Abstract
Two treatments were used to evaluate the effect of grazing intensity (continuously grazing and controlled grazing). The schedule is as follows: 1) Rest 3 years (2004 to 2007), 2) Graze 2 months (August and July) 2007, 3) Rest 7 months (September to March) 2007–2008. The grazing impact at the area of 2000 ha was by 1700 sheep and goats during two months, followed by second rest (7 months) maintain resilient rangelands and ensure a sustainable flow of rangelands goods and services to livestock. The control was at grazing system, allows animals unrestricted and uninterrupted access to a grazing unit for all or most of the grazing season. Novelty of this studies is in the new data, which demonstrates that the rest periods allow plants to recover before they are grazed again, and if controlled grazing can avoid overgrazing effects.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ayyad, M.A. and El-Kadi, H.F., Effect of protection and controlled grazing on the vegetation of a Mediterranean desert ecosystem in Northern Egypt, Vegetatio, 1982, no. 49, pp. 129–139.
Blanco, L.J., Aguilera, M.O., Parueloc, J.M., and Biurrun, F.N., Grazing effect on NDVI across an aridity gradient in Argentina, J. Arid Environ., 2008, no. 72, pp. 764–776.
Boyd, C.S. and Svejcar, T.J., Managing complex problems in rangeland ecosystems, Rangeland Ecol. Manage., 2009, no. 62(6), pp. 491–499.
Cingolani, A.M., Noy-Meir, I., and Díaz, S., Grazing effects on rangeland diversity: a synthesis of contemporary models, Ecol. Appl., 2005, no. 15, pp. 757–773.
Clewell, A.F. and Aronson, J., Motivations for the restoration of ecosystems, Conserv. Biol., 2006, no. 20, pp. 420–428.
Daget, P. and Poissonet, J., Une méthode d’analyse phytoécologique des prairies, critères d’application, Ann. Agron., 1971, no. 22, pp. 5–41.
Floret, Ch., Méthodes de mesure de la végétation pastorale. Pastoralisme et Développement, CIHEAM — Montpellier Cedex. 1988.
Floret, Ch. and Pontanier, R., Relations climat-sol-vegétation dans quelques formations végétales spontanés du Sud Tunisien, Paris: CNRS/CEPE Montpellier, ORSTOM, 1978.
Floret, Ch. and Pontanier, R., L’aridité en Tunisie présaharienne: Climat, Sol, Végétation, Trav. de l’Orstom, 1982, no. 150.
Gallacher, D.J. and Hill, J.P., Effects of camel grazing on density and species diversity of seedling emergence in the Dubai (UAE) inland desert, J. Arid Environ., 2008, no. 72, pp. 853–860.
Gamoun, M., Hanchi, B., and Neffati, M., Dynamic of plant communities in Saharan rangelands of Tunisia, Arid Ecosyst., 2012, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 105–110.
Gamoun, M., Tarhouni, M., Ouled Belgacem, A., Hanchi, B., and Neffati, M., Response of different arid rangelands to protection and drought, Arid Land Res. Manage., 2011, no. 25, pp. 372–378.
Gillson, L. and Hoffman, M.T., Rangeland ecology in a changing world, Science, 2007, no. 315, pp. 53–54.
Havstad, K.M. and Herrick, J.E., Long-term ecological monitoring, Arid Land Res. Manage., 2003, no. 17, pp. 389–400.
Hickman, K.R., Hartnett, D.C. Cochran, R.C., and Owensby, C.E., Grazing management effects on plant species diversity in tallgrass prairie, Rangeland Ecol. Manage., 2004, no. 57(1), pp. 58–65.
Jauffret, S., Validation et comparaison de divers indicateurs des changements à long terme dans les écosystèmes Méditerranéens arides, Thèse Doctorat, Marseille: Univ de Droit, d’écon. Sci., 2001.
Jauffret, S. and Lavorel, S., Are plant functional types relevant to describe degradation in arid, southern Tunisian steppes, J. Veg. Sci., 2003, no. 14, pp. 399–408.
Jawasreh, K., Alqaisi, O., Alsatary, Y., and Al-Nsoor, A., Grazing behavior of Awassi sheep and the biodiversity of plant species under semi-arid reserved conditions, Arid Ecosyst., 2012, vol. 2, no. 4(2), pp. 245–252.
Laca, E.A., New approaches and tools for grazing management, Rangeland Ecol. Manage., 2009, no. 62(5), pp. 407–417.
Le Floc’h, E., Biodiversité et gestion pastorale en zones arides et semi-arides m;editerranéennes du Nord de l’Afrique, Bocconea, 2001, no. 13, pp. 223–237.
Le Houérou, H.N., Restoration and rehabilitation of arid and semiarid Mediterranean ecosystems in north Africa and west Asia, Arid Soil Res. Rehabil., 2000, no. 14, pp. 3–14.
Le Houérou, H.N., Haywood, M., and Claudin, J., Etude Phytoécologique du Hodna, AGS: DP/ALG/66/509, Rome: FAO, 1974.
Liu, H., Han, X., Li, L., Huang, J., Liu, H., and Li, X., Grazing density effects on cover, species composition, and nitrogen fixation of biological soil crust in an inner Mongolia steppe, Rangeland Ecol. Manage., 2009, no. 62(4), pp. 321–327.
Milchunas, D.G. and Lauenroth, W.K., Quantitative effects of grazing on vegetation and soils over a global range of environments, Ecol. Monogr., 1993, no. 63, pp. 327–366.
Ngugi, M.K. and Conant, R.T., Ecological and social characterization of key resource areas in Kenyan rangelands, J. Arid Environ., 2008, no. 72, pp. 820–835.
Ni, J., Plant functional types and climate along a precipitation gradient in temperate grasslands, north-east China and south-east Mongolia, J. Arid Environ., 2003, no. 53, pp. 501–516.
Noy-Meir, I. and Walker, B.H., Stability and resilience in rangelands, in A Resource under Siege, Joss, P.J., Lynch, P.W., and Williams, O.B., Eds., Canberra: Rangelands Aus. Acad. Sci., 1986, pp. 21–25.
Patton, B.D., Dong, X., Nyren, P.E., and Nyren, A., Effects of grazing intensity, precipitation, and temperature on forage production, Rangeland Ecol. Manage., 2007, no. 60(6), pp. 656–665.
Röder, A., Kuemmerle, T., Hill, J. Papanastasis, V.P., and Tsiourlis, G.M., Adaptation of a grazing gradient concept to heterogeneous Mediterranean rangelands using cost surface modeling, Ecol. Model., 2007, no. 204, pp. 387–398.
Rodriguez-Rodriguez, A.R., Mora, J.L., Arbelo, C., and Bordon, J., Plant succession and soil degradation in desertified areas (Fuerteventura, Canary Islands, Spain), Catena, 2005, no. 59, pp. 117–131.
Sheuyange, A., Oba, G., and Weladji, R.B., Effects of anthropogenic fire history on savannah vegetation in Northeastern Namibia, J. Environ. Manage., 2005, no. 75, pp. 189–198.
SPSS, Systat, ver. 11.5, Chicago, IL, 2002.
Tarhouni, M., Ouled Belgacem, A., Neffati, M., and Henchi, B., Qualification of rangeland degradation using plant life history strategies around watering points in southern Tunisia, Pak. J. Biol. Sci., 2007, no. 10 (8), pp. 1229–1235.
Vavra, M., Parks, C.G., and Wisdom, M.J., Biodiversity, exotic plant species, and herbivore: the good, the bad, and the ungulate, For. Ecol. Manage., 2007, no. 246, pp. 66–72.
Villagra, P.E., Defossé, G.E., Del, Valle, H.F., Tabeni, S., Rostagno, M., Cesca, E., and Abraham, E., Land use and disturbance effects on the dynamics of natural ecosystems of the Monte age: implications for their management, J. Arid Environ., 2009, no. 73, pp. 202–211.
Waechter, P., Etude des relations entre les animaux domestiques et la végétation dans les steppes du Sud de la Tunisie. Implications pastorales, Thèse Doctorat, Montpellier: Ing. Univ. Sci. Techn. Languedoc, 1982.
Westbrooke, M.E., Florentine, S.K., and Milberg, P., Arid land vegetation dynamics after a rare flooding event: influence of fire and grazing, J. Arid Environ., 2005, no. 61(2), pp. 249–260.
WRI, World Resources 1992/1993, World Resource Institute, Oxford Univ. Press, 1992.
Zhao, W.Y., Li, J.L., and Qi, J.G., Changes in vegetation diversity and structure in response to heavy grazing pressure in the northern Tangshan Mountains, China, J. Arid Environ., 2007, no. 68, pp. 465–479.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
The article is published in the original.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gamoun, M., Hanchi, B. Natural vegetation cover dynamic under grazing-rotation managements in desert rangelands of Tunisia. Arid Ecosyst 4, 277–284 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1134/S2079096114040076
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S2079096114040076