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Anabasis aretioides, endemic to North Africa, is a cushion-forming plant particularly well-adapted to the climatic constraints of arid zones. This shrub is exploited by the local population for kitchen fuel, as a medicinal plant and for staking Saharan trails. We conducted a survey of the structure, mortality and recruitment in four Algerian populations in order to determine the impact of climate and human exploitation on A. aretioides dynamics. Our results show that the species is declining dramatically and that overexploitation combined with unfavourable climatic conditions are responsible. In three out of the four populations studied, the number of individuals dropped by half between 1994 and 1997, and there were not enough individuals to continue the survey in 2004. Recruitment was sporadic, with no regeneration during several years at some sites, but we found no relation with climatic conditions. However, regional climate seems to be the most determinant factor for plant growth : high growths were measured at all sites in 1996, and at the Mazzer site in 2006 and 2010, all corresponding to years with moderate to high rainfall. Although the results of the present study remain exploratory, they nonetheless raise concerns regarding the conservation and structures of A. aretioides populations in South-West Algeria.