Review of water energy food nexus in Africa : Morocco and South Africa as case studies

Abstract: The population of African continent is significantly increasing which has given rise to societal, economic and environmental changes. This will generate an increase in demand for food, water and energy. Thus, strategies for sustainable management of natural resources need to be adopted urgently in order to match the future needs and to ensure sustainable development on the continent. The Water Energy Food (WEF) nexus is one the avenues for studying the current and future interactions and interdependencies of the WEF sectors under different scenarios and challenges in the effort towards establishing sustainable use of natural resources. Policies around the nexus approach are few or absent at the continental and country levels. This paper is a first review on the adoption of the Nexus in two model African countries, Morocco and South Africa. The review compares the water, energy and food sectors and the related national policies, plans and frameworks. The data related to the WEF Nexus revealed key difficulties of availability in both countries. A comparative analysis of the situation in both countries demonstrated differences in policies relating to the WEF Nexus across the sectors: water, energy, and agriculture. Additionally, the paper explores the relevance of technology-assisted frameworks for the WEF nexus and also analyzed risks to agriculture and food security in the context of the reviewed countries

Genomic basis of insularity and ecological divergence in barn owls (Tyto alba) of the Canary Islands

Islands, and the particular organisms that populate them, have long fascinated biologists. Due to their isolation, islands offer unique opportunities to study the effect of neutral and adaptive mechanisms in determining genomic and phenotypical divergence. In the Canary Islands, an archipelago rich in endemics, the barn owl (Tyto alba), present in all the islands, is thought to have diverged into a subspecies (T. a. gracilirostris) on the eastern ones, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote. Taking advantage of 40 whole-genomes and modern population genomics tools, we provide the first look at the origin and genetic makeup of barn owls of this archipelago. We show that the Canaries hold diverse, long-standing and monophyletic populations with a neat distinction of gene pools from the different islands. Using a new method, less sensitive to structure than classical FST, to detect regions involved in local adaptation to insular environments, we identified a haplotype-like region likely under selection in all Canaries individuals and genes in this region suggest morphological adaptations to insularity. In the eastern islands, where the subspecies is present, genomic traces of selection pinpoint signs of adapted body proportions and blood pressure, consistent with the smaller size of this population living in a hot arid climate. In turn, genomic regions under selection in the western barn owls from Tenerife showed an enrichment in genes linked to hypoxia, a potential response to inhabiting a small island with a marked altitudinal gradient. Our results illustrate the interplay of neutral and adaptive forces in shaping divergence and early onset speciation

Breeding Habitat Requirements of Bonelli’s Eagle and Trends in Eastern Morocco: Implications for Conservation Planning

The habitat requirements and biology of the nesting Bonelli’s Eagle (Aquila fasciata) in the Moulouya river gorges of southwestern Middle Atlas were studied from 2005–2015. Fifteen to fifty-eight Bonelli’s Eagle territories were occupied in one decade and produce in averaged 1.34 fledglings per occupied site. Population of Bonelli’s Eagles in the Moulouya river gorges seems healthy, though much of the apparent growth in population must be attributed to the increase in Houbara Buastard (Chlamydotis undata), Black-bellied Sandgrouse (Pterocles orientalis) and Barbary Partridge (Alectoris barbara) in an area of 80.000 km² near the study area were a conservation and hunting game reserve was established

Health risks, governance and changes in ecotourism paradigms during Covid19 pandemic, case study of Essaouira Province in Morocco

Tourism merits on natural spaces are not exhausted, namely economic dynamics, development of the local population’s life conditions, species conservation and awareness of environmental protection. However, the damage caused by Coronavirus to natural and rural spaces has impacted such merits negatively, for example, suspension of tourism and recreation activities. Further, the rebirth of ecotourism will be slower and necessitates profound changes in travel design and service delivery. Hence, sustainability, sanitary and regulatory measures will probably help manage ecotourism systems. Nevertheless, these will be affected by the increase in exploring relations between nature and wildlife regarding zoonotic and vector-borne infections and the fragility of biodiversity. Because of his mobility, a tourist appears to be a potential pathogen transmission factor of infections to natural areas, local communities, ecotourism destinations, his country and the crossed ones. New procedures would reduce travel and control traveler’s behavior, and interactions between travelers and wild animals. The slowdown in demand may thus hinder the development of ecotourism. Sensitivity to epidemiological risk and vector-borne diseases will be greater and the need for health-friendly tourism will be further strengthened

Conflicts Between Humans and Endangered Barbary Macaques (Macaca sylvanus) at the Edge of an Agricultural Landscape in Morocco

International audienceThe expansion of shared spaces between humans and wildlife, particularly resulting from agricultural encroachment on natural habitats, leads to increasing interactions between humans and non-human primates (hereafter “primates”). We explored how crop-foraging Barbary macaques adapt their behavior to anthropogenic disturbances and identified deterrents implemented by farmers and their effectiveness. We observed three groups of crop-foraging Barbary macaques in Aïn Leuh, Morocco, in 2021-2022. We estimated their activity-budgets from 7185 scan records and tested whether they were influenced by habitat (forest, fruit orchard and cereal field). Additionally, we examined the impact of time of day, month, and age-sex class (adult female, adult male, immature) on macaque presence in cultivated areas. We also analyzed macaque responses to encounters with humans and dogs. Macaques primarily focused on feeding in cultivated areas while allocating more time to resting and socializing in forested areas. They used cultivated areas extensively during periods of human activity. Cereal fields, but not orchards, were predominantly visited by adult females rather than males or immatures. Macaques experienced 0.34 to 0.67 anthropogenic encounters per hour, with variation across months, and high rates of aggression from humans and dogs. Preemptive deterrence measures, such as using slingshots before macaques entered the crops, were more effective than confrontations inside the cultivated areas. While crop-guarding with slingshots was effective, it poses risks to the macaques. This study highlights the high risk of crop-foraging for Endangered Barbary macaques and the need to develop safer and more sustainable crop-guarding strategies to mitigate conflicts and promote human-Barbary macaque cohabitation.L’expansion d’espaces partagés entre humains et animaux sauvages, due notamment à l’empiètement des zones agricoles sur les habitats naturels, entraîne une augmentation des interactions entre humains et primates non-humains (ci-après « primates »). Nous explorons comment des magots se nourrissant dans des cultures adaptent leurs comportements face aux perturbations anthropiques. Nous identifions les moyens de dissuasion utilisés par les agriculteurs et leur efficacité. Nous avons observé trois groupes de magots se nourrissant dans des cultures à Aïn Leuh au Maroc en 2021-2022. Nous avons testé l’influence du type d’habitat (forêt, vergers et champs) sur leurs budgets-temps à partir de 7185 observations scans. Nous avons testé l’influence du moment de la journée, du mois et de la classe d’âge-sexe (femelle adulte, mâle adulte, immature) sur la présence des magots dans les cultures. Nous avons aussi analysé les réponses des magots aux rencontres avec des humains et des chiens. Les magots passaient plus de temps en alimentation et moins de temps en repos et interactions sociales dans les zones cultivées que dans les zones forestières. Ils utilisaient les cultures lors de périodes de forte activité humaine. Les champs, contrairement aux vergers, étaient majoritairement utilisés par les femelles adultes. Les magots ont subi chaque mois 0,34 à 0,67 perturbations anthropiques par heure, avec de forts taux d’agression par les humains et les chiens. Les mesures de dissuasion préventives, telles que l’utilisation de frondes contre les magots avant qu’ils entrent dans les cultures, se montraient plus efficaces que les confrontations à l’intérieur des cultures. Bien que les frondes soient efficaces pour protéger les cultures des magots, elles représentent des risques pour les magots. Cette étude met en évidence la forte tendance des magots à prendre des risques et la nécessité de développer des stratégies de dissuasion plus sûres et plus pérennes pour mitiger les conflits et permettre une cohabitation durable entre humains et magots

Geographical, Environmental and Anthropogenic Factors Affecting the Occurrence of Wintering Eurasian Spoonbills (

Investigating habitat selection and ecological factors trade-offs is a major avian ecology topic which is closely implicated for conservation purposes. Studies dealing with the impacts of ecological factors on wintering Spoonbills are overall scarce. Here, we used Principal Component Analyses (PCA) and Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMM) to test the relevance of geographical, environmental and anthropogenic factors in predicting the occupancy and abundance of the Eurasian spoonbills (Platalea leucorodia) during 2008-2011 within 28 Moroccan wetlands. The Eurasian Spoonbill mean annual occurrence was 59.2% (± 1.5% SE; 95%CI: 56.3%-62.1%). Among the occupied wetlands, 15 (83.3%) were regularly occupied. We found that the Eurasian spoonbill occurrence was negatively related to distance to coastline, altitude and human presence, whereas its abundance increased significantly with increasing mudflat areas. These findings highlight the significant effect of human presence in selecting wintering sites, but not in the prediction of abundance. Management strategies should therefore address specific attributes of coastal wetlands and should carefully consider the effects of habitat use especially those related to mudflats. We further suggest guidelines for future studies to understand the dynamic of Eurasian spoonbills wintering in the region

Behavioural adjustments of Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus) inhabiting an agricultural landscape

International audiencePrimate habitats are heavily impacted by human activities, resulting in primate populations frequently inhabiting anthropogenic landscapes. Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus) are forest-dependent monkeys whose habitats are increasingly modified by human activities. Their survival in such modified landscapes depends largely on behavioral flexibility, which they display notably by foraging in crops. Whilst Barbary macaques have been extensively studied in forests, their crop-foraging behaviors remain poorly known. In this study, we explore how Barbary macaques adjust their behavior in response to agricultural settlement and anthropogenic disturbance. The behavior of a human-commensal group living near a rural village in the Middle-Atlas (Morocco) was examined in relation to the availability of cultivated walnut, and compared with a group living in an undisturbed oak forest in Algeria. The commensal group used crops extensively, even when cultivated foods were not available, and despite high human presence and frequent aggression from people. Activity budgets were influenced by walnut availability, with the commensal group resting more, and feeding and foraging less when walnuts were available compared to when they were not. They were also influenced by habitat type, with the commensal group spending more time resting and socializing, and less time feeding and foraging than the forest group. Ranging patterns were also affected by habitat type: the commensal group travelled shorter hourly distances, and their home range and core area were, respectively, seven and five times smaller than those of the forest group. Our study reveals that Barbary macaques are able of great behavioral flexibility to adapt to anthropogenic landscapes. The use of crops by the commensal group resulted in improved foraging efficiency, the benefits of which appear to outweigh the costs induced by chasing and attacks by humans

Ajustements comportementaux du magot (Macaca sylvanus) espèce en danger vivant en bordure de paysages agricoles au Maroc

International audienceTransition zones between natural and human‐altered spaces are eroding in most terrestrial ecosystems. The persistence of animals in shared landscapes depends in part on their behavioral flexibility, which may involve being able to exploit human agricultural production. As a forest‐dependent species, the Barbary macaque ( Macaca sylvanus ) is affected by the progressive conversion of forest‐adjacent lands into crops. We explore how Barbary macaque behavior differs between groups living in a forest at the edge of agricultural zones (hereafter “disturbed groups”) and groups inhabiting undisturbed forests (hereafter “natural groups”). We compare the diets, activity‐budgets, home range sizes, daily path lengths, and sleeping site locations of the groups. We also quantify anthropogenic disturbances (i.e., rates of encounter with humans and dogs) and investigate relationships between such disturbances and the diets and activity budgets of macaques through multiple co‐inertia analysis. Disturbed groups included high proportions of cultivated food items in their diet and encountered over 0.5/h anthropogenic disturbances. Activity‐budgets differed between disturbed and natural groups and were mostly influenced by diets, not anthropogenic disturbances. Disturbed groups spent more time feeding and less time resting than natural ones. Patterns of space use differed markedly between groups, with disturbed groups displaying smaller home ranges, shorter daily path length, and much higher reutilization of sleeping sites than natural groups. This study highlights the dietary and behavioral flexibility of Barbary macaques living in human‐altered environments. Their patterns of space use suggest a reduction in energy expenditure in the disturbed groups due to the inclusion of cultivated food items in their diet possibly leading to increased foraging efficiency. However, the high rates of anthropogenic encounters, including aggressive ones, are likely stressful and may potentially induce extra energy costs and lead to macaque injuries. This could result in demographic costs for crop‐foraging groups, threatening the conservation of this endangered species.Les zones de transition entre espaces naturels et espaces impactés par les humains subissent des dégradations dans la plupart des écosystèmes terrestres. La persistance des animaux dans les paysages partagés dépend pour partie de leur flexibilité comportementale, ce qui implique des capacités à exploiter les productions agricoles.En tant qu'espèce dépendante de la forêt, le magot (Macaca sylvanus) est affecté par la conversion progressive en cultures des terres adjacentes aux forêts. Nous explorons comment le comportement des magots diffère entre des groupes vivant dans une forêt en bordure de zones agricoles (ci-après « groupes perturbés ») et des groupes habitant des forêts non perturbées (ci-après « groupes naturels »). Nous comparons les régimes alimentaires, les budgets d'activité, la taille du domaine vital, la longueur des trajets quotidiens et l'emplacement des dortoirs des groupes. Nous quantifions également les perturbations anthropiques (c'est-à-dire les taux de rencontre avec des humains et des chiens) et étudions les relations entre ces perturbations et le régime alimentaire et les budgets d'activité des macaques grâce à une analyse de co‐inertie multiple. Les groupes perturbés consommaient des proportions élevées d’aliments cultivés et ont été confrontés à plus de 0,5/h de perturbations anthropiques. Les budgets d'activité différaient entre les groupes perturbés et naturels et étaient principalement influencés par les régimes alimentaires et non par les perturbations anthropiques. Les groupes perturbés passaient plus de temps à se nourrir et moins de temps à se reposer que les groupes naturels. Les modes d’utilisation de l’espace différaient sensiblement entre groupes, les groupes perturbés affichant des domaines vitaux plus petits, une longueur de trajet quotidienne plus courte et une réutilisation des dortoirs beaucoup plus élevée que les groupes naturels. Cette étude met en évidence la flexibilité alimentaire et comportementale des magots vivant dans des environnements anthropisés. Leurs modes d'utilisation de l'espace suggèrent une réduction de la dépense énergétique dans les groupes perturbés en raison de la consommation d'aliments cultivés qui pourrait conduire à une efficacité accrue de la recherche de nourriture. Cependant, les taux élevés de rencontres anthropiques, y compris agressives, sont probablement stressants et peuvent potentiellement induire des coûts énergétiques supplémentaires et entraîner des blessures aux macaques. Cela pourrait entraîner des coûts démographiques pour les groupes qui se nourrissent dans les cultures, compromettant ainsi la conservation de cette espèce menacée

Impact of geology and climate change on wetlands: Case of Lake Aguelmam Azegza (Middle Atlas, Morocco)

The AguelmamAzegza lake is located in the Middle Atlas mountain range, this region consists of carbonate rocks of Lias. It is the best-watered and richest region in Morocco in terms of wetlands, especially natural lakes, rivers and fresh springs. The lake’s water supply is ensured by the inflows of water in the form of underwater sources fed by precipitation (rain and snow) following tectonics and the genesis of karstic formations by the dissolution of carbonate rocks. The declining trend in lake levels in recent years results from the decrease in precipitation which decreases during these years

Behavioural adjustments of Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus) inhabiting an agricultural landscape

International audiencePrimate habitats are heavily impacted by human activities, resulting in primate populations frequently inhabiting anthropogenic landscapes. Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus) are forest-dependent monkeys whose habitats are increasingly modified by human activities. Their survival in such modified landscapes depends largely on behavioral flexibility, which they display notably by foraging in crops. Whilst Barbary macaques have been extensively studied in forests, their crop-foraging behaviors remain poorly known. In this study, we explore how Barbary macaques adjust their behavior in response to agricultural settlement and anthropogenic disturbance. The behavior of a human-commensal group living near a rural village in the Middle-Atlas (Morocco) was examined in relation to the availability of cultivated walnut, and compared with a group living in an undisturbed oak forest in Algeria. The commensal group used crops extensively, even when cultivated foods were not available, and despite high human presence and frequent aggression from people. Activity budgets were influenced by walnut availability, with the commensal group resting more, and feeding and foraging less when walnuts were available compared to when they were not. They were also influenced by habitat type, with the commensal group spending more time resting and socializing, and less time feeding and foraging than the forest group. Ranging patterns were also affected by habitat type: the commensal group travelled shorter hourly distances, and their home range and core area were, respectively, seven and five times smaller than those of the forest group. Our study reveals that Barbary macaques are able of great behavioral flexibility to adapt to anthropogenic landscapes. The use of crops by the commensal group resulted in improved foraging efficiency, the benefits of which appear to outweigh the costs induced by chasing and attacks by humans