Desertification and Its Control in Morocco - Combating Desertification in Asia, Africa and the Middle East - page 101

Fig. 5.4 Collection of seeds from rangeland plants, including trees and shrubs in Eastern Morocco

5.2.5 Grazing Land Improvement

Results achieved during the phase 1969-1980 made it possible to draw the main
lines for rangeland development. These, which are supported by the organization of
beneficiaries, the range studies and the rational exploitation of the rangeland, have
formed the basis for development of several range projects such the Middle Atlas
project, the FAO-UNDP project and the USAID Range improvement project under
which capacity building has been reinforced. Activities included characterization
and mapping of rangelands; critical appraisal of past and ongoing rangeland
development projects; testing methods of rangeland rehabilitation; community-level
marginal land rehabilitation; and community seed production of range species.

5.2.6 Monitoring and Assessment of Land Cover Change

The integration of satellite imagery and ancillary data with statistical modelling
provides access to updated information for the mapping of rangeland facies,
statistical analysis, zoning and identification of vulnerable zones. The building of a
database permits the statistical and spatial analysis of data for better under-standing,
management and use of rangeland resources.
The Geostat-Maroc project resulted in the building of a rangeland database and
a monitoring system based on a GIS. The database can be regularly updated (every
2-5 years for example) according to the degree of environmental pressures on the
natural habitat. This methodology can produce a statistical inventory of national
rangeland cover with an accuracy as high as 90 %. It can be easily applied in other
countries and regions where rangeland resources are important. This project was
carried out by the Royal Centre of Spatial Remote Sensing (CRTS), the Department
of Livestock and the IAV Hassan II (MAMVA), in collaboration with the National
Centre for Spatial Studies (CNES), ENSAT, INSEE and Scot-Conseil of France.