Analysis and Assessment of Changes in Land use and Land Degradation in The Steppes Using Spatial Tools: A Case Study of the Naama Region

In recent years, the steppe rangelands have suffered severe degradation due to the combined effects of human and natural pressure. This deterioration can be seen in the decline in vegetation cover, the disappearance of certain species, the intensive silting up of agricultural and non-agricultural land and the appearance of large bare areas, preparing the soil for harmful wind and water erosion. Faced with this situation. However, it is essential to be able to analyze and assess the vegetation cover and the extent of the sands, in order to identify problem areas (degradation).The aim of this study is to show the contribution of remote sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in mapping changes in land use and the degradation of agricultural land in the steppe region of Naama between 1987 and 2019.The method used is based on digital processing of multi-date images from Landsat 5 and 8 sensors (supervised classification and calculation of TS soil temperature).The results of this work show an increase in agricultural land and psammophyte trails. The surface area of bare soil and esparto trails, on the other hand, has declined as a result of silting and overgrazing.