Inventaire écologie & biodiversité

• Protected areas

As a main result of the strength relationship that the UNESCO International Centre for the Mediterranean Biosphere Reserves (MBR) has established with different Moroccan high-level institutions, two Moroccan Biospheres Reserves (Arganeraie BR and Oasis du Sud du Marocain BR) has been included in the Mediterranean Biosphere Reserve Network. This is a significant output of the Geopark Project.

• Biodiversity conservation (fauna)

In this project four annual campaigns were carried out (2015-2018) by UAB-ICTA team, between May and July. The samplings are realized in transects covering all the bioclimatic stages (high mountain, half a mountain and low mountain), in every unit of landscape, and censuses of birds being carried out between 1-3km. The data collected during field observations between 2015 and 2018, including the coordinates, the name of the species, were registered, and then the sampling points on Figures were represented in the UTM 1x1 km grid.

As result, we have registered a total of 3 species of mammals, 12 species of reptiles and 5 amphibians’ species:

The plant diversity team of UAB surveyed on 56 sites along 11 itineraries within and adjacent to the aspiring geopark boundary, with a focus on taxa of presumed importance for appearing to be rare or endemic (table below). Duplicates of specimen, once all fully identified, will be deposited at the Herbarium of Cadi Ayyad University (MARK).

Three studies have contributed to the implementation of this task: Participatory mapping, Children’s drawing as an empowering tool and Sustainable tourism.

Through Participatory Mapping (PM), the research team aims to recognize the socio-ecological knowledge of the local population in the Zat valley in Morocco to contribute to a better understanding of the complex interconnectedness of the natural environment and its inhabitants. Furthermore, this work seeks to better understand the aspiration of the community members for future development, assuming that PM is an effective methodology for these purposes.

The experience of PM was carried out with 12 local participants, equally distributed by men and women. Based on their participation by mapping the 93 pictures to establish local maps, an ArcMap has been produced using landscape units division.

In this task, the two indicators for global change, Juniperus thurifera forests and birds, has been studied by UAB-ICTA research team.

For sentinel landscape of global change, the study site is located in the Yagour plateau (Figure 2.230) and covers an area of 52.2 ha, where Juniperus thurifera can be considered as an open forest. Study results show that the population of Juniperus thurifera is an open forest with low density, although is almost the double of the average for the species in Morocco. The individuals are quite old, as shown by tree-ring sampled cores, with a maximum of 462 years. The health status of the population is quite good although the lack of recruitment shows a decline that can be a problem for the viability of the population in the long term. Climate change could be affecting recruitment. Theplot design is intended to be periodically sampled to monitor the evolution in recruitment and senescence parameters, as indicators of global change processes. Evolution through time of this indicators will allow the interpretation of the occurring processes. Dendrochronology has a potential to be a good indicator for the relation between climate and ring growth. Future research is needed in this field.

As to use common bird populations as an indicator of the global change, researchershave determined a total of 2 transects of which two has been conducted during the breeding season of 2017 and 2018, one located at Yagour’s Plateau (2017) and another at low altitudes, at the village of Tighdouine (2018). At Yagour’s transect, the number of species is low, typical of the high altitudes and the homogeneous landscape. Species typically from rocky areas as Black Wheatear are present. The transect starts at village where scattered trees and small orchads are present, so more species are recorded, through the transect we arrive at high elevations were the number of species decreases. At high elevations is notorious the presence of Chough were we heve fond recorded up to 1000 individuals. At Tighdouine, a total of 30 species were recorded. Compared with the transect of Yagour’s, the number of species is high due to the characteristics of the transect: Tighdouine is located at down of the valley and the transect across part of the village, orchads and the river. So, many different habitats are present presenting a high biodiversity. Typical species of Moroccan villages such as House Bunting, Common Bulbul and Eurasian Collared-Dove are verey common. Bird species present by the presence of river includes Cetti’s Warbler, Cattle Egrett and GrayWagtail. Finally, from orchads and scattered forests, some interesting species has appeared such as Melodious Warbler, Cirl Bunting and Spotted Flycatcher.

In addition, researchers propose to determine potential transects, covering altogether practically all of the ecosystems presents at Zat Valley. The importance of this methodology is its constant over the time in order to check for changes, especially of those common species. So, this proposal, over time, could become a true CBMS (Common Bird Monitoring Scheme) as other inciatives through Europe (PECBMS, 2018).

During the scientific campaigns, 57 vegetation samples were collected from the study area to elaborate the herbarium of the Zat Valley. All the vegetation samples compiled were previously pressed and classified for being placed into the herbarium. Each file is composed by the scientific name of the specie, the date and the localization where the sample was found.

Juniperus thuriferais defined as one of the main landscape units which compose the Zat’s Valley. In that sense, and to enhance the Juniperus thurifera forests and its socioecological heritage into the Zat’s Valley area, it was developed a scientific illustration. This material could help to clarify certain concepts and to get an image that synthesis the scientific and socioecological heritage information of the vegetation community. This information could be difficult to capture through another means such as photography but, the bridge between art and science build through the elaboration of the scientific illustration idealizes and clarifies the message which is intended to transfer.

In addition, two transects were elaborated as graphical representations of the most dominant biodiversity and cultural elements presents indifferent landscape units which compose the study area. Transects were developed to define the different landscape units found in the study area. The elaboration of these transects help to valorise the socioecological heritage of the area. In addition, this material could be used as an educational tool for the civil society and schools to describe and to understand the different landscape units and its potential biodiversity.

Boada Junca M., Maneja  Zaragoza R., Marles  Magre J., Pujantell  J.,  Sanchez -Mateo S.,  Barriocanal Lozano  C.(2019)  Interpréter les paysages d’un point de vue socio-écologique : une approche méthodologique de la vallée du Zat (Maroc) . in Girault Y. (Dir.) Les géoparcs mondiaux UNESCO : une mise en tension entre développement des territoires et mise en valeur du patrimoine. ISTE éditions, Londres, 285P., pp169 -184