Management practices of sheep genetic resources in the Moroccan High Atlas: impacts on productivity and the extensive dimension of livestock systems

This study investigates sheep farming systems in the central High Atlas of Morocco, focusing on the adaptive practices employed to address environmental and socio-economic constraints. Based on interviews with 50 breeders distributed across an altitudinal gradient, the findings highlight a diversity of strategies that integrate the management of genetic animal resources with feeding practices. The study identifies four farming systems grouped into two main categories: sedentary and semi-sedentary systems (T1, T2, and T3), and the transhumant system (T4). T1 and T2 prioritize high-performance sheep breeds, particularly the Sardi, achieving a fertility rate of 84% and an average weight productivity of 17.50 kg/LU/year. These systems are characterized by systematic and substantial year-round feed supplementation and reduced reliance on natural grazing lands. T3, based on the Timahdite breed, demonstrates intermediate performance, with a fertility rate of 79 % and a weight productivity of 16 kg/LU/year. Conversely, transhumant systems (T4), which rely on locally adapted sheep populations such as the Tirahaline, exhibit lower fertility rates (75 %) and reduced weight productivity (15.30 kg/LU/year). However, they employ extensive and collective grazing management practices, enabling adaptation to the spatial and temporal variability of pastoral resources. These findings underscore the importance of local breeds in enhancing the resilience of pastoral farming systems and highlight the need for public support to reconcile economic performance, ecological sustainability, and ecosystem preservation in the face of climate change.