Desertification and Its Control in Morocco - Combating Desertification in Asia, Africa and the Middle East - page 100

These technologies deal mainly with soil and water conservation techniques
and water harvesting. The Taourirt-Taforalet Rural Development Project (PRDTT)
financed by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) con-
tributed financially to the introduction of these new practices at some farms in the
eastern region in order to encourage large dissemination. However, only a small
percentage of farmers (7 %) adopted the new technologies without the project
support (Shideed et al. 2005 ). It seems that a large-scale dissemination of these
new practices requires some financial incentives that must be sufficiently high to
stimulate farmers to adopt the technologies.

5.2.3 Range Rehabilitation

There is a plan, to be undertaken on 20 Mha over 20 years, to survey the use
of pastoral resources. Having these data will strengthen the base for initiating
rangeland management initiatives and the registration of communal lands in order
to clarify the status of the area to be managed. At the same time, undertaking
range improvement and rehabilitation, and taking action, both in time and space,
will allow for the generation of credible production and conservation statistics.
These actions will involve the rehabilitation of severely degraded rangelands
(8.3 Mha over 20 years at a rate of 200,000 ha/year), the improvement of the
productivity of rangelands with high potential (50,000 ha/year over 20 years) and
the improvement and management of rangelands that are presently still considered
to be in satisfactory condition.

5.2.4 Collecting Native Rangeland Species

The rangelands of north-eastern Morocco are home to a diversity of rangeland
species. They are an invaluable resource to rehabilitate fragile, dry environments.
Due to over-exploitation of these native plants and their habitat, however, many
are endangered and some are close to extinction. To this end, ICARDA and
national research institutions undertook a mission to assess rangeland biodiversity
and collect native rangeland species. The collection covered 43 sites over an
area of 2,200 km and rainfall zones of 180-500 mm. Samples were collected at
intervals of 10-15 km along the collection route. Over 385 accessions of 60 species
were collected. Stipa spp. were most frequent (51 accessions of four species).
Artemisia spp. were also frequent. Other species collected included Heliantheum
spp., Herniaria spp., Paronychia argentea, Schismus barbatus ,and Thymus spp.
Ve t c h ( Vicia ) and medic ( Medicago ) species were found in areas protected from
grazing (Fig. 5.4 ).