Relation between agrobiodiversity level and microclimate characteristics in Kebili oases, Tunisia

Oases in Tunisia are vulnerable to climate change effects including warming and water scarcity.
The presence and the characteristics of vegetation in oases play a significant role in shaping the microclimate.
In Tunisia, oases are categorized based on their agrobiodiversity level, with one-layer oases consisting only of date palm, and three-layer oases with date palm in the first layer, fruit trees in the second, and annual crops in the third one.
To check the difference in microclimate characteristics between a one-layer plot and a three-layer plot, two weather stations were installed in El Barghouthia oasis (Kebili region, southern Tunisia) one in a one-layer plot and the second in a three-layer plot.
Temperature, humidity, wind speed and wind gust were collected every 10 min at each station for three years.
Comparing the records from the two oases during the monitoring period, we found that the one-layer plot had higher daily temperatures, wind speed and wind gust, while the three-layer plot had higher humidity levels.
The lower temperature, wind speed and wind gust, along with the higher humidity observed in the three-layer plot indicated the presence of distinct microclimate characteristics.
This could be attributed to the dense vegetation in the three-layer plot, which created a phenomenon called “cold island effect”. Our findings emphasized the importance of preserving and managing agrobiodiversity levels within oasis plots, which may create further favorable microclimates and enhance the adaptative ability of these unique ecosystems to face climate change.

V All Africa Horticultural Congress – AAHC2024

H. Benmoussa, N. El Kadri, A. Ben Ahmed, N. Ben Aissa, M. Ben Mimoun

date palm, three-layer oasis, one-layer oasis, air humidity, climate change, temperature extremes, wind damages

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2025.1422.40