The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of
enclosure as a technique for the restoration of degraded rangelands on plant
community structure in El-Bayadh (North West Algerian steppe). Protection of
degraded rangelands is widely considered to be the most effective and practical
way to conserve plant diversity and maintain ecosystem composition and
structure. The ecology of restoration and rehabilitation is part of the
possible actions more to limit the extansion of the degradation of this
ecosystem and erase or mitigate the consequences but, it is necessary to know
the performance of the steppe ecosystem. The quadrat point method was used. A
total of 10 surveys were carried out in each stations, several indicators of
ecosystem attributes such as diversity, richness, total plant cover, perennial
plant cover, annual plant cover, soil surface elements cover and pastoral value
were compared between enclosure and grazed areas. The findings revealed
considerable positive effects of protection on the scored parameters (Increase
in floristic richness and diversity, increased in plant cover and litter,
decrease in stones elements and wind veil, increase in pastoral value).
However, the result semphasized a negative effect of enclosure on vegetation
dynamics. For the soil surface elements, the enclosure (protection) decreases
the cover stones and wind veil due to the cessation of the degradation of the
bedrock by wind erosion and a good fixation of the sand by the vegetation, also
the fencing has allowed the increase of the litter cover which is vital for the
environment, because when it is not consumed, litter favors infiltration and
germination of seeds and its presence can provide "islands" of
fertility where sediment and nutrients are trapped contributing to increased
floristic richness and diversity in these environments. This was observed by
the occurrence of the bare silty crust on the soil surface which may constitute
an obstacle to water infiltration and seeds germination, for this we suggest
that this parameter be retained for the opening of these aminaged rangelands
(enclosure) for grazing.
Author(s) Details:
Salemkour Nora,
Centre of Scientific and Technical Research in the Arid Areas (CRSTRA), Biskra, Algeria.
Chaib Warda,
Centre of Scientific and Technical Research in the Arid Areas (CRSTRA), Biskra, Algeria.
Bettiche Farida,
Centre of Scientific and Technical Research in the Arid Areas (CRSTRA), Biskra, Algeria.
Fadlaoui Haroun,
Centre of Scientific and Technical Research in the Arid Areas (CRSTRA), Biskra, Algeria.
Please see the link here: https://stm.bookpi.org/EIEGES-V8/article/view/13614
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