TheImprovement ofTropical and Subtropical Rangelands
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TheImprovement ofTropical and Subtropical Rangelands

TheImprovement ofTropical and Subtropical Rangelands TheImprovement ofTropical and Subtropical Rangelands

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232 IMPROVl:1tlENT 0' TROPlOAL AND 8UBTROPlOAL RANGIfLANDS .. .I \ '. Mekne,· Mov'lII,nl to Winl" - Pa,tUft Mov,m,nt 10 5_111" ........ POIlur, OLand ov" 2000 _ III. '\~ Major Pall o'-- 25 -.. rlGURE 2-1 Arab. of the Middle Atlu (after ~l'ri.r ad Joly).6

THE BENI MGUILD OF MOROOOO 238 Although the Azaghar is occupied by other nomadic groups during the summer, these groups withdraw toward the coast during the winter and, except for the agriculturists, the Azaghar is left to the Beni Mguild. 22 The Azaghar is occupied throughout the winter months; the herds utilize the pastures made rich and verdant by the winter rains. Once the snow is melted at the passes, usually about the beginning of March, and movement back to the Moulouya Valley becomes possible, the Beni Mguild leave the Azaghar. They retrace their steps, following the same route in March as they did in November; this migration usually takes an entire month. By April, the Beni Mguild are back in the Moulouya Valley. Their tents are dispersed along the edges of the irrigated fields and their animals are pastured in the fields, thereby providing fertiliser for the next agricultural cycle. 23 At the end of the month, the fields have been planted and the Beni Mguild are ready to move once again. This time, the movement is toward the high mountain pastures made available by the melting snow, for with the steppe either planted in cereals or drying up, and with the Azagher occupied by peasant agriculturalists or other nomads, only the upland pastures, over 2,200 m, remain to be exploited. These mountain pastures are divided in the same way as the lowland pastures, and each tribe knows what area is assigned to it and what forest areas are open to its animals. 24 In the beginning of July, the herds move out, crouing into Wadi Serrou and then turning north to Aguelmane-Azigza and the slopes of Jabal Tamarakoit in a repetition of the initial stages of their winter moves. 26 May and June are spent in carrying out this move with the herds grazing slowly upslope through the forests, much to the chagrin ofthe forest service. Only the Ait Messaoud fail to participate fully in this movement. Driven from the Moulouya Valley by the desiccation of its pastures, the Ait Messaoud, like the rest of the Beni Mguild, send many oftheir herds to the northern slopes and plateaus of the High Atlas where, shaded from the full impact of the sun's rays, adequate pasturage can be found. 2e Not everyone follows the herds to the upland pastures, since someone must stay behind to guard the family fields. The Beni M~ild poaess both large- and small-size tents, and it is the size of the tent accompanying the herds, as opposed to the me of the tent remaining behind on the agricultural fields, that indicates the relative importance of herding activities. 21 Among the Ait Ougadir, the large tent goes with the herds into the mountains, whereas the

232 IMPROVl:1tlENT 0' TROPlOAL AND 8UBTROPlOAL RANGIfLANDS<br />

..<br />

.I<br />

\ '.<br />

Mekne,·<br />

Mov'lII,nl to Winl"<br />

- Pa,tUft<br />

Mov,m,nt 10 5_111"<br />

........ POIlur,<br />

OL<strong>and</strong> ov" 2000<br />

_<br />

III.<br />

'\~ Major Pall<br />

o'--<br />

25<br />

-..<br />

rlGURE 2-1<br />

Arab. of the Middle Atlu (after ~l'ri.r ad Joly).6

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