The role of Nucularia perrinii Batt. (Chenopodiaceae) in the camel-based Sahrawi social-ecological system
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RESEARCH
Open Access
The role of Nucularia perrinii Batt. (Chenopodiaceae) in the camel-based Sahrawi social-ecological system Gabriele Volpato1 and Antonello Di Nardo2*
Abstract Background: Pastoral social-ecological systems (SESs) are adaptive and complex systems rooted in the extensive exploitation of forage plants for livestock-based livelihoods and culture. There are species and relations that are foundational to the existence of these SESs. Nucularia perrinii Batt. (Chenopodiaceae) is an endemic halophyte plant of central and western Sahara seldom cited in the scientific literature. The objective of this study was to investigate the role of this plant in the SES of the Sahrawi camel nomads of Western Sahara. Methods: The data analyzed were collected in the Sahrawi refugee camps of Algeria and in Western Sahara between 2006 and 2010. Fieldwork included semi-structured (n = 38) and retrospective (n = 12) interviews with Sahrawi refugees, nomads, and camel owners about N. perrinii and associated topics (e.g. distribution, importance for camels, camel diseases, associated grazing practices, other forage plants, etc.). Results: Askaf, as the Sahrawi call the plant, is crucial to camels’ survival, providing salts and water even during dry spells. It holds a pivotal role in the Sahrawi culture, defining the geographical boundaries of the Sahrawi SES and relating the grazing territory with the taste it gives to camel milk, which support the inclusion of askaf as a main element of Sahrawi cultural identity. Conclusions: We argue that N. perrinii ties the ecology of the western Sahara desert with camel husbandry and associated livelihoods, and further with the culture and worldview of the Sahrawi nomads. We stress the keystone role that some forage plants may have in extensive pastoral SESs worldwide. Keywords: Pastoral nomads, Salty pastures, Dromedary camel, Sahara, Grazing resources, Milk taste, Cultural identity
Background ‘Social-ecological systems’ (SESs) are defined as complex, integrated systems in which humans and nature coevolve, emphasising, with the use of this term, the artificial and arbitrary delineation between a social and an ecological realm [1, 2]. The SES approach recognises that there is an intimate interaction between local ecosystems and their dynamics, on the one hand, and the social, cultural, and economic characteristics and dynamics of communities and societies, on the other hand. SESs are based on specific sets of animal and plant species (including humans) and on their interactions [3, 4]. Pastoral SESs, in particular, depend on livestock * Correspondence: [email protected] 2 The Pirbright Institute, Pirbright, Woking, Surrey, UK Full list of author information is available at the end of the article
species, on forage plants, on the technical relation deployed to feed livestock (e.g. mobility), and on the social and cultural norms and beliefs that glue these relations in a whole [5]. Grazing species, livestock portfolio, and humans are the backbone of complex systems a
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