The effect of human activities on the deterioration of the Artemisia herba alba plant in the Sultan area, northern eastern part of Libya

Abstract

The study was conducted in the Sultan area on the coastal strip of the Saluq plain, which is one of the most important grazing areas in the northeastern part of Libya. The area has a long history of overuse, as this area is characterized by intense human pressure on rainfed agriculture, grazing and urban expansion. The study aimed to assess the current status of wormwood and the impact of grazing animals on it. The study area is located between the green belt and the city of Ajdabiya, where human activities are active. According to statistics obtained from the Agriculture and Livestock Sector in Sultan Municipality, the number of sheep and goats reached 224,675 heads, the number of camels 1,508 heads, the number of horses 94 heads, and the number of cows 60 heads (Agriculture and Livestock Sector, Zueitina Sultan). This area has been greatly affected by various human activities, such as intensive plowing, overgrazing, intensive agricultural operations, and others to remove the vegetation cover, for the prposeof planting and exploiting it for various purposes, and many land trampling operations. Which affects the plant environment in the region (Al-Amrouni 2005)