Ecological monitoring and adaptation of livestock systems after rehabilitation of degraded rangelands in Algerian steppe

The Algerian steppe covers 20 million ha. It is a bulwark between the desert and the coast of Mediterranean. The livestock of the area is about 20 million head sheep. This ecosystem has undergone many disturbances: desertification, overexploitation of rangelands, fragile soils, degradation of the vegetation, the use of rangelands for growing crops, and weather extreme situations are more frequent. Considering these constraints, the breeders try renewal and increase their livestock and for produce also some crops. The breeders try strategies to adapt to change and uncertain disturbances, like climate, resources, and public policies with their operations. For example, some authorities are trying to provide solutions for a population living almost entirely from the livestock. Some restorative solutions in degraded rangelands have been tested with the breeders. These experiments of rangeland have been followed (studies ecology) for six years (floristic annual change and weight). The rest of the study focuses on the adaptations of livestock systems in a changing agrarian sector. We specify that this holistic study (underway) related to the dynamics of the livestock systems is divided into two parts: the first treats the dynamics of vegetation in relation with rehabilitation of rangelands, so that the monitoring was performed by choosing 14 experimental plots with permanent transect lines in order to determine annual floristic evolution and biomass productivity in selected plots ; The second part aims to give an overview of the obvious adaptations of livestock systems Considering all constraints of steppic livestock systems. The aim of this poster is to present some results related to environmental monitoring with an approach holistic and systemic for provide knowledges relating to the current complex phenomena of mutations of livestock systems in Algerian steppe.