Grazing exclosure and plantation: a synchronic study of two restoration techniques improving plant community and soil properties in arid degraded steppes (Algeria)

Abstract

Steppes of arid Mediterranean zones are deeply threatened by desertification. To stop or alleviate ecological and economic problems associated with this desertification, management actions have been implemented since the last three decades. The struggle against desertification has become a national priority in some of these countries. In Algeria, several management techniques have been used to cope with desertification. This study aims to investigate the effect of two management techniques on vegetation, soil properties and pastoral value after four years of implementation. The two techniques were grazing exclosure which was widely set up in degraded steppes and plantations (consisting in plantation and grazing exclosure) in deeply degraded ones. 49 phytoecological and soil samples have been studied. Results showed that plant diversity, composition, vegetation cover and pastoral value were significantly higher in protected areas. Management techniques also affected soil surface elements (percentage of sand, coarse soil elements, bare silty crust, and bare ground), organic matter and soil nitrogen content. We also demonstrated that important differences between both techniques remain : plantation technique on heavily degraded soil results in a higher pastoral value of plant communities whereas grazing exclosure technique on lesser degraded soil favours plant diversity.

Short-term land degradation driven by livestock grazing does not affect soil properties in semiarid steppe rangelands

“…But, they also found that long-term grazing exclusion had a negative effect on the diversity and abundance of soil bacteria. The comparison of soil physicochemical parameters and the floristic richness between grazed and short-term grazing exclusion in arid degraded steppes showed significant variations in coarse elements, sand, and biodiversity (Amghar et al, 2012;Kouba et al, 2021). But, there was no variation in soil chemical characteristics.…”

“…However, the situation of the soils of North African steppe ecosystems, and in particular those of Algeria, is poorly understood and very little studied in the context of different temporal scales of land degradation due to grazing pressures inducing plant cover changes, which are constantly increasing in order to meet growing socioeconomic needs. In North Africa, studies that have investigated the fate of soil properties in degraded steppes are very rare (Aidoud et al, 1999;Jeddi and Chaieb, 2010;Amghar et al, 2012;Neffar et al, 2013;Hasnaoui and Bouazza, 2015;Neffar et al, 2022). The scientific questions addressed in this study are as follows: 1) does the degradation of steppe vegetation induce degradation or significant change in soil characteristics?…”

Restoration techniques for degraded steppe courses: diachronic study in the Laghouat region (southern Algeria)

“…Here, it is well recognized that anthropogenic practices such as overgrazing is counted as one of the major problems that the steppe courses are exposed to. Overgrazing might allow a regeneration of the vegetation but with a low pastoral value in comparison with another technique of restoration like the pastoral plantations (Amghar et al, 2012). In fact, the increase of the population and their livestock numbers was followed further by a sedentarization that had a high pressure in the rangelands, con rmed Martínez-Valderrama et al, (2017).…”

Effects of Wind Erosion Control Measures on Vegetation Dynamics and Soil-Surface Materials through Field Observations and Vegetation Indices in Arid Areas, Southeastern Tunisia

“…In spring 2022, outside the HDM site, this difference can be attributed to the abundance of Thymelaea mycrophylla Coss. & Durieu, with a density of 4.2 plants per square meter, explained by the species' ability to withstand harsh conditions and their low quality and palatability index [31]. Additionally, Helianthemum kahiricum is the most abundant and dominant species within the HZM site (fully enclosed), accounting for over 80% of the total density.…”