Forest resources in the Ourika watershed are subject to several anthropogenic and climatic degradation factors. As for the human factor, this degradation of forest resources is explained by the bad practices exercised by the local population expressed by the cutting of live wood, carbonization, and overgrazing. In terms of the climatic factor, the decrease in the amount of rainfall and the increase in temperature contribute to the exacerbation of the degradation of these resources. In order to better understand the evolution of plant cover in a changing climate context, this study highlights an assessment of the impact of climate change on forest dynamics based on a process-based model at the forest landscape scale which makes it possible to simulate the changes according to growth, succession, disturbances (fire, wind, insects, etc), forest management, and land use change. This analysis is based on the use of the LANDIS-II model and the PnET-succession extension. Projections of the dynamics of forest communities are made using climate projections from the Japanese global circulation model adopted by Morocco (model for interdisciplinary research on climate – earth system models) and this by adopting the two climate scenarios , representative concentration pathways 4.5 and 8.5. The results obtained highlight the spatial distribution of the ecosystems studied after 100 years with a quantitative evaluation of the total average biomass of these resources as a function of climatic disturbances. In general, the estimated total biomass will decline over the coming years under the joint effect of the climate change and the aging of forest stands, while on the other hand, the distribution of potential areas for species settlement remains independent of the effect of these climate changes.

Land use/land cover (LULC) change information is crucial for monitoring purposes, formulating strategies, socioeconomic progress, and decision-making. The main objective of this study is to analyze and quantify the changes in land use and land cover patterns within the Maamora forest in Morocco,...

Forest fragmentation, characterized by the reduction of forested areas and changes in their spatial distribution, greatly affects the balance of the physical environment, biodiversity, and species richness. This study aims to assess forest fragmentation and analyze overall landscape heterogeneity using landscape metrics within the Maâmora forest, the largest oak forest in Morocco, covering an area of approximately 133,000 hectares. Landsat imagery spanning a 33-years period (1989-2022) was collected and processed to evaluate forest fragmentation throughout the research period. The results revealed a downward trend in forest land class, whereas bare land, settlements, and paved roads showed an increase in area. From 1989 to 2022, forest land decreased by 15.27% relative to its initial extent in 1989, while bare land, settlements, and paved roads increased by 14.83%, 0.18%, and 0.26%, respectively. The study area was progressively fragmented, as evidenced by increased values of Patch Number (41.29%), Patch Density (41.11%), Edge Density (25.89%), and Interspersion and Juxtaposition Index (17.45%), alongside decreased values of Largest Patch Index (43.24%), Aggregation Index (3.38%) and Effective mesh size (64.67%) at the class level. Moreover, at the landscape level, the Number of Patches, Shannon Diversity Index, and Simpson Diversity Index increased by 33.3%, 15.31%, and 18.03%, respectively, whereas the Contagion Index decreased by 15.65% during the study period. These changes are primarily driven by logging, agricultural expansion, overgrazing, and infrastructure development, which increase habitat fragmentation and reduce ecological connectivity. The findings highlight the adverse effects of land cover change and forest landscape fragmentation, providing spatially explicit information to guide restoration programs and sustainable land-use planning aimed at conserving the Maâmora oak forest.

Characterizing genetic diversity and structure is paramount in wildlife conservation management. Surprisingly, however, there are species that, despite being intensively managed, are largely overlooked in terms of genetic makeup. The Barbary partridge (Alectoris barbara), a medium-sized galliform native to northern Africa, is one such exemplary case. Since the early 2000s, a couple of breeding farms in Morocco have been operating using wild breeders. At that time, no genetic data were available for local wild populations, nor had the founders been genetically screened. After two decades, the degree of genetic diversity of wild Barbary partridge populations remains unknown. In this study, we genotyped the mitochondrial DNA control region (ca. 1000 bp) in wild and captive A. barbara populations from Morocco. Overall, we found a high and well-distributed genetic diversity, with a moderate differentiation between captive and wild populations likely attributable to either the sharing of widespread and allegedly ancestral haplotypes or the extensive release of farm-reared individuals. Nevertheless, the occurrence of private haplotypes across all the wild populations calls for separate management. A more comprehensive sampling and the use of genome-wide loci is advisable to achieve a thorough understanding of the genetic diversity of the Barbary partridge and define management units accordingly.

The coexistence of natural and planted forests is a significant feature in the Mediterranean and other regions of the world. Understanding this dynamic is crucial for assessing forest management. The purpose of this research is to provide a long-term scientific assessment of forest cover dynamics...