Get reliable rangeland science

Our book cut across all aspects of arid Libyan rangelands. It addresses climate – bioclimates with statistical analysis on climate change trends and droughts recurrences, geomorphology and landforms, soils, vegetation types and landscapes, rangeland production and stocking rates, livestock systems, traditional rainfed barley cropping and Australian ley-farming implemented on large scale, common water use and valorisation by water harvesting and flood farming, forest-afforestation and charcoal manufacturing, past and present wildlife, historical tribal rangeland use, degradation and desertification, restoration and rehabilitation techniques applied to large areas all over northern Libya from passive rangeland protection to fodder shrubs /trees plantations, and agro-ecological zoning to identify land capability and suitability for rainfed barley and olive trees without encroaching current land use. Our monograph is unique and without equivalent from Morocco to Mongolia. It is relevant to the challenges affecting the arid rangelands of North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia. It explains the transition from subsistence arid rangeland systems to current trends in livestock feeding with imported and subsidized feed stimulating rangeland degradation and desertification. We explain rangeland degradation and recovery, and agro-ecological zoning using the most up-to-date remote sensing and GIS techniques. It covers arid rangeland rehabilitation and afforestation projects with appropriate plant material, operations unfortunately failing most time due to lack of rangeland communities' involvement. Our Libyan book is abundantly illustrated with 759 photos including 561 photos of 220 plants with their description and pastoral use, 48 figures, 37 tables and 35 original maps. The bibliography covers Mediterranean arid zones publications with some 630 references in English, French, Arabic, and Latin. We expect that our book will encourage pastoralists colleagues, decision makers and politicians of North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia to act wisely before it is too late.