TheImprovement ofTropical and Subtropical Rangelands

328 IMPROVEMENT OF TROPICAL AND SUBTROPICAL RANGELANDS
Practically the same system of grazing management has been
maintained, except that about 600 ha are now completely protected
from grazing to allow for natural forest regeneration (Zweitina area).
The rest of the area is now grazed only by flocks ofsheep; previously,
it was grazed mainly by goats. It seems that a smaller number of
animals are now being grazed throughout the year, compared with a
much larger number during the winter season only.3
In the higher altitude of the hema (Zweitina area) at 800-900 m,
where grazing has completely stopped (since August 1972), regeneration
of Pistacia palaestina, PJlrus sJlriaca, and AmJlzgdalus orientalu
has been satisfactory. Otherwise, all over the hema, Artemuia
herba-alba and Salsola vermiculata form the main vegetative cover,
indicating that annual precipitation might be between 200 and 250
Mm.
In a few villages south of the Hassia-Breig region, smaller mahmiat
are managed as range reserves for the benefit of village flocks.
Both ourf and government orders support efficient control of these
reserves.
The p088ibility of application and use of the same system of
grazing in adjacent areas and under similar conditions appears encouraging.
NEGLECT OF THE BEMA AND ITS CONSEQUENCES
In Saudi Arabia, marked denudation of plant cover occurred in
most of the previously protected ahmia as a result of free grazing of
these reserves that took place through misunderstanding of the 1953
decree. While this decree was meant to replace the grazing rights
of ahmia only so long as they were protected by the local ahmirs
in different regions with grazing animals owned by the government,
the decree was interpreted by the various authorities as withdrawal
of all controlled grazing measures, thus allowing free grazing. Resultant
denudation of the plant cover in these range reserves led to
serious soil erosion associated with frequent, destructive floods. Consequently,
most of the ancient dams and water conservation systems
that previously worked efficiently under the prevailing climate conditions
and protective measures of the hema system failed to withstand
the flooding and siltation that occurred when protective vegetative
cover was destroyed.
Meanwhile, large amounts of runoff water have created another
serious problem. After any appreciable rainstorm, the floodwater