Regeneration of sylvopastoral lands in the Sahel zone under village management conditions

Abstract

This article reports the results of a study aimed to develop an approach for the rehabilitation of sylvopastoral lands that would be applicable and sustainable under local village-management conditions. Stabilization measures involved protection against exploitation activities during a period of five years, with accompanying low-cost restoration measures (all locally known) including (i) alignments of dead wood along the contour, (ii) spreading (mulching) of dead wood, and (iii) alignments of small stones along the contour. Monitoring demonstrated remarkable and continuing regeneration of the vegetation, with restoration measures clearly accelerating such regeneration. Low-intensity grazing did not appear to be harmful. The study also demonstrated the synergy between the herbaceous and woody plant layers. However, village management of the area was increasingly neglected, and after the five-year period exploitation levels reverted back to normal, so that the results will not be sustained. This was due to neglect of socio-economic issues, including insufficient insight into the norms and values attributed by the villagers to such low potential sylvopastoral lands. Future research should focus on the socio-economic aspects of land rehabilitation, as technical means are widely known, including appropriate low-cost measures based on local practices. Recommendations focus on principles and steps to be undertaken for successful and sustainable land rehabilitation. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.