Characterizing Biomass Yield and Nutritional Value of Selected Indigenous Range Species from Arid Tunisia

Louhaichi, Mounir; Gamoun, Mouldi; Hassan, Sawsan; Abdallah, Mohamed A. B.

doi:10.3390/plants10102031

Cited by 13 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 63 publications

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“…Figure 5 Figure 6 demonstrates the outputs of the image classification, which show variations in land cover types and saline lakes over the seasons between 2017 and 2023 in the region of Gulf of Gabès (Sebkhet en Noual). The land cover types were identified on the images using information modified from the existing classification scheme on land cover types in Tunisia [99] and data from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) [100]. The existing land cover types for the country-level scale were adopted according to the extent of the images covering the study area and included the following types: (1) forest; (2) grasslands and rangelands; (3) sand and desert; (4) cultivated agriculture plantations and arable lands (olive tree, orchards, vine, palm groves); (5) urban areas and artificial land; (6) wasteland; (7) wetlands and water; (8) bare land and soil; (9) mixed vegetation; and (10) saline soil.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Monitoring Seasonal Fluctuations in Saline Lakes of Tunisia Using Earth Observation Data Processed by GRASS GIS

Lemenkova

2023

Land

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This study documents the changes in the Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) in the region of saline lakes in north Tunisia, Sahara Desert. Remote sensing data are a valuable data source in monitoring LULC in lacustrine landscapes, because variations in the extent of lakes are visible from space and can be detected on the images. In this study, changes in LULC of the salt pans of Tunisia were evaluated using a series of 12 Landsat 8-9 Operational Land Imager (OLI) and Thermal Infrared (TIRS) images. The images were processed with the Geographic Resources Analysis Support System (GRASS) Geographic Information System (GIS) software. The study area included four salt lakes of north Tunisia in the two regions of the Gulf of Hammamet and Gulf of Gabès: (1) Sebkhet de Sidi el Hani (Sousse Governorate), (2) Sebkha de Moknine (Mahdia Governorate), (3) Sebkhet El Rharra and (4) Sebkhet en Noual (Sfax). A quantitative estimate of the areal extent analysed in this study is 182 km × 185 km for each Landsat scene in two study areas: Gulf of Hammamet and Gulf of Gabès. The images were analysed for the period 2017–2023 on months February, April and July for each year. Spatio-temporal changes in LULC and their climate–environmental driving forces were analysed. The results were interpreted and the highest changes were detected by accuracy assessment, computing the class separability matrices, evaluating the means and standard deviation for each band and plotting the reject probability maps. Multi-temporal changes in LULC classes are reported for each image. The results demonstrated that changes in salt lakes were determined for winter/spring/summer months as detected changes in water/land/salt/sand/vegetation areas. The accuracy of the classified images was evaluated using pixel rejection probability values, which were filtered out using the ‘r.mapcalc’ module of GRASS GIS. The confidence levels were computed and visualised with a series of maps along with the error matrix and measured convergence level of classified pixels. This paper contributes to the environmental monitoring of Tunisian landscapes and analysis of climate effects on LULC in landscapes of north Africa.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Monitoring Seasonal Fluctuations in Saline Lakes of Tunisia Using Earth Observation Data Processed by GRASS GIS

Lemenkova

2023

Land

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“…These species, especially the grasses, are relatively abundant throughout the year in the study area. It is also possible to explain this choice by the chemical composition and nutritional value of these plants, as indicated by their mineral concentrations, crude protein, metabolizable energy and digestible fibre contents (Buxton and Redfearn 1997; Terré et al 2013; Gamoun 2014; Louhaichi et al 2021). This is particularly important during the dry season, when animals have to cope with periods of food scarcity, due to severe droughts that influence the plant's nutritional value and limit the growth of annual species (Schut et al 2010; Tarhouni et al 2017).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Habitat selection and foraging preference of the endangered addax (Addax nasomaculatus) in a fenced wildlife reserve within its historic range: insights for supporting effective reintroduction

et al. 2022

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Reintroduction of species should be based on ecological knowledge, which is fundamental to enhancing the probability of success, but also in predicting the response to future changing landscapes. The addax (Addax nasomaculatus), an endangered antelope whose ecology is mostly unknown, was released in a fenced area of the Jbil National Park, Tunisia. Considering the extreme desert conditions of the area, seasonal changes should affect both habitat and diet selection. Addax occurrence, habitat selection and diet were assessed using an integrative approach, and analysed with multivariate statistics. During the wet season, preferred and avoided plant species abundance were highly correlated with addax occurrence; while in the dry season, preferred plant species abundance were positively correlated with addax presence. Micro-histological analysis of faecal samples indicated differences in diet between seasons. The integrative approach proposed represents a useful contribution for decision-making in the scope of reintroduction programmes and habitat restoration measures, by facilitating the assessment of habitat suitability for endangered antelopes in arid environments.

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“…As forage plants mature, indicators of low quality or feed value such as fiber and lignin increase (George et al, 2001). The digestibility of annual plants declines with progression through flowering to seed-set and senescence (Kemp and Michalk, 1993), although Louhaichi et al (2021b) found that the indigenous Tunisian range species contain high nutritional value due to moderate to high protein, low fiber, and high digestibility content and can be used as feed for livestock to enhance local livestock production and contribute to economic development.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Benefits of Short-Duration, High-Stocking Rate Opportunistic Grazing on Arid Rangelands During Favorable Conditions

Louhaichi

Gamoun²,

Gouhis

2021

Front. Ecol. Evol.

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The aim of this study was to assess the impact of short grazing periods with high-stocking density on vegetation during weather conditions favorable to plant growth. Continuous grazing is widely practiced in Tunisian arid rangelands and across most drylands and deserts of the Middle East and North Africa. In the early 1990s, the Tunisian government combined a variety of incentives and restrictions on rangeland grazing practices and initiated a national strategy for rangeland improvement. The strategy emphasizes grazing exclusion for three consecutive years, a practice known locally as gdel. At the end of this period, grazing is allowed with no restrictions or with some guidelines. However, these regulations created discontent among pastoral communities, mainly when local rainfall conditions result in a considerable quantity of green biomass. High stocking-density grazing for a short period would help satisfy pastoralist concerns and achieve the government’s strategic goal. This study was implemented in three arid rangeland types of southern Tunisia that have been under restricted grazing for 2 years. Each area in the study was grazed for short periods in late May (about 7 days) with a flock of 150 head of sheep. Measurements of vegetation cover, forage productivity, density, and species richness were taken before and after grazing. Our results suggest that perennial vegetation is more stable under grazing than annual vegetation. The presence of annual species would enhance rangeland vegetation cover and diversity and at the same time offers an opportunity for livestock to select a high-quality diet rich in protein. Opportunistic grazing, applied to heterogeneous rangelands in late spring and the beginning of the annual temperature increase, encouraged animals to select annual plants due to their higher palatability, higher digestibility, and water content rather than heavily grazing perennial species. Perennial biomass materials that die and do not fall through rapid biological decay tended to decline with increased period of placement, resulting in further oxidation to CO2 which affects photosynthetic performance negatively and may eventually cause plant death. Trampling from high-density stocking enhances the litterfall rates and removes the oxidized plant material. These findings may contribute to strategies for addressing the extreme climatic variations that threaten rangeland and livestock sustainability.

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Characterizing Biomass Yield and Nutritional Value of Selected Indigenous Range Species from Arid Tunisia

Cited by 13 publications

References 63 publications

Monitoring Seasonal Fluctuations in Saline Lakes of Tunisia Using Earth Observation Data Processed by GRASS GIS

Monitoring Seasonal Fluctuations in Saline Lakes of Tunisia Using Earth Observation Data Processed by GRASS GIS

Habitat selection and foraging preference of the endangered addax (Addax nasomaculatus) in a fenced wildlife reserve within its historic range: insights for supporting effective reintroduction

Benefits of Short-Duration, High-Stocking Rate Opportunistic Grazing on Arid Rangelands During Favorable Conditions

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