Lygeum spartum Loefl. ex L., is a perennial spontaneous fodder species present in many steppe of the western Mediterranean basin. Because it can provide relatively high livestock productivity, the plant is proposed for the rehabilitation of the weakened pastures. Knowledge of L. spartum‘s responses to abiotic factors that can be around it, could help for the sustainable rehabilitation of pastures threatened with desertification. During two seasons, autumn and spring, in two sites, and under two bioclimate semi-arid and arid, at Laghouat (Algeria), clump size and physiological parameters of L. spartum are analyzed. On its fresh leaves are performed measurements of water content, total chlorophyll, soluble sugars and proline. For both sites are carried out physicochemical soil analysis and climatic synthesis. Aridity Index for the two sites are respectively 0.26 and 0.06. Both soils, are sandy textured, alkaline, non saline, have a cation exchange capacity 5%. Depending on the bioclimate and the season, L. spartum’s clumps volume are between 0.013-0.313m3, in its leaves: water content is ranged between 8.20-24.16%, chlorophyll and soluble sugars content were respectively in the range of 0.85-1.31mg/g FM; 17.45-89.9mg/g FM, and the accumulated proline content between 2.6910-8-10-3mmol/g FM. The behavioral feature of L. spartum is an osmotic adjustment under drought stress. The plant is more constraint under the arid bioclimate where its growth is slow down. The findings show that aridity increase would be threatening for L. spartum.
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