Tropicultura (Jan 2010)
Désertification des parcours arides au Maroc
Abstract
Desertification of Arid Rangelands in Morocco. Rangeland or natural arid pastures of Morocco are ecosystems where there is a natural or seminatural vegetation composed of steppes, shrubs and grassland. They cover about 82% of the Moroccan arid lands. These areas represent livelihoods for thousands of people and protect the country from desertification. Despite the importance of the rangelands and the threat of desertification, it is surprising that up to date there is no comprehensive assessment of their condition and their evolution, hindering any plan for desertification alleviation. However, the available information on selected pilot areas shows that these rangelands are threatened by desertification. It's associated with biodiversity loss and contributes to climate change. The leading causes of land degradation are the human actions combined with climate. The establishment of a comprehensive surveillance system based on remote sensing, biophysics and socio-economic data must be envisaged to provide policymakers with an operational tool adapted to the spatio-temporal monitoring of desertification.
