Eddy De Pauw

... Jebel Zawia and Jebel Wastani E. De Pauw, A. Khatib, A. Shehadeh, W. Wu, N. Batikha, A. Amri International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) June 2008 ... A Q3-4-T Pleistocene, Upper Quaternary, recent undifferentiated (loams, sandy loams, grits). ...

The countries of North Africa and West Asia, hereafter referred to as the “Near East,” cover a large part of the world (more than 7,200,000 km2). This region is characterized by diverse but generally dry climates, in which evaporation exceeds precipitation. The level of aridity is indicated by the aridity index, the ratio of annual precipitation to annual potential evapotranspiration, calculated by the Penman method (UNESCO, 1979). The degree of aridity is shown spatially in figure 16.1 and summarized per country in table 16.1. These data show that the region is characterized by humid, subhumid, semiarid, and arid to hyperarid moisture regimes. In addition, temperature regimes vary considerably, particularly due to the differences in altitudes and, to a lesser extent, due to the oceanic/continental influences. For most of the region, the precipitation generally occurs during the October–April period and thus is concentrated over the winter season. Table 16.1 shows that, with more th...

Prospects to assess and explore largely untapped plant genetic resources (PGR) collections to search for climate change related traits, such as drought and heat tolerance, as well as pest and disease resistance, are possible through new approaches such as the focused identification of germplasm strategy (FIGS). FIGS approach is based on the paradigm that any germplasm is likely to reflect the selection pressures of the environment under which it evolved. The approach uses trait and environmental data (climate data including phenology data) to develop a priori information based on the quantification of the trait-environment relationship. If a dependency between the trait and the environment is detected, the a priori information is then used to define subsets of accessions with a high probability of containing the sought after traits. The subsets of accessions are then used for a posteriori evaluation. Recent research comparing a priori and a posteriori information supports the assert...

As a source of useful agronomic trait variation, plant genetic resources have the potential to help meet the continuously increasing demand for food crops. Plant improvement depends largely on a combination of 50-60000 trait loci of the plant genome. The challenge, ...

− The identification of irrigated cropland is essential for crop monitoring, yield estimation and water management assessment in drylands. The standard approach is to use supervised classification on multispectral bands, vegetation indices or the Principal Components or, more recently, the combination of optical images with radar data. More complex methods, such as time-series analysis, sub-pixel calculation method and decision-tree based supervised classification have been proposed to differentiate the irrigated areas and identify the irrigation system. As an alternative approach to identify irrigated land, this paper introduces a simple and easily implemented algorithm, based on the logical operation and thresholding of a combination of thermal temperature (T s) and vegetation indices (e.g. NDVI). This approach is illustrated through a case study in northern Syria using Landsat TM images. The results show a good consistence with the field observations

− The identification of irrigated cropland is essential for crop monitoring, yield estimation and water management assessment in drylands. The standard approach is to use supervised classification on multispectral bands, vegetation indices or the Principal Components or, more recently, the combination of optical images with radar data. More complex methods, such as time-series analysis, sub-pixel calculation method and decision-tree based supervised classification have been proposed to differentiate the irrigated areas and identify the irrigation system. As an alternative approach to identify irrigated land, this paper introduces a simple and easily implemented algorithm, based on the logical operation and thresholding of a combination of thermal temperature (Ts) and vegetation indices (e.g. NDVI). This approach is illustrated through a case study in northern Syria using Landsat TM images. The results show a good consistence with the field observations (99%).

This paper provides a brief overview of how traditional concepts and approaches of land use planning have evolved into a more widely accepted vision of ‘land resources planning’ and its requirements for participatory processes, involvement of multi-sectoral stakeholders, and multi-thematic information at appropriate scales. Given its comprehensive ambitions, land resource planning (LRP) has a growing demand for a wide-ranging toolset, encompassing different tools in the biophysical, socio-economic, and governance (in a form of guidelines, methods, approaches and support tools). In order to collate knowledge, experiences and lessons from the LRP tools users, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) - Land and Water Division held a consultation process through a survey among a range of stakeholders operating at different levels, sectors and regions. The survey evidenced limited awareness about the current availability of tools for land use planning. To remedy ...

ABSTRACT In Syria’s northwestern Idleb region, agriculture is principally constrained by the abundance of surface rock outcrops. A key development activity in this region is therefore to remove the rocks (‘de-rocking’), using heavy equipment, and to create new land suitable for agricultural use. A two-stage approach was followed to assist the Idleb Agricultural Development Authority in targeting those areas suitable for de-rocking. In a first stage a rapid appraisal was conducted to assess potential for de-rocking, using a newly developed land use/land cover map and limited field work, but did not include a systematic soil survey. The criteria used were existing agricultural use, forest cover, excessive rockiness or slopes, nearby presence of historical and cultural sites, quarries, and potential to serve as a conservation area. On the basis of these information sources and other secondary data, integrated in a GIS system, it was possible to disqualify 85% of the study area as having no potential for de-rocking. The strongest predictor of potential for de-rocking was the land use class ‘rangelands’ on nummulithic limestones. In a second stage, using a non-hierarchical clustering procedure, 30 watersheds out of the 250 in the potential areas were selected to conduct a limited soil survey, focusing on soil depth and rockiness observations. This field dataset of soil depth and rockiness was complemented with a high-resolution soil depth map, derived from the Quickbird imagery in Google Earth, and maps of slopes, lithological materials and Wetness Index. Using this set of ‘evidence layers’, Bayesian inference methods were applied, using Expector software, to produce pixel-based probabilistic maps of soil depth and rockiness for the entire project area. With user-defined thresholds the probability maps were converted into a suitability map and a map identifying 300 hectares of primary target areas and 3,900 hectares of secondary target areas for de-rocking.

ABSTRACT Genetic resources harbor natural variation in genes and genotypes associated with traits that are strategically important for adaptation and mitigation to the changes in climate. This study predicts the germplasm accessions that may harbor natural variation of traits related to climate change adaptation. The approach considers a trait as a response variable driven by stochastic ecological and evolutionary processes. Therefore, modelling could be used for the prediction of traits associated with the climatic conditions at the geographic location of the source population where the accessions evolved. The high concordance between predictions and actual a posteriori trait evaluations strongly support the feasibility of this approach to locate and identify climate change adaptive traits such as heat and drought tolerance. Furthermore, this study provides a means to carry out in silico evaluation of germplasm that lack ex ante evaluation, which has been one of the major barriers to the sustainable use of genetic resources. The study presents the current progress of this approach using several case studies and discusses future activities relating to other research work involving natural genetic diversity and its potential to adapt and eventually mitigate climate change. Reference was also made in the discussion to functional data analysis where records are functions rather than vectors of observations, to address the uncertainties and adjust the phenological shifts induced by climate change. at http://climate.nordgen.org/program

... The key principle of all sound range management is to adapt, through spatial and temporal stock management, grazing ... [This report presents comprehensive profiles for the countries of the Near East region in respect of water resources and use and irrigation trends]. ...

This working paper provides a synthesis of the climate change assessment studies undertaken in Iraq and Jordan in the context of the IFAD-funded and ICARDA-implemented Project ‘Improving food security and climate change adaptability of livestock producers using the rainfed barley-based system in Iraq and Jordan’, leading to the production of Climate Change Atlases for both countries. The key change indicators (absolute change in seasonal precipitation, minimum and maximum temperature, and annual PET, and changes in climatic zone, agroclimatic zones, and growing periods) indicate that in both Iraq and Jordan the climate should become drier, with reduced growing periods, shifts in climatic zones, and higher temperatures and water requirements than currently. The study confirms that the trend of declining precipitation that emerges from the comparison of the current climate with the future one projected by the GCMs, is very much in line with the trend of the past. The results of a tren...

As part of an ecogeographical survey in the Jebel Wastani and Jebel Zawia hilly lands of NW Syria, a rapid appraisal was conducted to assess potential for de-rocking in currently marginal rocky areas. The study was conducted using a newly developed land use/land cover map and limited field work, which did not include a systematic soil survey. On the basis of these information sources and other secondary data integrated in a GIS system, it was possible to disqualify 85% of the study area as having no potential for de-rocking. The criteria used were existing agricultural use, forest cover, excessive rockiness or slopes, nearby presence of historical and cultural sites, quarries, and potential to serve as a conservation area. The strongest predictor of potential for de-rocking was the land use class 'rangelands' on nummulithic limestones. Introduction Under an agreement with the Syrian Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform (MAAR), a botanical and ecogeographical survey wa...

SUMMARY - The MEDRATE project has generated a comprehensive dataset on production systems and technology testing from pilot areas in the Mediterranean region. This paper makes a synthesis of environments and production systems in the pilot areas, and demonstrates that they are representative for a wide range of agricultural environments in the Mediterranean region. The paper also confirms the strong

In four villages along an agro-ecological gradient in Northwest Syria ethnopedological knowledge was assessed by means of transect walks, participatory mapping, building of soil taxonomies and semi-structured interviews. The information gathered during these exercises resulted in a farmer-led land suitability assessment of local land units. In a second stage, the study area was subjected to a multi-scale biophysical agro-ecological characterization

The identification of irrigated cropland is essential for crop monitoring, yield estimation and water management assessment in drylands. The standard approach is to use supervised classification on multispectral bands, vegetation indices or the Principal Components, or more recently, the combination of optical images with radar data. More complex methods, such as time-series analysis, sub-pixel calculation method and decision-tree based supervised classification have been proposed to differentiate the irrigated areas and identify the irrigation system. As an alternative approach to identify irrigated land, this paper introduces a simple and easily implemented algorithm, based on the logical operation and thresholding of a combination of thermal temperature (Ts) and vegetation indices (e.g. NDVI). This approach is illustrated through a case study in northern Syria using Landsat TM images. The results show a good consistence with the field observations (99%).

De-rocking as a strategy for poverty alleviation in Syria Common practice in the Mediterranean region •One of the key strategies of the Gov of Syria for removing the main constraint of the farming system, and, indirectly, for alleviating poverty. •In Syria several land reclamation projects through de-rocking since 1977 for a total area of about 0.5 million ha in higher rainfall areas •Undeniable benefits for farmers : –new agricultural land allows to make use of suitable climate through crop diversification for markets and raise livelihoods –With a small farmer investment the land value increases by a factor 10

In Syria’s northwestern Idleb region, agriculture is principally constrained by the abundance of surface rock outcrops. A key development activity in this region is therefore to remove the rocks (‘de-rocking’), using heavy equipment, and to create new land suitable for agricultural use. A two-stage approach was followed to assist the Idleb Agricultural Development Authority in targeting those areas suitable for de-rocking. In a first stage a rapid appraisal was conducted to assess potential for de-rocking, using a newly developed land use/land cover map and limited field work, but did not include a systematic soil survey. The criteria used were existing agricultural use, forest cover, excessive rockiness or slopes, nearby presence of historical and cultural sites, quarries, and potential to serve as a conservation area. On the basis of these information sources and other secondary data, integrated in a GIS system, it was possible to disqualify 85% of the study area as having no pote...

This paper presents a study on land degradation monitoring focused in the west part of the MuUs Sandy Land in Ordos, one of the important dry areas in China, aiming to understand land degradation distribution in space and time and the role of anthropogenic action in such land surface processes at local level. Multi-temporal Landsat images (MSS 1978, 1979; TM

Since the dawn of humankind's existence, the quest to provide enough food has been a major preoccupation. While many people in today's crowded world are not directly concerned with agriculture, the challenge of balancing the food production-consumption equation is still ...