Grasslands of the World.pdf - Disasters and Conflicts - UNEP

Other grasslands 419
M. orbicularis , M. polymorpha (the commonest, with many highly productive
forms), M. rugosa , M. scutellata , M. truncatula , Melilotus spp. , Scorpiurus spp.
and Trifolium spp.
Sown pasture is uncommon in the region, but many valuable pasture plants
native to North Africa have been widely used elsewhere. They include Dactylis
glomerata , Festuca arundinacea , Lolium multiflorum , L. rigidum , L. perenne ,
Phalaris aquatica , Hedysarum coronarium , Medicago sativa and Trifolium
fragiferum (see Plate 11.1).
Fodder is grown in specialized dairy enterprises in the farming areas; oats are
a common winter fodder, as is maize in summer . Oat hay is produced by large
cereal farms , mainly for sale, and demand often exceeds supply and prices are
high, making it an expensive feed per unit of energy. Oat and hay production in
the region are described by Chaouki et al. (2004).
Traditional sheep rearing was based on transhumance , with variants according
to local conditions; frequently it involved moving to agricultural lands
to graze stubbles and straw in summer , and to the desert fringe in winter .
Recently, transhumance has been greatly reduced: much of the steppe has been
cleared for rainfed cereal growing of doubtful sustainability , even down to the
300 mm isohyet in some cases; this clearing was officially encouraged and those
who “developed” the steppe by clearing gained title to their holding. Many
of the rural population are now agropastoralists, with a little cropland and
small flocks. The human population of the steppe has exploded: in Algeria the
steppe population was 925 700 in 1954; in 2003 it was about 4 000 000; during
the same period, the number of nomads only rose from 595 240 to 625 000.
Nomadism in Algeria is now sporadic and most only make short movements,
the feed shortage being met by crop residues , stubble grazing and purchased
grain; only owners of large flocks continue long migration, and they are
equipped with transport.
Tunisia shows a similar pattern of disappearing transhumance . Increasing
settlement of nomads, increase in sheep numbers in marginal zones , expansion
of cultivation and reduction of fallow have greatly increased pressure on
available land and reduced soil fertility. Grazing land is becoming scarcer and
meagre as more and more land is put under crops . Sheep and goats traditionally
grazed on hillsides and steppes in winter in the centre, and stubble in summer
in the north during transhumance. This continues, but is much reduced.
Increased purchasing power has raised the demand for livestock products so
farmers are changing to intensive sheep rearing with feed supplements, based
on imported cereals.
West Africa
West Africa has great grazing areas, between the humid forest in the south and the
desert in the north. Rainfall decreases from south to north so the vegetation belts
run east-west. In the extreme north the Saharan zone is hyper-arid with skeletal