Camel as seed disperser in the northern Sahara rangelands of Algeria

Paper Details

Research Paper 01/04/2017
Views (489) Download (20)
current_issue_feature_image
publication_file

Camel as seed disperser in the northern Sahara rangelands of Algeria

Hafida Trabelsi, Abdelmadjid Chehma, Rafat Al Jassim, Abdelhakim Senoussi
Int. J. Biosci.10( 4), 58-65, April 2017.
Certificate: IJB 2017 [Generate Certificate]

Abstract

The Saharan milieu harbors a relatively diverse floral community, surviving with a variety of adaptation strategies. This flora is valued by the camel, the only livestock species adapted to this harsh environment. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of the camel’s alimentary canal in the regeneration of the desert flora by identifying, quantifying and germinating the seeds dispersed by camel’s faeces.  In this study, we have collected camel faecal samples from two selected areas, representative of the six known rangelands browsed by camels during the four successive seasons of the years 2010-2013. The collected faecal material was cultivated in pots in a greenhouse. A total of 712 seedlings emerged from 48 faecal samples examined. Fifteen plant types were distinguished, 13 of which have been identified at the species level. The seedlings of the 13 plant species were further divided into 5 perennial and 8 annual and assigned to 9 botanical families. The temporal plant species distribution shows that summer had a significant difference and is the most represented season. The spatial distribution analysis showed a significant differences between areas and the highest numbers of plant species were recorded on rangelands of Wadi Beds, Depressions and Hamadas, with 13 species. The Reg, Erg, and Salty Soil rangelands recorded 8 species. The results indicate that the Arabian camel in the Saharan desert of Algeria plays a vital role in seed dispersal and ecological restoration of desert plants.

VIEWS 49

Bascompte J, Jordano P, Olesen JM. 2006. Asymmetric coevolutionary networks facilitate biodiversity maintenance. Science. 312, 431-433. http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1123412

Bonn S. 2004. Dispersal of plants in the Central European landscape- dispersal process and assessment of dispersal potential exemplified for endozoochory. Ph.D. Thesis. University of Regensburg. 152.

Boudet G, Dieye K, Valenza J. 1983. Environnement biotique. Le couvert herbacé. In : Systèmes de production d’élevage au Sénégal dans la région du Ferlo. ACCGRIZA. (LAT), GERDA. ORSTOM, Paris. 37-62.

Bruun HH, Poschlod P. 2006.  Why are small seeds dispersed through animal guts: large numbers or seed size per se? Oikos 13,  402-41. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.2006.0030-1299.14114.x

Chang ZF, Zhu SJ, Han FG. 2012.  Differences in response of desert plants of different ecotypes to climate warming: a case study in Minqin, Northwest China. Journal of Arid Land 2, 140-150. http://dx.doi.org/10.3724/SP.J.1227.2012.00140

Chehma A. 2006 Catalogue des plantes Spontanées du Sahara Septentrional algérien. Ed Dar el Houda (Ain Mlila. Algérie) 156.

Chehma A, Faye B, Djebbar MR. 2008. Productivité fourragère et capacité de charge des parcours Camelins du Sahara septentrional algérien. Sécheresse 19, 115-21.

Chehma A, Youcef F. 2009. Variations saisonnières des caractéristiques floristiques et de la composition chimique des parcours sahariens du Sud-Est algérien. Sécheresse 4, 373-381. www.jle.com/edocs/00/04/51/6A/article.Phtml

Chehma A, Faye B, Bastianelli D. 2010. Valeurs nutritionnelles des plantes vivaces des parcours sahariens algériens pour dromadaires. Fourrages 204, 263-268. www.afpfasso.org/index/action/page/id/33/title/Les-articles/article/1818

Cosyns E, Delporte A, Lens L, Hoffmann M. 2005. Germination success of temperate grassland species after passage through ungulate and rabbit guts. Journal of Ecology 93, 353-361. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.0022-0477.2005.00982.x

Dubief J. 1963. Le climat du Sahara. Mémoire. Tome II. Alger : Institut de Recherches Sahariennes.

Ellner S, Shmida A. 1981. Why are adaptations for long-range seed dispersal rare in desert plants? Oecologia 51, 133-144. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00344663

Gardi R. 1973.  Sahara. 3 édition. Paris : Kummerly et Frey.

Gardiner C, Wright C, Coventry M. 2012.  The germination, passage and viability of Desmanthus virgatus (L.) Willenow seed through sheep and its implication for dispersal in tropical rangelands. Proceedings of the 16th ASA Conference, 14-18 October 2012, Armidale, Australia. www.agronomy.org.au

Ghazanfar SA. 1997.  The phenology of desert plants: a 3-year study in a gravel desert wadi in northern Oman. Journal of Arid Environments 35, 407-417. http://dx.doi.org/10.1006/jare.1996.0190

Gutterman Y. 2002. Survival Strategies of Annual Desert Plants. Springer. Heidelberg. Germany. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-55974-7

Herrera CM. 2002. Seed dispersal by vertebrates. In: Plant-Animal Interactions. An Evolutionary approach.185-210. Blackwell Publishing, Oxford.

Janzen DH. 1984. Dispersal of small seeds by big herbivores: foliage is the fruit. American Naturalists 123, 338-353.

Jordano P. 1992.  Fruits and frugivory. In M. Fenner. Editor. Seeds: the Ecology of Regeneration in Plant Communities.CAB International. Wallingford, UK 105-156 http://dx.doi.org/10.1079/97808519943210000

Longo-Hammouda FH, Siboukeur OE, Chehma A. (2007). Aspects nutritionnels des pâturages les plus appréciés par Camelus dromedarius en Algérie. Revue Agriculture 6, 477 – 483. www.jle.com/fr/revues/agrobiotech/agr/edocs/00/04/38/E2/article.md

Malo JE. 2000.  Hardseededness and the accuracy of seed bank estimates obtained through germination. Web Ecology 1, 70-75. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/we-1-70-2000

Ozenda P. 1991. Flore de Sahara. 3eme édition mise à jour et augmentée. Edition  de Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris. 662 p.

Pakeman RJ, Digneffe G, Small JL. 2002. Ecological correlates of endozoochory by herbivores. Functional Ecology 16, 296-304. http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2435.2002.00625.x

Poupon H. 1980.  Structure et dynamique de la strate ligneuse d’une steppe sahélienne au nord du Sénégal. Travaux et documents Orstom. n°115. Paris : Orstom éditions.

Rossi BE, Debandi GO, Peralta IE. 1999. Comparitive phenology and floral patterns in Larrea species (Zygophyllaceae) in the Monte desert (Mendoza, Argentina). Journal of Arid Environments 43, 213-226. http://dx.doi.org/10.1006%2Fjare.1999.0525

Saadani Y, El Ghezal A. 1989. Productivité et valeur nutritive comparée de Acacia cyanophylla (Lindl), Atriplex nummularia (Lindl) et Medicago arborea (Lindl). Séminaire Maghrébin d’Agroforesterie. Jebel Oust – Tunisie. 23-27.

Schupp EW. 1993.  Quantity, quality and the effectiveness of seed dispersal by animals. Vegetatio  108, 15-29. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00052209

Seltzer P. 1946. Le climat de l’Algérie. Alger : Institut de météorologie et de physique du globe.

Slimani N, Chehma A, Faye B, Huguenin J. 2013. Régime et comportement alimentaire du dromadaire dans son milieu naturel désertique en Algérie. Livestock Research for Rural Development 25 www.lrrd.org/lrrd25/12/slim25213.htm

Stiles EW. 2000.  Animals as Seed dispersers. In:  The Ecology of Regeneration in Plant Communities (Ed. M. Fenner). 111 – 124. CABI Publishing, Wallingford – New York. http://dx.doi.org/10.1079/9780851994321.0111

Toutain G. 1979.  Eléments d’agronomie saharienne, de la recherche au développement, Institut national de la recherche agronomique, Paris.

Trabelsi H, Senoussi A, Chehma A. 2012. Etude de la dissémination des graines des plantes spontanées dans les fèces du dromadaire dans le Sahara septentrional Algérien. Sécheresse 2, 94-101. http://dx.doi.org/10.1684/sec.2012.0338

Troumbis AY. 2001.  No observational evidence for diversity enhancing productivity in Mediterranean shrublands? Reply to Wardle. Oecologia 129, 622‐623. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s004420100754

Van der Pijl L. 1982.  Principles of dispersal in higher plants. Springer-Verlag, Berlin/Heidelberg. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-87925-8