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Botanical Composition and Species Diversity of Arid and Desert Rangelands in Tataouine, Tunisia

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  • Mouldi Gamoun

    (International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), 2049 Ariana, Tunisia)

  • Mounir Louhaichi

    (International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), 2049 Ariana, Tunisia)

Abstract

Natural rangelands occupy about 5.5 million hectares of Tunisia’s landmass, and 38% of this area is in Tataouine governorate. Although efforts towards natural restoration are increasing rapidly as a result of restoration projects, the area of degraded rangelands has continued to expand and the severity of desertification has continued to intensify. Any damage caused by disturbances, such as grazing and recurrent drought, may be masked by a return of favorable rainfall conditions. In this work, conducted during March 2018, we surveyed the botanical composition and species diversity of natural rangelands in Tataouine in southern Tunisia. The flora comprised about 279 species belonging to 58 families, with 54% annuals and 46% perennials. The Asteraceae family had the greatest richness of species, followed by Poaceae, Fabaceae, Amaranthaceae, Brassicaceae, Boraginaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Lamiaceae, Apiaceae, and Cistaceae. Therophytes made the highest contribution, followed by chamaephytes and hemicryptophytes. Of all these species, 40% were palatable to highly palatable and more than 13% are used in both traditional and modern medicine.

Suggested Citation

  • Mouldi Gamoun & Mounir Louhaichi, 2021. "Botanical Composition and Species Diversity of Arid and Desert Rangelands in Tataouine, Tunisia," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-12, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:10:y:2021:i:3:p:313-:d:520236
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. S. Jauffret & Marjolein Visser, 2003. "Assigning plant life histories to better qualify arid land degradation in Presaharian Tunisia," ULB Institutional Repository 2013/115032, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    2. Azaiez Ouled Belgacem & Mounir Louhaichi, 2013. "The vulnerability of native rangeland plant species to global climate change in the West Asia and North African regions," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 119(2), pages 451-463, July.
    3. Yongfei Bai & Xingguo Han & Jianguo Wu & Zuozhong Chen & Linghao Li, 2004. "Ecosystem stability and compensatory effects in the Inner Mongolia grassland," Nature, Nature, vol. 431(7005), pages 181-184, September.
    4. Mathias, Andrea & Chesson, Peter, 2013. "Coexistence and evolutionary dynamics mediated by seasonal environmental variation in annual plant communities," Theoretical Population Biology, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 56-71.
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    1. Youssef Chebli & Mouad Chentouf & Jean-François Cabaraux & Samira El Otmani, 2023. "Floristic Composition, Diversity, Palatability, and Forage Availability of Forest Rangelands in the Southern Mediterranean Region of Northern Morocco," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-18, January.
    2. Fathi Abdellatif Belhouadjeb & Abdallah Boumakhleb & Abdelhalim Toaiba & Abdelghafour Doghbage & Benbader Habib & Hassen Boukerker & Enrique Murgueitio & Walid Soufan & Mohamad Isam Almadani & Belkace, 2022. "The Forage Plantation Program between Desertification Mitigation and Livestock Feeding: An Economic Analysis," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-16, June.
    3. Mounir Louhaichi & Mouldi Gamoun & Farah Ben Salem & Azaiez Ouled Belgacem, 2021. "Rangeland Biodiversity and Climate Variability: Supporting the Need for Flexible Grazing Management," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-16, June.

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