Determination of the Herbaceous Pastoral Potential of the Rural Commune of Diéma in the North Sudanian Bioclimate in Mali

Livestock contributes approximately 15% to the gross domestic product of Sahelian countries in West Africa, with Mali being the second-largest socioeconomic activity after agriculture. The population is predominantly rural, with around 20 million inhabitants, and the livestock sector is practiced extensively with seasonal movements of herds in search of available fodder. The herbaceous production in Sahelian rangelands is equivalent to billions of francs but is annually consumed by bush fires. This context initiated the present study to improve the management of natural pastures in the rural commune of Diéma. The transect method was used in the natural routes following the four cardinal points of the district of the commune. Phytoecological surveys and herbaceous biomass cuts were carried out in the sample plots. A total of 80 species belonging to 18 families were identified, with the dominance of Poaceae, Fabaceae, and Convolvulaceae. The biomass production of rangelands is approximately 3t.ha-1. A significant difference (P=0.042) was observed for the pastoral value of the rangelands according to their orientation in relation to the district of the commune. The composition and quality of these pastures are variable according to the years and main agro-ecological zones of the country. The production of forage in the end of the dry season is relatively abundant and becomes progressively scarce and deficient throughout the dry season. The potential of pastoral production is confronted with the combined effects of anthropogenic negative factors (uncontrolled deforestation, overgrazing, deforestation, bush fires) and climate change, resulting in the increasing loss of production and productivity of pastures. The fire of bush is a calamity almost endemic in Mali, decimating thousands of hectares and being one of the determining factors of the modification of natural formations. In the natural pastures, the production of forage varies according to the agro-climatic zones. It varies from 0.5 to 1 t.MS.ha-1 per hectare in the Sahel, from 1 to 3 t.MS.ha-1 in the north Sudanian zone, and from 3 to 6 t.MS.ha-1 in the Sudanian south. Almost every year, the loss in the number of heads of livestock varies from 10 to 20% of the transhumant herd due to insufficient forage in the pastures. The reduction and degradation of grazing areas contribute significantly to the reduction of the quantity and quality of forage resources. The conceded grazing space traditionally allocated to herders is shrinking year by year, due to the expansion of crops and exacerbated by climate variability, all of which severely limit pastoral resources.