has been long-term concern with environmental deterioration Zimbabwe was chosen because it is one of the few African countries for which reasonably accurate historical data are available regarding African (common range) as opposed to Europen (closed range) herd development.

Discusses livestock water needs and the variation of water dependence in dif. circumstance, mentioning body water functions; physiological aspects of water balance; channels of gain & loss; and factors affecting water balance, particularly energy production, thermoregulation and water availability. Examines energy and water use, as well as water & livestock development in pastoral areas of Africa.