The Future of Oases in North Africa Through the Prism of a Systemic Approach: Towards Which Type of Viability and Coviability?

Fargette, Mireille; Loireau, Maud; Sghaïer, Mongi; Raouani, Najet; Libourel, Thérèse

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-78111-2_2

Cited by 6 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…Among six chemical soil properties, EC and ESP had the greatest contribution to chemical quality with weight values of 0.40, and 0.25, respectively. These results are in line with previous studies [4,12], which indicate that salinity and/or sodicity are the main chemical degradation process in the hyper-arid oases. Both EC and ESP showed wide ranges of salinity, and sodicity hazards, respectively.…”

Section: Chemical Soil Qualitysupporting

confidence: 93%

“…The analysis of wind erosion factors (CE, EF, SCF, SR, and VCF) showed that the area is highly susceptible to wind erosion risks. This is a common phenomenon in dryland soils [62], especially under hyper-arid climates [4,12]. This is a result of high climate erosivity coupled with low vegetation cover and highly erodible soil fraction [45,46].…”

Section: Wind Erosion Qualitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, food security in the dryland, especially in developing countries, is threatened by human pressure on agricultural lands, climate change, and soil erosion [3]. In the drylands, a desert oasis is a promising area for establishing new communities and economic development [4]. It is an efficient eco-geographical landscape, which allows flourishing vegetation or human settlement owing to a stable water supply [5,6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This oasis is characterized by the presence of a large quantity of groundwater with good quality, many of which appear on the surface of the earth in the wintertime, and thus, resulted in many farmlands on flat areas [10]. However, the desert oases are a fragile ecosystem and are affected by degradation hazards that threaten agricultural sustainability [4,11,12]. Salinization/alkalization, waterlogging and wind erosion are the most effective drivers for land degradation in irrigated desert oases [13][14][15].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Land Degradation Vulnerability Mapping in a Newly-Reclaimed Desert Oasis in a Hyper-Arid Agro-Ecosystem Using AHP and Geospatial Techniques

et al. 2021

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Modelling land degradation vulnerability (LDV) in the newly-reclaimed desert oases is a key factor for sustainable agricultural production. In the present work, a trial for usingremote sensing data, GIS tools, and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was conducted for modeling and evaluating LDV. The model was then applied within 144,566 ha in Farafra, an inland hyper-arid Western Desert Oases in Egypt. Data collected from climate conditions, geological maps, remote sensing imageries, field observations, and laboratory analyses were conducted and subjected to AHP to develop six indices. They included geology index (GI), topographic quality index (TQI), physical soil quality index (PSQI), chemical soil quality index (CSQI), wind erosion quality index (WEQI), and vegetation quality index (VQI). Weights derived from the AHP showed that the effective drivers of LDV in the studied area were as follows: CSQI (0.30) > PSQI (0.29) > VQI (0.17) > TQI (0.12) > GI (0.07) > WEQI (0.05). The LDV map indicated that nearly 85% of the total area was prone to moderate degradation risks, 11% was prone to high risks, while less than 1% was prone to low risks. The consistency ratio (CR) for all studied parameters and indices were less than 0.1, demonstrating the high accuracy of the AHP. The results of the cross-validation demonstrated that the performance of ordinary kriging models (spherical, exponential, and Gaussian) was suitable and reliable for predicting and mapping soil properties. Integrated use of remote sensing data, GIS, and AHP would provide an effective methodology for predicting LDV in desert oases, by which proper management strategies could be adopted to achieve sustainable food security.

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Section: Chemical Soil Qualitysupporting

confidence: 93%

Section: Wind Erosion Qualitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Land Degradation Vulnerability Mapping in a Newly-Reclaimed Desert Oasis in a Hyper-Arid Agro-Ecosystem Using AHP and Geospatial Techniques

et al. 2021

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“…Many bird species depend on this agroecosystem during wintering, breeding and migration periods to feed, rest and refuel their energy reserves (Isenmann, 2005; Selmi, 2000; Selmi & Boulinier, 2003). However, this agroecosystem is threatened by several factors, including the overexploitation of groundwater, fragmentation, industrialization and urbanisation (Abdedaiem, 2016; Ben Arfa et al, 2017; Fargette, Loireau, Sghaier, Raouani, & Libourel, 2019; MEDD, 2015). Each year, the Tunisian Ministry of Environment declares the degradation of around 200‐ha oases (MEDD, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of microhabitat features, anthropogenic pressure and spatial structure on bird diversity in southern Tunisian agroecosystems

Hamza

Hanane²

2021

Annals of Applied Biology

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In southern Tunisia, oases and olive orchards are the two main agroecosystems, hence the importance of investigating their value for native fauna. Using generalised linear mixed models, we assessed the relative value of oases and olive plantations over the wintering and the breeding periods by comparing their avifauna diversity using the Shannon diversity index. We also used data on a series of microhabitat features, anthropogenic pressure and spatial parameters to identify the best predictors of bird diversity. In total, 32 species belonging to 18 families were recorded. Sedentary birds accounted for 47% of the counts. Our results showed that bird diversity depends on habitat type, being higher in oases than in olive plantations, but not on the season as no difference was recorded during the two periods of wintering and breeding. The assessment of the effects of microhabitat features, anthropogenic pressure and spatial structure revealed that bird diversity was positively influenced by the cover of trees in oases and olive orchards, negatively affected by distance to edge and that to the paved road in the olive orchards and spatially structured in both agroecosystems. Variation partitioning analysis revealed that the pure effect of microhabitat features (tree cover) was important in explaining the bird diversity both in oases and olive orchards. The identification of factors affecting bird diversity is of great importance for the efficient management of these agroecosystems. Special attention should be paid to keeping a good tree cover. This cannot be performed without: (a) increasing irrigation frequency, (b) adequate tree maintenance (pruning) and (c) reduction of pesticide application. Also, the synergy among owners, farmers, managers and researchers is recommended for the conservation of bird diversity in this North African arid agricultural region.

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Heavy metals and micronutrients assessment in soil and groundwater using geospatial analyses under agricultural exploitation in dry areas

2022

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This study used a geospatial model to evaluate the regional distributions and buildup of various Heavy Metals (HM) and micronutrients as a result of groundwater irrigation used for lengthy periods in Egypt’s El-Kharga and El-Farafra oases, which were formed on western desert terrain, were the subject of the study. To fulfill this aim, field sampling of soil and groundwater was integrated with cartographic modeling. The evaluated HM concentrations in the water samples are below the permitted level for irrigation. The surface soil’s element concentrations were within acceptable limits. However, protracted mobility and a potency risk for soil smearing were not spotted. The apportionment of HM concentricity versus soil profundity showed that the assemblage was primarily in the topsoil. Future management plans should consider ongoing HM level monitoring. The lands are divided into three classes: II, III, and IV, according to their capabilities, while the soils are divided into three classes based on their suitability: moderately suitable class S2, marginally acceptable class S3, and permanently unsuitable class N2. Additionally, soil fertility and quality were categorized into low and moderate categories. Land evaluations indicate that they are promising areas for agricultural investment under the conditions of using modern agricultural techniques. The most important results of the study are that the non-technical use of irrigation water in some areas has exacerbated the problems of salinity, especially in those where the drainage characteristics are poor. Concentrations of HM were found only in agricultural areas adjacent to urban areas and poor drainage, especially in agricultural areas reclaimed for more than 50 years. High concentrations of HM were also found in shallow wells close to the same places, and there were no significant concentrations in blind wells. The main recommendation of the study is the necessity of using modern agricultural and irrigation systems in those places.

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The Future of Oases in North Africa Through the Prism of a Systemic Approach: Towards Which Type of Viability and Coviability?

Cited by 6 publications

References 7 publications

Land Degradation Vulnerability Mapping in a Newly-Reclaimed Desert Oasis in a Hyper-Arid Agro-Ecosystem Using AHP and Geospatial Techniques

Land Degradation Vulnerability Mapping in a Newly-Reclaimed Desert Oasis in a Hyper-Arid Agro-Ecosystem Using AHP and Geospatial Techniques

The effect of microhabitat features, anthropogenic pressure and spatial structure on bird diversity in southern Tunisian agroecosystems

Heavy metals and micronutrients assessment in soil and groundwater using geospatial analyses under agricultural exploitation in dry areas

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