Socio-spatial analysis of the exploitation of pastoral resources in eastern Morocco

Studies of changes in the steppe pastoral system of the high plateaus of eastern Morocco reflect an advanced degradation of the rangelands resources. The causes are most often anthropogenic. The subject of this work is to identify the social and territorial aspects and their effects in the rangelands use in rural communities in high plateaus of eastern Morocco. The identification of socio-territorial units and the rangelands uses were drawn from local knowledge. The toponymic districts were demarcated on topographic maps before carrying out individual interviews and group workshops with breeders in the study area. The frequencies of their uses have been calculated and then compared with the level degrees of degradation of toponymic districts. The results reveal different strategies despite the community's anchoring in the collective area. The collective has been reduced over the years to a recognized space for ethnic groups. Access to pastoral resources raises disparities between the fractions on the collective rangeland’s districts. The ‘weight’ of fractions is a determining factor in access to resources and is not always correlated with the size of flocks owned. Grazing decisions are made at the individual level and take very little account of the state of resources. This motivate a mode of use which clearly contribute to the desertification of rangelands. Attendance in toponymic districts shows that almost all of the sites are regularly exploited by herders who have become sedentary. Less degraded sites are highly sought after and therefore subject to disruption and a source of conflict. The behavior of breeders shows a lack of strategy with regard to the rangeland’s changes observed in the study area and makes difficult to forecast recovery without appropriate management methods.