The grazing land ecosystems of the African Sahel

Abstract

1 Definition, Geographical Limits, Contacts with Other Ecoclimatic Zones.- 2 Environmental Characteristics.- 2.1 Climatic Factors.- 2.1.1 General.- 2.1.2 Rainfall.- 2.1.3 Temperature.- 2.1.4 Solar Radiation.- 2.1.5 Wind.- 2.1.6 Air Humidity and Saturation Deficit.- 2.1.7 Evaporation and Evapotranspiration.- 2.1.8 Seasons.- 2.2 Edaphic Factors.- 2.2.1 Geology.- 2.2.2 Geomorphology.- 2.2.3 Topography.- 2.2.4 Hydrology.- 2.2.5 Soils.- 2.2.6 Runoff, Erosion.- 2.3 Anthropozoic Factors: Man and Land Use.- 2.4 Ecoclimatic Classification.- 3 Flora and Vegetation.- 3.1 Flora.- 3.2 Vegetation.- 3.2.1 Physiognomy and Structure.- 3.2.2 Plant Communities.- 3.2.3 Seasonal Aspects, Short-Term Dynamics.- 3.2.4 Biological Recovery After Drought.- 3.2.5 Long Term Dynamics: The Role of Wildfires.- 3.2.6 Inventory and Mapping.- 3.2.7 Primary Production.- 3.2.8 The Screen Function, Energy Flow Conversion, Photosynthetic Efficiency.- 3.2.9 Water and Rain-Use Efficiencies.- 3.2.10 Grazing Value.- 4 Wildlife.- 4.1 General.- 4.2 Invertebrates.- 4.2.1 Non-Social Arthropods.- 4.2.2 Social Arthropods.- 4.3 Vertebrates.- 4.3.1 Herpetofauna.- 4.3.2 Birds.- 4.3.3 Mammals.- 4.3.4 Rodents.- 4.3.5 Consumption of Seeds by Granivores.- 4.3.6 Large Mammals.- 4.4 Conclusions.- 5 Livestock.- 5.1 General.- 5.2 Livestock Numbers, Evolution of Numbers, Densities, Stocking Rates.- 5.3 Breeds.- 5.4 Herd and Flock Structure and Demography.- 5.5 Average Production Parameters.- 5.6 Productivity.- 5.6.1 Transport.- 5.6.2 Draught.- 5.6.3 Hides, Skins, Wood, Hair.- 5.6.4 Dung and Manure.- 5.6.5 Meat.- 5.6.6 Milk.- 5.7 Disease, Parasitism, Predation, Theft.- 5.8 Production Systems and Herd Management.- 5.8.1 The Sedentary Agropastoral Systems of Central Mali.- 5.8.2 The Short-Range Transhuman Agropastoral Systems.- 5.8.3 Long-Range Pastoral Systems.- 5.8.4 Agro-Sylvo-Pastoral Systems.- 5.9 Nutrition, Plant-Animal Relationships, Grazing Patterns, Grazing and Herding Management, Stock Behaviour, Stocking Rates and Carrying Capacities.- 6 Development Outlook Constraints and Limits.- 6.1 Range Improvement and Development.- 6.1.1 Range Seeding.- 6.1.2 Range Management.- 6.2 Development Outlook.- 6.2.1 Range Development.- 6.2.2 Development of Livestock Production.- 6.2.3 Agropastoralism.- 6.2.4 Agroforestry.- 6.2.5 Livestock Health and Water Development.- 7 Monitoring: A Case Study, the Ferlo Region of Northern Senegal.- 7.1 Introduction.- 7.2 The Pilot Zone of the Ferlo.- 7.2.1 Geographical Zoning and Administrative Setup.- 7.2.2 Climate.- 7.2.3 The Substratum.- 7.2.4 Surface Water.- 7.2.5 Vegetation and Rangelands.- 7.2.6 Wildlife.- 7.2.7 Livestock.- 7.2.8 Evolution of Land Use and History of Development.- 7.3 Monitoring.- 7.3.1 Principles, Problems and Methods.- 7.3.2 Evaluation of Green Herbaceous Biomass by Orbital Remote Sensing.- 7.3.3 Evaluation of Range Production from Ground Sampling.- 7.3.4 Low Altitude Systematic Reconnaissance Flights (SRF).- 7.3.5 Practical Results.- 7.4 Conclusions on Monitoring.- 8 General Conclusions: Towards an Ecological Management of the Sahelian Ecosystems.- References.- Index of Scientific Names.- Animals.- Plants.