Plants are important components of any rangeland. However, the importance of desert rangeland plant diversity has often been underestimated. It has been argued that desert rangelands of Tunisia in good ecological condition provide more services than those in poor ecological condition. This is because rangelands in good condition support a more diverse mixture of vegetation with many benefits, such as forage for livestock and medicinal plants. Nearly one-quarter of Tunisia, covering about 5.5 million hectares, are rangelands, of which 87% are located in the arid and desert areas (45% and 42%, respectively). Here, we provide a brief review of the floristic richness of desert rangelands of Tunisia. Approximately 135 species are specific to desert rangelands. The predominant families are Asteraceae, Poaceae, Brassicaceae, Chenopodiaceae, and Fabaceae. These represent approximately 50% of Tunisian desert flora.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the benefits of reintroducing traditional grazing systems practices for improving arid rangelands. Grazing is the most extensive land use in southern Tunisia, but the rangelands have suffered many decades of severe degradation due to profound socioeconomic changes and the emergence of an agro-pastoral society in place of the former pastoral one. Traditional grazing systems (gdel and herd mobility), which had historically allowed for grazing deferment and control of grazing livestock were abandoned. Yet grazing management strategies are important tools to sustain integrated livestock rangeland production systems in dry areas in the face of ongoing climate change and human pressure. Design/methodology/approach: This study assesses the revival of traditional best practices of rangeland resting in a representative community. Total plant cover, species composition, flora richness and range production were determined in six rangeland sites subjected respectively to one, two and three years of rest; one and two years of light grazing after rest; and free grazing (control). Findings: Results showed that dry rangelands keep their resilience to the negative effects of climate change once human pressure is controlled. A maximum of two years of rest is enough to sustainably manage the rangelands in southern Tunisia, as this protection showed considerable and positive effects on the parameters scored. Originality/value: The revival of the traditional best practices under new arrangements adapted to current biophysical and socioeconomic conditions would be an excellent tool to mitigate the negative effects of frequent droughts and reduce the animal feed costs that poor farmers face.

Rangelands of Tunisia show a great indigenous species diversity with considerable potential as forage for livestock. However, information on their fodder yield and quality is scanty and restricted to few species. The objective of the study was to evaluate the nutritive values of selected key perennial species based on their biomass yield, chemical composition, in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD), and mineral composition. The species evaluated included four grass species (Stipa lagascae Roem. and Schult., Stipa tenacissima L., Stipagrostis plumosa (L.) Munro ex T. Anderson, and Stipagrostis pungens (Desf.) de Winter.) and eight shrub species (Anthyllis henoniana Coss. ex Batt., Argyrolobium uniflorum (Deene.) Jaub. and Spach., Echiochilon fruticosum Desf., Gymnocarpos decander Forssk., Helianthemum kahiricum Delile., Helianthemum lippii (L.) Dum. Cours., Plantago albicans L. and Rhanterium suaveolens Desf.). Results showed that shrub species contained higher concentrations of the crude protein (CP), acid detergent lignin (ADL), but lower neutral detergent fiber (aNDFom) and acid detergent fiber (ADFom) concentrations than grasses. The greatest concentration of CP was 135 g/kg DM for R. suaveolens. The greatest aNDFom concentration was found within the grasses with maximum of 744.5 g/kg DM in S. plumosa. The shrub species E. fruticosum, A. uniflorum, P. albicans, G. decander, R. suaveolens, and A. henoniana had the highest IVOMD with over 500 g/kg DM and have the potential to supply energy to livestock. Overall, the moderate to high protein, low fiber, and high in vitro digestibility measured for shrubs, suggest they have high nutritional values and can be used to enhance local livestock production.

Livestock grazing influences arid rangelands greatly with important effects on vegetation dynamics. Two areas traditionally grazed by sheep and goats in southern Tunisia were sampled to evaluate the vegetation response to grazing management. A continuous grazing (CG) area was sampled in March 2007. A 2000 ha exclosure that had been rested for 3 years (2004–2007), grazed for 2 months (July and August 2007), and then rested for 7 months (September 2007 to February 2008) was sampled before and after grazing, and again after the 7 months’ rest. Results show that vegetation dynamics in arid rangelands respond strongly to changes in grazing management. Our results suggest that even previously overgrazed rangelands are resilient and are able to recover if given rest periods. In the studied Tunisian rangeland that has been moderately or lightly grazed, we found that recovery improved faster compared with continuously grazed. In practice, excluding grazing livestock and the use of a rotational grazing system are available ways to restore vegetation affected by CG. Therefore, a stocking rate not exceeding the carrying capacity is vital to maintain grazing operations under changing conditions and sustain rangeland resources over the long term. Increased stocking rates generally promote rangeland degradation.