Effect of protection on plant community dynamics in the Mediterranean arid zone of southern Tunisia: a case study from Bou Hedma national park

cg.contacta.belgacem@cgiar.orgen_US
cg.contributor.centerInternational Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas - ICARDAen_US
cg.contributor.centerArid Regions Institute - IRAen_US
cg.contributor.crpCGIAR Research Program on Dryland Systems - DSen_US
cg.contributor.funderInternational Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas - ICARDAen_US
cg.contributor.projectCommunication and Documentation Information Services (CODIS)en_US
cg.contributor.project-lead-instituteInternational Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas - ICARDAen_US
cg.coverage.countryTNen_US
cg.coverage.regionNorthern Africaen_US
cg.creator.idOuled Belgacem, Azaiez: 0000-0002-5946-7540en_US
cg.creator.idLouhaichi, Mounir: 0000-0002-4543-7631en_US
cg.identifier.doihttps://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ldr.1103en_US
cg.isijournalISI Journalen_US
cg.issn1085-3278en_US
cg.issue1en_US
cg.journalLand Degradation and Developmenten_US
cg.subject.agrovocprotectionen_US
cg.subject.agrovoctunisiaen_US
cg.subject.agrovocarid rangelandsen_US
cg.volume24en_US
dc.contributorTarhouni, Mohameden_US
dc.contributorLouhaichi, Mouniren_US
dc.creatorOuled Belgacem, Azaiezen_US
dc.date.accessioned2017-07-23T22:19:09Z
dc.date.available2017-07-23T22:19:09Z
dc.description.abstractEcosystems protected from heavy grazing impacts, such as national parks and refuges, are generally considered to sustain higher plant species diversity and better ecosystem composition and structure compared to heavily grazed areas. To evaluate the impact of livestock grazing, we sampled vegetation characteristics from two areas having different grazing intensity levels. The first site has high protection from grazing and is located inside the Bou Hedma National Park in Southern Tunisia. The second site has a low protection from grazing and is situated within an open area located immediately outside the park boundary where human populations and their livestock have unrestricted access to ecosystem resources. Total plant cover, density, perennial species cover and their contribution were compared between the two grazing level sites. Results show that considerable positive effects occur in the areas protected from grazing. As compared to the overgrazed (open) sites. Several species known for their high palatability, such as Cenchrus ciliaris L., Salvia aegyptiaca L., Echiochilon fruticosum Desf. and Helianthemum sessiliflorum Desf., are more abundant inside the park than outside. These results are very important for managers to apply this technique as a tool for increasing the resilience of arid ecosystems, qualified very vulnerable to climate change.en_US
dc.formatPDFen_US
dc.identifierhttps://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ldr.1103en_US
dc.identifierhttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/263555829_Effect_Of_Protection_On_Plant_Community_Dynamics_In_The_Mediterranean_Arid_Zone_Of_Southern_Tunisia_A_Case_Study_From_Bou_Hedma_National_Parken_US
dc.identifierhttps://mel.cgiar.org/reporting/downloadmelspace/hash/XDZPxm6G/v/8e2a2d35f2fe944ca9b5c69bc365d1daen_US
dc.identifier.citationAzaiez Ouled Belgacem, Mohamed Tarhouni, Mounir Louhaichi. (28/2/2013). Effect of protection on plant community dynamics in the Mediterranean arid zone of southern Tunisia: a case study from Bou Hedma national park. Land Degradation and Development, 24 (1), pp. 57-62.en_US
dc.identifier.statusOpen accessen_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11766/7201
dc.languageenen_US
dc.publisherWiley: 12 monthsen_US
dc.rightsCC-BY-4.0en_US
dc.sourceLand Degradation and Development;24,(2011) Pagination 57-62en_US
dc.subjectherbaceous dynamicsen_US
dc.subjectexclosureen_US
dc.subjectnational parken_US
dc.subjectgrazing impactsen_US
dc.titleEffect of protection on plant community dynamics in the Mediterranean arid zone of southern Tunisia: a case study from Bou Hedma national parken_US
dc.typeJournal Articleen_US
dcterms.available2011-03-01en_US
dcterms.extent57-62en_US
dcterms.issued2013-02-28en_US
mel.impact-factor7.270en_US

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