The Use of Satellite Imagery to Detect Agricultural Field Encroachment on the Communal Rangelands of the Aïn Béni Mathar Commune, NE Morocco

The encroachment of agricultural practices into traditional rangeland areas of north-eastern Morocco is considered by some to have negative impacts in both the agro-pastoral communities that utilise these ranges and the surrounding physical environment. Indicating the extent and location of such land use changes provides resource managers with valuable information on which more sustainable development and policy decisions can be based. As part of ongoing research to highlight the mechanism by which participatory rangeland management and restoration can be achieved, satellite imagery from 1988 and 2000 was analysed to indicate to what extent agricultural encroachment had taken place within the ranges close to the Aïn Béni Mathar commune. Results indicated that the degree of encroachment was not as severe as first indicated by participatory farmer surveys however the condition of communal rangelands was seen to have significantly deteriorated between the dates of the study.