Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Pastoral livestock'

This thesis considers the importance of livestock in the household economy of the Ahl al Jebel Bedouin in the arid Badia region of north east Jordan. The principal objective of the study is to provide development planners working within the Badia region with information on how livestock are used and valued within a pastoral society and indicate ways in which these values may be subject to change. The study demonstrates that Bedouin herdowners have responded purposefully to developing regional markets for livestock products and have identified the income and capital growth values of livestock investments. However, the study further suggests that in important ways production for market supply is closely bound with the management of household resources, notably production for domestic consumption and the two spheres of production constitute complimentary aspects of the pastoral livelihood strategy. It is further argued that pastoral production in the Badia is mediated by the prevailing Bedouin value system which ascribes non-material values to livestock, thus giving social meaning to the way in Which herd owners choose to manage their herds. The thesis argues that the relationship between herd owners and their livestock must necessarily be flexible and suggests that changes in the way in which livestock are valued may constitute an important element in how households respond to change. The study thus characterises the Ahl al Jebel herd management objectives as innovative and fluid, and indicates that approaches to pastoral development need to be more sensitive to household objectives and more supportive of indigenous innovation.

Magister Scientiae (Biodiversity and Conservation Biology) - MSc (Biodiv and Cons Biol)<br>This study evaluated the nutritional quality of the forage plants in Namaqualand Granite Renosterveld vegetation in the Kamiesberg uplands of the Leliefontein communal area, South Africa. Determining the quality of forages is one of the most important factors necessary for the effective management of rangelands as it impacts on the nutrient needs of animals and consequently, the grazing capacity in rangelands. The edible portions of various forage plants were collected in the wet and dry seasons in 2012 and 2013 after which the nutritional quality (mineral nutrient content; crude protein (CP); fibre, neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent fibre (ADF); dry matter digestibility (DMD); dry matter intake (DMI); metabolizeable energy (ME); and relative forage value (RFV)) as well as the anti-nutritional quality (total phenolics (TP); condensed tannins (CT); and silicon (Si) concentrations) of the plants were determined. Plants were thereafter grouped into their respective growth forms: grasses (15 species), herbs (15 species), leaf succulents (17 species), non-succulents (134 species), reeds (7 species), trees (8 species) and stem succulents (2 species) for statistical analyses. There were generally only a few significant differences for each forage growth form, when comparing the nutritional and anti-nutritional qualities between the two seasons. Certain forage types such as leaf succulents were found to have a high nutritional value in terms of their mineral nutrient content, CP, DMD and ME , but were also found to contain high concentrations of one or more anti-nutritional factors. However, within each season, results showed that for both the nutritional quality and anti-nutritional quality, there was a significant difference between the different growth forms within each season. This suggests that both of these quality parameters are essential in order to draw meaningful conclusions regarding forage quality of these semi-arid rangeland plants. Further research is needed at the species level to determine what plant species are the most nutritious in terms of both nutritional and anti-nutritional quality in order to inform the potential production of these species on a commercial scale.

Ethiopia is one of the poorest and most populated countries in the world. It is also one of the largest receivers of foreign aid in the world. The Borana Plateau in the Oromia region is one of the poorest regions in southern Ethiopia. The local population in this region has relied on livestock for their livelihood for many generations. The growing number of humans and livestock on the Borana Plateau has caused the rangeland to be degraded. Coupled with more frequent and severe droughts, this growth can cause the loss of a large number of the livestock in this region from time-to-time. Several scientific and social studies have been conducted regarding how to maintain more sustainable livelihoods on the Borana Plateau in the face of all of these challenges. Most of the social science literature has focused on the poor and how to build their resiliency in the face of poverty and drought. Research about poor pastoralists is very important. However, it is likely the wealthy pastoralists of the region have the greatest potential to fuel economic activity by their investment decisions. This thesis focused on an analysis of portfolio diversification and risk management by wealthy pastoralists on the Borana Plateau. The method was to choose 12 important and wealthy pastoralists to survey to obtain data for the analysis. The idea was that wealthy pastoralists have more discretionary income available to invest compared to other local people. They have large-sized cattle herds, which leads to a larger-than-average consumption of the community water and forage resources. Wealthy pastoralists can also provide employment for the local communities for milking and herding activities. Understanding the diversification strategies used by this segment of the pastoralist population also provides some insights about the diversification strategies that are available and the barriers that exist to accessing different forms of investment to allow for diversification. This type of information may help us understand how to aid more general economic development in the Borana Plateau given that investment decisions of the wealthy are relatively important compared to the general population. It is also likely true that the livestock investment decisions by wealthy pastoralists may point to the future configuration of livestock herds on the Borana Plateau. A nonlinear quadratic program was used to estimate five optimal portfolios using a mean-variance (E-V) formulation for minimizing variance. These optimal portfolios were analyzed together with the portfolios actually held by the 12 participants using risk analysis. This included using portfolio analysis, stochastic dominance, and stochastic efficiency, and estimating risk premiums for different investment alternatives. It was found that large investments in camels, savings accounts, and real estate are preferred by very risk-averse producers. A combination of cattle, camels, and savings tended to make up the portfolios of more risk-seeking participants.

Magister Scientiae (Biodiversity and Conservation Biology) - MSc (Biodiv and Cons Biol)<br>Small ruminants found in pastoral dryland systems face many challenges regarding constant environmental and climate changes. These variable environments are home to many pastoralists who use the natural resources to sustain their livestock. Due to the prevailing environmental changes, these pastoralists require various adaptation strategies for the survival of their small ruminants. Adaptation is vital for all pastoralists globally, especially those living in semi-arid to arid regions as these areas are badly impacted by climate change. Farming with small ruminants that are able to constantly adapt to variable environments are a long-term and low cost resource strategy for farmers in these areas. Drought is a recurring challenge that farmers in dryland systems have to cope with and small ruminants are forced to adapt to food and water available to them as drought affects their survival, reproduction and production. This is because drought affects the environment directly as rainfall has an impact on all forage and water resources found in drylands. Thus available forage and the utilisation of this resource by small ruminants is essential for sheep and goat farmers who depend on these animals for their livelihoods. This thesis sets out to establish sheep and goat breeds found in a dryland pastoral system in South Africa focussing on their genetic differences and their diet selection during a drought period. The study was carried out in the 582 634 ha Steinkopf communal area located in the semi-arid to arid region of Namaqualand in South Africa. The dominant land use in this area is livestock farming where farmers utilise two biomes for grazing. Using mitochondrial DNA, genetic differences were investigated in small ruminants found in Steinkopf. The small ruminants that were studied were the Boer goats, Swakara sheep (Karakul) and cross-bred sheep. These were the most commonly farmed small ruminants in this area. Genetic differences and diversity found within the small ruminants in this area supports their ability to adapt to drought and changing environments. Diet selection of these small ruminants were assessed using direct forage observation during this drought period in both the Succulent and Nama Karoo biomes. Findings of the study indicate that small ruminants during a drought period will largely forage on what is available to them. Boer goats changed their diets from browser to grazers in the different biomes while sheep remained grazers in both biomes. This suggests that these animals are well adapted to changing forage availability and will adjust their feeding behaviours accordingly. Succulent plant species were utilised by all small ruminants and this can be regarded as new knowledge for small ruminants in dryland systems. Succulent species play a role in the diets of small ruminants in the Steinkopf rangeland and these animals have adapted traits that allow them to eat plants that contain high levels of phenolics and tannins, which show their high adaptability to this area. This study also revealed that indigenous and locally bred sheep in this area are crucial resources for livestock farming in this area. Swakara sheep in this area showed a low level of genetic variation while cross-bred sheep and the Boer goat had significant variation. With a long tradition of breeding small ruminants in the Steinkopf communal area that suit changing conditions, livestock keepers have accumulated detailed knowledge of their animals. Recommendations from this study were to do further studies regarding genetic variation within the cross-bred sheep as this information will be useful for breeding programs in dryland areas and it will add to the small ruminant genetics in South Africa. Because this study was conducted in a drought period, I recommend that diet selection should be observed during a regular wet and dry period as this would indicate how these animals adapt to what forage is available to them. These studies can act as management strategies for herders as it can provide information on how to use the natural resources sustainably.

The impact of undesirable plant communities (Cymbopogon afronardus and woody species dominated by Acacia species) on livestock carrying capacity and performance was investigated on 15 farms in an Acacia/Cymbopogon dominated pastoral system of south-western Uganda. Species prevalence based on basal cover for grasses, frequency for forbs and effective canopy cover for trees/shrubs were determined on farms. The PHYGROW model was used to predict forage productivity for computation of carrying capacity. The NIRS/NUTBAL nutritional management system was used to determine cattle dietary CP and DOM through fecal scans and to estimate animal performance. Cymbopogon afronardus had a prevalence of 10.29% among the grasses while Acacia gerrardii (34.37%) and Acacia hockii (33.66%) were the most prevalent woody species. Forage productivity differed significantly among the farms with a mean long-term annual forage yield of 4560(SE+41) kg/ha. Farms infested with Cymbopogon and woody species produced the least amount of forage and therefore had the lowest carrying capacities (0.38 -0.39 AU/ha) while improved farms had comparatively higher forage yields with higher carrying capacities (0.49 - 0.52 AU/ha). A mean carrying capacity for the system was estimated at 0.44 AU/ha using a 25% harvest efficiency for ANPP. All the farms were overstocked, on average by 3.2 times. Livestock BCS, diet CP and DOM were significantly different (P<0.0001) among the different farm types. BCS were highest on improved farms and lowest on Cymbopogon infested farms while dietary CP and DOM values were lowest on improved farms and highest on farms with a high woody component. Farms with a relatively high woody component exhibited intermediate BCS despite the high dietary CP values. Cattle on Cymbopogon infested farms had consistently lower body weights over the months although there were no significant differences in daily live weight gains among farms. Recommendations included need for research into appropriate control measures for both Cymbopogon afronardus and woody species, farmer sensitization about overstocking, research to improve forage quality on improved farms and need for feed supplementation for improved breeds on improved farms. Integration of NIRS/NUTBAL and PHYGROW models into the research and management systems was desirable. The observed increase in Sporobolus spp. required investigation.

Thesis (D. Tech.) - Central University of Technology, Free State, 2009<br>All over the African continent south of the Sahara Desert, African lion numbers are plummeting to levels where, over large areas of their remaining distribution range, extinction has become a real threat. The main reason for the decreasing numbers is the increasing conflict between livestock farmers and lions. Lions are forced to kill livestock where their natural prey has been squeezed out by livestock and associated farming practices, and the farmers find it necessary to protect their livelihoods, often through the indiscriminate killing of lions. In the Kgalagadi-South region of Botswana, lion/livestock interactions present a challenge to livestock owners and wildlife managers alike. The relatively low ecological carrying capacity and occupied lion habitats in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (KTP) force some expelled young adult and sub-adult lions southwards into the adjoining Wildlife Management Area (WMA) KD/15, which separates the KTP and the communal grazing area. This WMA most likely also contains resident prides. Some of these predators sporadically enter the livestock grazing area. Similarly, large stock often enters the WMA. It is mostly these boundary transgressions that result in livestock killing, and the reaction of livestock owners often leads to the killing of lions. To gather information concerning the nature and extent of the situation, two questionnaires were prepared with the assistance of the Department of Biostatistics of the University of the Free State, South Africa. One questionnaire targeted livestock owners while the other was aimed at wildlife officials of the Department of Wildlife and National Parks in Botswana and SANParks in South Africa. Both covered the five-year period 2002-2006. A trial run was carried out to adjust to problem-specific circumstances before fieldwork commenced. Fieldwork was done during four consecutive seasons – in January, February, April and December 2007. Thirty livestock respondents and 13 wildlife officials were interviewed during the first two excursions into the study area. The third visit was to plot the cut-line between the WMA and the grazing area (by means of a Global Positioning System or GPS) and to make first-hand observations regarding movement over the cut-line. During all four visits the environmental (including grazing) conditions and density and distribution of wildlife and stock were observed in both the WMA and the grazing areas. The information gathered points towards a seemingly unsolvable situation. The exceptionally high daytime temperatures and food scarcity, brought about by erratic rainfall, overgrazing near boreholes, generally low carrying capacity and low phosphorus (P) levels, force large stock, i.e. cattle, horses, donkeys and mules, to graze far away from the safety of the cattle-posts during the cool hours of the night, thus making kraaling impractical. Such circumstances enhance exposure to lion predation especially in or near the WMA and the KTP fence. Some lions also penetrate deep into the grazing areas, especially in the arid western part of the study area. This study revealed certain weaknesses in current wildlife and livestock management practices in the study area, the sum of which put both farmers and the lion population under extreme pressure. Most of these shortcomings can be rectified without drastic invasive methods. Such adjustments can result in improved livestock and wildlife utilisation and protection of the lions. For example: the placement of mixed phosphorus and salt licks near cattle-posts to fulfil the need for vital micro and macro elements; addressing unnecessary livestock losses, which contribute to a lower income and less tolerance towards predation (e.g. botulism, which may stem from stock chewing on bones in their desire for more phosphorus, and losses to black-backed jackal, Canis mesomelas, in poorly maintained kraals); more drinking troughs at boreholes to prevent unnecessary shoving and minimise energy waste; and the introduction of more bulls to herds to increase the calving percentage. The study further concluded that there is little reason why stockowners should consider protecting lions. It suggests that significant value can be added to the wildlife (and the protection of lions) in the specific area by making farmers and other local residents share in the relatively untapped ecotourism potential of the area.

Kyoto University (京都大学)<br>0048<br>新制・課程博士<br>博士(地域研究)<br>甲第11707号<br>地博第21号<br>新制||地||7(附属図書館)<br>23350<br>UT51-2005-D456<br>京都大学大学院ｱｼﾞｱ・ｱﾌﾘｶ地域研究研究科ｱﾌﾘｶ地域研究専攻<br>(主査)教授 太田 至, 教授 市川 光雄, 教授 島田 周平<br>学位規則第4条第1項該当

Les dynamiques en cours au sein des espaces pastoraux en milieu aride telles que la diminution drastique en termes de qualité et de quantité des ressources pastorales, l’avancée des fronts agricoles et urbains, la mise en place de lois pastorales visant à sécuriser le pastoralisme ont pour conséquence de remettre en question les systèmes de relations et d’accords sur lesquels se fonde le capital social mobilisé par les éleveurs pour accéder aux ressources pastorales et de complémentation nécessaires au maintien de leur troupeau. L’enjeu principal de notre thèse est de comprendre comment les éleveurs adaptent leur capital social à ces transformations pour sécuriser leur capacité à accéder aux ressources et maintenir leur troupeau dans un contexte qui tend à accroître leur vulnérabilité. Si l’approche du capital social comme facteur déterminant de l’accès aux ressources au sein des sociétés pastorales ne constitue pas un objet d’étude nouveau, elle continue à soulever de nombreuses questions théoriques et méthodologiques en sciences humaines et sociales. À partir d’une étude portant sur les éleveurs camelins au sein de la province de Tan-Tan au sud-ouest du Maroc, notre thèse propose de construire un cadre d’analyse pluridisciplinaire mobilisant la géographie (sociale, politique, historique), la socio-anthropologie et la socio-économie, visant à développer une nouvelle approche du capital social visant non pas à mesurer un stock global de capital social, mais plutôt à mettre l’accent sur les processus par lesquels les éleveurs le construisent, l’entretiennent et le développent à travers la notion de stratégies d’investissement social développée par le sociologue Pierre Bourdieu. Le premier chapitre de résultats porte sur l’évolution des jeux d’acteurs tribaux et étatiques depuis la période coloniale et leurs conséquences sur les réseaux sociaux à partir desquels les éleveurs construisent et entretiennent leurs stratégies d’investissement social. Le second chapitre de résultats présente la méthode que nous avons mise en place pour établir une typologie des profils d’éleveurs en fonction de ces différentes stratégies en interaction avec les autres formes de capitaux qu’ils détiennent. L’étude des capacités d’adaptation des différents profils d’éleveurs durant la sécheresse et la crise sanitaire liée à la pandémie du COVID-19 ayant touché la province de Tan-Tan durant notre période d’étude nous permet alors de démontrer que les éleveurs ayant été les mieux à même d’accéder aux ressources pastorales et de complémentation sont ceux qui se sont adaptés aux changements politiques et sociaux en développant des stratégies d’investissement social à cheval entre réseau coutumier et étatique ou en s’appuyant sur un capital financier et un prestige social important. Entre recherche et développement, cette thèse est une invitation à mettre au cœur de l’analyse de la résilience des populations pastorales l’étude des stratégies d’ investissement social mises en place par les éleveurs dans la mesure où elles constituent un facteur déterminant de leur capacité à accéder aux ressources nécessaires au maintien leur troupeau et par conséquent de leur capacité d’adaptation aux changements qui caractérisent les espaces pastoraux en milieu aride. Par ailleurs, elle met également l’accent sur la nécessité de prendre davantage en compte, dans le cadre des projets et politiques de développement pastoral, les multiples territoires et jeux d’acteurs au sein desquels s’insèrent les espaces pastoraux à partir desquels les éleveurs élaborent leurs stratégies sociales pour accéder aux ressources. Ce n’est en effet que par cette prise en compte et la mise en lumière des disparités existantes en termes de capacité d’accès aux ressources au sein de la communauté pastorale concernée que le développement pastoral pourra bénéficier à une majorité d’éleveurs et non pas seulement à ceux qui disposent des « bons » réseaux<br>The current dynamics within the pastoral areas in arid environments, such as the drastic decrease in terms of quality and quantity of pastoral resources, the advance of agricultural and urban fronts, and the implementation of pastoral laws aimed at securing pastoralism, have the consequence of questioning the systems of relations and agreements on which the social capital, mobilized by herders to access the pastoral and complementary resources necessary to maintain their herds, is based. The main challenge of our thesis is to understand how herders adapt their social capital to these transformations to secure their ability to access resources and preserve their herds in a context that tends to increase their vulnerability. While the approach of social capital as a determining factor in access to resources within pastoral societies is not a new subject of study, it continues to raise numerous theoretical and methodological questions in the human sciences. Based on a study of camel breeders in the province of Tan-Tan in southwest Morocco, our thesis proposes building a multidisciplinary analytical framework mobilizing geography (social, political, historical), socio-anthropology, and socio-economy. The aim is to develop a new approach to social capital that doesn't aim to measure a global stock of social capital, but rather to focus on the processes by which herders build, maintain, and develop it through the notion of social investment strategies developed by the sociologist Pierre Bourdieu. The first chapter of results focuses on the evolution of tribal and state actor relations since the colonial period and their consequences on the social networks from which the herders construct and maintain their social investment strategies. The second chapter of results presents the method we have developed to establish a typology of herder profiles according to these different social strategies in interaction with the other forms of assets they o wn. The study of the adaptive capacities of different herder profiles during the drought and the health crisis linked to the COVID-19 pandemic that affected the province of Tan-Tan during our study period allows us to demonstrate that the herders who were best able to access pastoral and complementary resources are those who adapted to political and social changes by developing social investment strategies that straddle the customary and state networks or by relying on financial capital and significant social prestige. Between research and development, this thesis is an invitation to place at the heart of the analysis of the resilience of pastoral populations the study of the social investment strategies implemented by herders insofar as they constitute a determining factor in their capacity to access the resources necessary to maintain their herds and consequently their capacity to adapt to the changes that characterize pastoral areas in arid environments. It also emphasizes the ne ed for pastoral development projects and policies to take greater account of the multiple territories and sets of stakeholders within which pastoral areas are located and from which herders develop their social strategies for accessing resources. It is only by taking this into account and highlighting the existing disparities in terms of capacity to access resources within the pastoral community concerned that pastoral development will be able to benefit the majority of herders and not just those with “good” networks

Construction of the Karakoram Highway (KKH) has led to more rapid socio-economic change in areas close to highway than in more remote areas such as the Gilgit Ghizer Region (GGR) in Northern Pakistan. In the present study the aim was to compare the livestock enterprise in the developed region (i.e KKH) with the less developed area (i.e. GGR). A 2 x 3 factorial design was used with two geographical transects and three cropping zones and one village being studied within each cell. Nutritional inputs to, and productive outputs from, the livestock system, together with their interaction were investigated. Wheat straw (48%), lucerne (24%) and maize stover (13%) were the dominant feeds. Cereal crop residues and lucerne were main sources of energy and protein respectively. The main livestock species kept were cattle (51%), goats (31%), sheep (10%) and donkeys (8%). Overall, 65% of the herd was made up of non-productive animals. Feed sufficiency was 33% greater in the KKH transect (P < 0.05) and feed offered was 33% higher per unit liveweight in the KKH transect (P < 0.05). Stored feeds and herd weight per household were higher in the GGR transect (P < 0.05). Daily milk yield and calving rate were higher (P < 0.05) in the KKH (2.9 l/d and 0.82) compared with the GGR transect (2.3 l/d and 0.52). However proportions of fodder and cattle sold were higher (P < 0.05) in the GGR transect (16.5 % and 8%) than in the KKH transect (8.5% and <1). Overall, performance was higher in the KKH transect and this was related to herd size being better matched with feed resources. Larger herds in the GGR transect reduced animal performance but detrimental effects appeared to be partly masked by differences in the quality of summer pasture resources between transects.

O crescimento populacional humano e o consumismo exacerbado têm elevado as demandas na produção de alimentos e gerado uma intensificação rural, se tornando um dos principais direcionadores do declínio da biodiversidade. O manejo de gado está se intensificando e expandindo, muitas vezes às custas da derrubada de áreas florestais. Mas manejar o gado em campos naturais pode ser uma estratégia para a conservação desses ecossistemas. Os métodos de manejo determinam as comunidades de campos, de forma que baixa pressão de pastejo parece promissor para a conservação. De modo geral, direcionadores ambientais tendem a gerar padrões na diversidade em grande escala, enquanto a competição contribui para determinar a coexistência local. Contudo, os processos de montagem das comunidades podem diferir entre regiões. Assim, especialmente filtros ambientais e interações bióticas atuam dinamicamente e direcionam o padrão da comunidade. As espécies que persistem se diferenciam especialmente em grupos alimentares conforme os recursos disponíveis, e competem dentro desses grupos conforme os nichos dos consumidores se sobrepõem. Além disso, as características morfológicas individuais podem facilitar ou restringir sua habilidade em persistir em um ambiente, ao passo que mediam os processos ecossistêmicos. Os insetos representam o maior componente da biodiversidade em ecossistemas terrestres, e são considerados sensíveis às condições ambientais. Coleoptera é a ordem de insetos com maior riqueza em espécies, que abrange uma larga extensão de grupos funcionais, e são sensíveis às variações ambientais. O objetivo desta Tese foi testar se as comunidades de Coleoptera refletem diferenças nas pressões pastoris exercidas pelo gado. Essa Tese revela resultados inéditos para cada uma das abordagens empregadas, especialmente considerando a escala regional do experimento. A diversidade de besouros residentes do solo mostrou um padrão geral com relação positiva ao pastejo enquanto os residentes da vegetação demonstraram uma relação negativa ao pastejo. Os herbívoros residentes da vegetação são bastante sensíveis ao pastejo do gado, e declinam com o aumento da intensidade, enquanto que os predadores residentes da vegetação parecem responder positivamente a uma vegetação mais arbustiva do que de gramíneas. Além disso, parece que, potencialmente, os besouros também respondem com seus atributos morfológicos às diferenças na estrutura da vegetação conforme a intensidade de pastejo. O pastejo de baixa intensidade parece uma boa opção para beneficiar a conservação da biodiversidade. Contudo, manejar campos naturais com apenas uma técnica não permite conservar igualmente os besouros campestres.<br>Human population growth and exacerbated consumerism have raised the demands on food production and generated rural intensification, becoming one of the main drivers of biodiversity decline. Livestock management is intensifying and expanding, often at the cost of clearing forested areas. However, managing livestock in natural grasslands may be a strategy for the conservation of these ecosystems. Management methods determines the communities in grasslands, so that low pressure grazing seems promising for conservation. In general, environmental drivers tend to generate diversity patterns at large scales, while competition contributes to determining local coexistence. However, the assembly processes of communities may differ between regions. Thus, environmental filters and biotic interactions, especially, act dynamically and direct the community pattern. Species may persist when different, especially according to feeding groups, and compete within these groups when consumer niches overlap. In addition, individual morphological traits may facilitate or restrict a species ability to persist in an environment, while at the same time mediating ecosystem processes. Insects represent the largest component of biodiversity in terrestrial ecosystems, and have been considered sensitive to environmental conditions. Coleoptera is the insect order with the largest species richness, covering a wide range of functional groups, and are sensitive to environmental variations. The aim of this thesis was to test whether Coleoptera assemblages reflect differences in the pastoral pressures exerted by livestock. Ground-dwelling beetle diversity showed a general pattern of positive relationship with grazing while grass-dwellers showed a negative relationship with grazing. Grass-dweller herbivores are quite sensitive to livestock effects, and decline with increasing grazing intensity, while grass-dweller predators appear to respond positively to scrubs rather than to grass vegetation. In addition, it seems that, potentially, beetles also respond with their morphological traits to differences in vegetation structure according to grazing intensity. Some of these results are unprecedented, especially considering the regional scale of the experiment. Low intensity grazing seems to be a good option to benefit biodiversity conservation. However, managing grasslands with a single technique would not provide grassland beetles conservation equally.

Les systèmes agro-sylvo-pastoraux (SASP) d’Afrique de l’Ouest sont des agro-écosystèmes limités en biomasses et en nutriments. Le recyclage des nutriments et les transferts de fertilité sont traditionnellement rythmés par la mobilité des troupeaux de ruminants conduits en extensif. Les agro-éleveurs pratiquent le parcage nocturne de leurs troupeaux pour concentrer la matière organique, dans les champs à proximité des habitations afin de sécuriser une production vivrière suffisante à leurs besoins. Dans un contexte de croissance démographique et de réduction des parcours naturels au profit des zones cultivées, le système d’élevage « traditionnel », basé sur une forte mobilité intra-terroir villageois, est remis en cause. Les stratégies adoptées par les agro-éleveurs sont, soit (i) l’éloignement des troupeaux du terroir villageois pendant des périodes plus ou moins longues par des pratiques de transhumance saisonnière vers des régions moins peuplées et disposant de davantage de ressources fourragères ; soit (ii) plus récemment, des pratiques d’intensification avec des animaux gardés à l’étable au sein du terroir villageois et nourris avec des aliments concentrés, achetés sur le marché local. Ces changements de systèmes d’élevage ont possiblement des conséquences importantes sur les flux de biomasses et les cycles des nutriments au niveau du ménage et du territoire. Il convenait de les évaluer en termes d’impacts sur le fonctionnement et la durabilité des SASP. A cet effet, le modèle multi-agents TERROIR a été développé et implémenté sur la plateforme de modélisation GAMA. Il simule l’effet de changements dans l’organisation du paysage et des systèmes d’élevage sur les flux de biomasse et d’azote aux différents niveaux d’organisation du territoire : la parcelle, le troupeau, le ménage et le terroir villageois. Le modèle simule les échanges de biomasses entre une centaine de ménages comportant des stratégies et des pratiques différentes. Cela inclut les transferts spatiaux de biomasses orchestrés par plusieurs centaines de troupeaux se déplaçant de façon indépendante sur un millier de parcelles. Le modèle synthétise ces flux par un ensemble d’indicateurs issus de deux méthodes d’analyse (« Ecological Network Analysis » et « System Gate Balance ») pour décrire la structure, le fonctionnement et la durabilité de l’agroécosystème, en termes de productivité, d’efficience, d’autonomie, de recyclage, de transferts spatiaux et de bilan de nutriments. Le modèle a été conçu et paramétré à partir des données disponibles sur les agroécosystèmes de savane en Afrique de l’Ouest et il a été évalué à partir des données observées dans deux terroirs villageois du bassin Arachidier au Sénégal où les pratiques des agro-éleveurs sont particulièrement contrastées.Le modèle TERROIR a été utilisé pour explorer les impacts des dynamiques territoriales observées sur la période 1920-2015 dans le bassin Arachidier au Sénégal, une zone agricole à transition agraire rapide et avancée. Les résultats soulignent une réorganisation du cycle de l’azote et une tendance générale à l’intensification des flux et à l’augmentation de la dépendance des agroécosystèmes vis-à-vis de sources extérieures de nutriments. Cependant, le recyclage et les transferts spatiaux de nutriments internes aux agrosystèmes restent à des niveaux élevés. L’intégration sol-plantes-animaux-hommes et l’hétérogénéité spatiale de la répartition des ressources fertilisantes apparaissent comme deux propriétés persistantes des agro-écosystèmes étudiés. Consolider cette intégration et cette organisation spatiale seraient ainsi un gage pour la durabilité des futurs systèmes agricoles qui émergeront dans un contexte de poursuite de la forte croissance démographique et de changement climatique<br>Agro-sylvo-pastoral systems (systèmes agro-sylvo-pastoraux - SASP) of West Africa are agroecosystems limited in biomass and nutrients. Nutrient recycling and fertility transfer are traditionally driven by the mobility of ruminant herds led in extensive practices. Agro-pastoralists practice night corralling of their herds to concentrate the organic matter in the fields near the houses, in order to secure a sufficient food production for their needs. In a context of demographic growth and the reduction of natural rangelands in favor of cultivated areas, the "traditional" mobile livestock system, based on high mobility within the village is being called into question. The strategies adopted by the agro-pastoralists are: (i) keeping the herds away from the village for periods of varying lengths, by seasonal transhumance in less populated regions where forage resources are more important, or (ii) more recently, intensified practices with animals kept in the barn within the village and fed with concentrate feeds, bought on the local markets. These changes in livestock systems may have important consequences for biomass flows and nutrient cycling at the household and village landscape level. There was a need to assess their impact on the functioning and sustainability of SASP.To this end, the TERROIR multi-agent model has been developed and implemented on the GAMA modeling platform. It simulates the effect of changes in the organization of the landscape and livestock systems on biomass and nitrogen flows at different levels of organization in the village: plot, herd, household, village landscape. The model simulates the exchanges of biomasses between dozens of households with different strategies and practices. It includes the spatial transfers of biomasses between several hundred plots orchestrated by dozens of herds moving independently. The model synthesizes these flows with a set of indicators from two methods of analysis (Ecological Network Analysis and System Gate Balance) to describe the structure, functioning and sustainability of the agroecosystem, in terms of productivity, efficiency, autonomy, recycling, spatial transfers and nutrient balance. The model was designed and configured with available data on savannah agroecosystems in West Africa. It was evaluated from data observed in two villages of the Groundnut Basin in Senegal where the practices of agro-pastoralists are particularly contrasted. The TERROIR model was developed and implemented to explore the impacts of the village dynamics observed over the period 1920-2015 in the Groundnut Basin in Senegal, an agricultural zone in fast and advanced agrarian transition. The results highlight a reorganization of the nitrogen cycle and a general trend towards increased flows and increased dependence of agroecosystems on external sources of nutrients. However, the recycling and spatial transfers of nutrients internal to agroecosystems remain at high levels. The soil-plant-animal-human integration and the spatial heterogeneity of the distribution of fertilizing resources appear as two persistent properties of the studied agro-ecosystems. Consolidating this integration and spatial organization could guarantee for the sustainability of future farming systems that will emerge in a context of continued high-population growth and climate change

Dans le cadre de cette recherche, nous nous sommes penchées sur les dynamiques à l’œuvre dans les systèmes agropastoraux après la mise en place, depuis 2009, de la gestion communautaire des ressources pastorales sur tout le territoire du Kirghizstan. Nous nous sommes interrogées sur la contribution de la gestion communautaire des ressources pastorales à la résilience des communautés rurales. La méthodologie de la recherche utilisée est l’étude de cas multiple imbriquée, de manière à prendre en compte de manière ouverte les interactions entre l’utilisation des terres, les dynamiques des ressources et la gouvernance. Les cas d’étude sélectionnés sont trois communes rurales et leurs pâturages qui forment ainsi trois systèmes socio-écologiques. Le niveau national est également pris en compte. Les données ont été collectées par des enquêtes de terrain et l’observation participante dans les communes rurales et dans les ONG en charge de projets sur la gestion des ressources pastorales au niveau national. Une revue de la littérature a également été menée. Le traitement qualitatif des données s’est fait par thématisation et les données quantitatives ont fait l’objet d’analyses statistiques simples. Le cadre conceptuel articule les principes pour la gestion d’un bien commun d’Elinor Ostrom (1990) et l’approche pour l’étude de la résilience des systèmes spatiaux de Christina Aschan-Leygonie (2000). Une grille de la contribution de la gestion communautaire des ressources pastorales à la résilience spatiale des systèmes socio-écologiques a servi de guide pour l’analyse. Les résultats de cette recherche mettent en évidence l’échec de la gestion communautaire à créer des boucles de rétroaction entre l’environnement, les pratiques et les mesures de gestion. Les organes exécutifs de la gestion communautaire ne collectent pas formellement de données sur l’état des pâturages ni sur les effets des usages. Leurs actions suivent principalement les intérêts des usagers des pâturages. Des recherches complémentaires sont nécessaires pour évaluer si les usagers des pâturages mènent un suivi des pâturages grâce aux savoirs locaux et si celui-ci est pris en compte dans les pratiques. Cependant, de manière générale, la gestion communautaire des ressources pastorales a un effet positif sur la résilience des communautés rurales. Premièrement, par son ouverture, elle permet aux familles les plus éloignées, et marginalisées dans la prise de décision sur la gestion des ressources pastorales, de faire entendre leur voix. Deuxièmement, l’accès à des pâturages peu utilisés est rendu possible par les réparations d’infrastructures financées par les investissements liés à la réforme. Ainsi, la pression du bétail sur les pâturages est, au moins partiellement, diminuée. Troisièmement, la gestion communautaire des ressources pastorales crée des interactions d’un type nouveau entre les usagers des pâturages agropastoraux et non-agropastoraux, ainsi qu’entre les acteurs locaux et nationaux. Elle offre notamment un cadre pour des stratégies ascendantes de défense des intérêts locaux auprès des structures gouvernementales et non-gouvernementales de l’échelle nationale. Ainsi, la gestion communautaire des ressources pastorales est un facteur de l’expansion des systèmes socio-écologiques locaux, de diversification et d’intensification de leurs interactions à l’intérieur du système et avec les systèmes de niveaux supérieurs<br>My research looked at pastoral resources and agropastoral systems after the implementation in 2009 of community-based pasture management over all the territory of Kyrgyzstan. I investigated how the community-based pasture management contributes to the resilience of rural communities. I used multiple embedded case-studies in order to comprehensively embrace the linkages between land-use, resource dynamics and governance. The case-studies were three rural municipalities and their pastures, which form socio-ecological systems. National level was also examined. Data-collection was conducted through extensive field-work in the rural communities, participant observation in NGOs implementing projects in the domain of pasture management at national level, and literature review. I used qualitative data analysis through thematization and basic statistic analysis for quantitative data. The theoretical framework combines the approach of Common-pool resource management by Ostrom (1990) and the resilience of spatial socio-ecological systems by Aschan-Leygonie (2000). Based on them I elaborated a qualitative framework to analyze the contribution of Community-Based Pasture Management (CBPM) on spatial resilience of socio-ecological systems. As pasture, I understand the pastures them-selves as well as all the other resources necessary for their use, e.g. water and access infrastructure. My results show that community-based management fails to create feed-back loops between the environment, the practices and the management measures. Pasture Committees do not carry out formal data collection on resource dynamics, neither on the impacts of use. Their actions merely follow pasture user interests which are potentially led by indigenous knowledge on pasture condition, although there is a need for more research on this point. However, in general, community-based pasture management positively affects the resilience of rural communities. First, by its open-nature, remote and marginalized households can take part in the decision-making. Second, the investment generated allows for repair and maintenance of infrastructure (roads, bridges) giving access to remote pasture, thereby limiting livestock concentration on most accessible pastures. Third, it creates interactions of a new type between agropastoral and non-agropastoral pasture users, as well as between local stakeholders and national-level stakeholders. Thus, community-based pasture management is a factor of the expansion of local socio-ecological systems and of the diversification and intensification of their interactions, within the systems, as well as across scales

Les alpages sont des espaces utilisés par la majorité des exploitations d’élevage de montagne et de Provence, qui y envoient tout ou partie de leurs troupeaux durant la saison estivale. Ce sont des milieux très riches sur le plan environnemental, mais aussi très fragiles et gérés exclusivement par le pâturage des troupeaux, constituant de ce fait des espaces particuliers dans la problématique de l’adaptation au changement climatique pour les systèmes d’élevage provençaux et de montagne. Or le constat est fait que les approches de diagnostic d’alpage et les références utilisées au plan pastoral présentent des lacunes pour appréhender la gestion dynamique des alpages : vision statique des végétations d’alpage et des pratiques, prise en compte des aléas et de la variabilité interannuelle souvent réduite à un coefficient forfaitaire de sécurité... et pas de prise en considération des interactions entre alpage et exploitations utilisatrices. Afin de renouveler ces cadres d’analyse, notre travail de thèse propose une modélisation conceptuelle du fonctionnement du système « alpage-exploitations », intégrant les plans biophysique et de la gestion. La construction du modèle s’appuie sur la combinaison de travaux en écologie et en agronomie « système », et de dires d’expert (modélisation participative). Le modèle est mis à l’épreuve sur une diversité de cas, issus du réseau Alpages Sentinelles dans le massif Alpin. Une analyse de la vulnérabilité des systèmes à la recrudescence des aléas climatiques est effectuée en étudiant leur exposition aux aléas puis leur sensibilité ; afin d’intégrer la dynamique de long terme du changement climatique dans la gestion des alpages, une analyse mobilisant les théories de la résilience socio-écologique est proposée en complément<br>Alpine pastures, or mountain summer pastures can be defined as permanent grasslands used in summer by mountain and surrounding plains farmers (especially Provence in the French Alps). They are rich but fragile ecosystems, managed exclusively through the grazing of herds. Therefore adaptation to climate change is very specific on these spaces. Pastoral diagnosis methods and technical references are insufficient to analyse dynamic management of summer mountain pastures: static vision of vegetation and practices, climatic hazards considered only through a security coefficient, and no consideration for interactions between summer pastures and farms. In order to renew these analytical frameworks, our PhD thesis proposes a conceptual model of how the system “mountain summer pastures-farm” works, both in biophysical terms and in terms of management. The building of this model relies both on researches in ecology and agronomy, and on participatory modelling. We evaluate the model through an analysis of the vulnerability to climatic hazards of a diversified sample of systems. In order to take into account long term dynamics of climate change, we also mobilise the theories of social-ecological resilience