TheImprovement ofTropical and Subtropical Rangelands

224 IMPROVEMENT OF TROPIOAL AND SUBTROPIOAL RANGELANDS
have been especially favored by the seuon's rainfall. Just how long
this move into the interior lasts differs from tribe to tribe.
Among the Abel Saih Sidia, whose home wells are in the Awbr
region, the movement of camels into the Inchiri region near Akjoujt
lasts only during the rainy seuonj both the cool and hot dry IIe880ns
are spent in the southern Awbr, althoush during the cool season
the tribe drifts south toward the wells, while at the end of the hot
seuon they begin to move away from the wen. in anticipation of the
rainy period. 2S
On the other hand, the Abel bou-Lobat 2 • spend the rainy months
moving slowly northward over relatively short distances, but once the
rains cease they range far to the north into the Adrar, utilizing the
dry but still nourishing pasture while the cool weather lasts. The
Abel bou-Lobat regime is complicated by the fact that the tribe
owns palm trees at the oases of Dendane and at-Tiaiert and so must
be present for the gatna seuon in July and August. Thus, their
yearly cycle includes hot, dry-seuon camel camps midway between
the two oases, a gana move to the oases in July when all the herds
are grouped together, a slow movement northward during the rainy
seuon, a long loop into the Adrar in the cool seuon, and, finally, a
southward return march to the hot-seuon camp site.
The combination of agricultural and pastoral activities is more
complex among the Haiballah than in any other groUp.2& Beginning
with a gatna stop at al-Fejha in the Tamourt an-Naaj wadi (along
the east side of the tribal territory), the Haiballab then move out
onto the plateau during the rainy IeUOn. As they proceed northward
and westward during the cool, dry IeUOn, they make stops at
various agricultural areas to collect grain. Finally, as the hot Beason
approaches, they move south into the acacia forest of Tamourt
an-Naaj, where the leavee of the acacia trees form almost the sole
pastoral resource during the hot, dry months. Yet, despite the importance
of agriculture in determining where they are located at any
time in the year, they remain euentially pastoral.
Along the coast, there is little agricultural activity, but the
nomads participate in the general northward movement, parallel to
the cout, during the rainy seuon and often also during the cool,
dry season,26 although some groups make a long move from Trana
deep into the Inchiri sand dunes. 27 Once the hot, dry seuon begins,
a rapid southward shift takes place.
In conclusion, it seems significant that most of the nomads of