Silvopastoral Management and Perspectives for Participatory Forest Management in North Africa

In North African countries (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia), silvopastoral ecosystems display high diversity shaped by biotic and abiotic interactions, yet face critical challenges from overgrazing pressure by millions of small ruminants on declining forest areas, resulting in forage deficits and widespread desertification. Silvopastoral management has evolved from traditional community-based systems, dominant until the colonial period, through a productivist model introduced during the French Protectorate, toward contemporary integrated participatory frameworks. This multifunctional approach combines technical prescriptions, rotational grazing, controlled stocking rates, fodder shrub plantations, and assisted natural regeneration, with organizational measures involving local communities through pastoral associations. This approach integrates climate adaptation, ecosystem services valuation, and emerging technologies for real-time pasture monitoring, offering promising pathways toward sustainable silvopastoral management facing global change challenges in North Africa.