Analyse de la Biodiversité floristique des zones humides du maroc. Flore rare menacée et halophile

Analysis of the moroccan wetlands floristical diversity: rare, threatened and halophilous flora. The moroccan wetlands flora shows a great floristical richness of these ecosystems, estimated at more than 670 species and subspecies (83 families) which can be supplemented by at least 272 others taxa considered rather as terrestrials but can colonize periodically these biotopes. This flora shows a rate of endemism close to 6,5 %, but the most fact is the great proportion of rare or threatened taxa (estimated at 34%). The halophilous flora was a subjet of particular comment considering the prevalence of the salt biotopes in Morocco, either by the number or the extent of the sites. It counts 115 species and subspecies distributed among 20 families

Ten-year survey of breeding Anatidae of Lake Sidi Boughaba (North-western Marocco): status, tendencies of change and avenues for future research

A ten years survey of duck species was carried out in the Ramsar site and Important Bird Area (IBA) of Sidi Boughaba. No such survey has ever been conducted before in Morocco to study the change in number of breeding duck species in the country. Overall results have shown the appearance of new breeding species in the site : Red-crested Pochard (Netta rufina), Common Pochard (Aythya ferina) and White-Headed Duck (Oxyura leucocephala). Other species have become more regular like Gadwall (Anas strepera) and Ferruginous Duck (Aythya nyroca) while the vulnerable Marbled Teal (Marmaronetta angustirostris) and the Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) continue to breed in this wetland with numbers that remain stable though the numbers of females with ducklings are decreasing in these two species. The number of breeding ducks species in this wetland is the highest in Morocco and in the Maghreb. The overall results showed that the numbers of Gadwall, Red-crested Pochard, Common Pochard and Ferruginous Duck are markedly increasing following the same expansion patterns at both regional and Mediterranean levels. The initiation of similar researches on other wetlands is essential to assess the abundance of duck populations and indicate trends of this breeding waterfowl group at larger scalesUn suivi sur dix ans des anatidés nicheurs a été effectué sur le site Ramsar et la Zone d'Importance pour la conservation des Oiseaux (ZICO) de Sidi Boughaba. Sur ce site, trois espèces ont récemment niché il s'agit de la Nette rousse (Netta rufina), du Fuligule milouin (Aythya ferina) et de l'Érismature à tête blanche (Oxyura leucocephala). D'autres espèces sont devenues plus régulières comme le Chipeau (Anas strepera) et le Fuligule nyroca (Aythya nyroca) alors que la Sarcelle marbrée (Marmaronetta angustirostris) et le Colvert (Anas platyrhynchos) continuent de s'y reproduire avec des effectifs qui demeurent stables malgré un nombre de femelles avec canetons qui ne cesse de chuter. Le nombre d'espèces d'anatidés nicheurs recensé sur ce plan d'eau reste des plus élevés au Maroc et au Maghreb. Les résultats ont montré que les effectifs des Chipeaux, Nettes rousses, Fuligules milouins et Fuligules nyrocas sont en net accroissement, suivant généralement la même dynamique d'expansion que celle enregistrée aux niveaux régional et méditerranéen. L'initiation de recherches similaires sur d'autres sites humides est primordiale pour évaluer l'abondance et préciser les tendances démographiques de ce groupe d'oiseaux d'eau nicheurs à une échelle spatiale beaucoup plus grande

Benefits of protected areas for nonbreeding waterbirds adjusting their distributions under climate warming

Climate warming is driving changes in species distributions and community composition. Many species have a so-called climatic debt, that is, shifts in range lag behind shifts in temperature isoclines. Inside protected areas (PAs), community changes in response to climate warming can be facilitated by greater colonization rates by warm-dwelling species, but also mitigated by lowering extirpation rates of cold-dwelling species. An evaluation of the relative importance of colonization-extirpation processes is important to inform conservation strategies that aim for both climate debt reduction and species conservation. We assessed the colonization-extirpation dynamics involved in community changes in response to climate inside and outside PAs. To do so, we used 25 years of occurrence data of nonbreeding waterbirds in the western Palearctic (97 species, 7071 sites, 39 countries, 1993-2017). We used a community temperature index (CTI) framework based on species thermal affinities to investigate species turnover induced by temperature increase. We determined whether thermal community adjustment was associated with colonization by warm-dwelling species or extirpation of cold-dwelling species by modeling change in standard deviation of the CTI (CTISD). Using linear mixed-effects models, we investigated whether communities in PAs had lower climatic debt and different patterns of community change than communities outside PAs. For CTI and CTISD combined, communities inside PAs had more species, higher colonization, lower extirpation, and lower climatic debt (16%) than communities outside PAs. Thus, our results suggest that PAs facilitate 2 independent processes that shape community dynamics and maintain biodiversity. The community adjustment was, however, not sufficiently fast to keep pace with the large temperature increases in the central and northeastern western Palearctic. Our results underline the potential of combining CTI and CTISD metrics to improve understanding of the colonization-extirpation patterns driven by climate warming.Peer reviewe

Positive impacts of important bird and biodiversity areas on wintering waterbirds under changing temperatures throughout Europe and North Africa

Migratory waterbirds require an effectively conserved cohesive network of wetland areas throughout their range and life-cycle. Under rapid climate change, protected area (PA) networks need to be able to accommodate climate-driven range shifts in wildlife if they are to continue to be effective in the future. Thus, we investigated geographical variation in the relationship between local temperature anomaly and the abundance of 61 waterbird species during the wintering season across Europe and North Africa during 1990-2015. We also compared the spatio-temporal effects on abundance of sites designated as PAs, Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs), both, or neither designation (Unlisted). Waterbird abundance was positively correlated with temperature anomaly, with this pattern being strongest towards north and east Europe. Waterbird abundance was higher inside IBAs, whether they were legally protected or not. Trends in waterbird abundance were also consistently more positive inside both protected and unprotected IBAs across the whole study region, and were positive in Unlisted wetlands in southwestern Europe and North Africa. These results suggest that IBAs are important sites for wintering waterbirds, but also that populations are shifting to unprotected wetlands (some of which are IBAs). Such IBAs may therefore represent robust candidate sites to expand the network of legally protected wetlands under climate change in north-eastern Europe. These results underscore the need for monitoring to understand how the effectiveness of site networks is changing under climate change.Peer reviewe

Dix années de suivi des anatidés nicheurs sur le lac de Sidi Boughaba (Nord-ouest Marocain) : Situation, tendances d’évolution et perspectives de recherche

Ten-year survey of breeding Anatidae of Lake Sidi Boughaba (North-western Marocco) : status, tendencies of change and avenues for future research. A ten years survey of duck species was carried out in the Ramsar site and Important Bird Area (IBA) of Sidi Boughaba. No such survey has ever been conducted before in Morocco to study the change in number of breeding duck species in the country. Overall results have shown the appearance of new breeding species in the site : Red-crested Pochard (Netta rufina), Common Pochard (Aythya ferina) and White-Headed Duck (Oxyura leucocephala). Other species have become more regular like Gadwall (Anas strepera) and Ferruginous Duck (Aythya nyroca) while the vulnerable Marbled Teal (Marmaronetta angustirostris) and the Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) continue to breed in this wetland with numbers that remain stable though the numbers of females with ducklings are decreasing in these two species. The number of breeding ducks species in this wetland is the highest in Morocco and in the Maghreb. The overall results showed that the numbers of Gadwall, Red-crested Pochard, Common Pochard and Ferruginous Duck are markedly increasing following the same expansion patterns at both regional and Mediterranean levels. The initiation of similar researches on other wetlands is essential to assess the abundance of duck populations and indicate trends of this breeding waterfowl group at larger scales.Un suivi sur dix ans des anatidés nicheurs a été effectué sur le site Ramsar et la Zone d’Importance pour la conservation des Oiseaux (ZICO) de Sidi Boughaba. Sur ce site, trois espèces ont récemment niché il s’agit de la Nette rousse (Netta rufina), du Fuligule milouin (Aythya ferina) et de l’Érismature à tête blanche (Oxyura leucocephala). D’autres espèces sont devenues plus régulières comme le Chipeau (Anas strepera) et le Fuligule nyroca (Aythya nyroca) alors que la Sarcelle marbrée (Marmaronetta angustirostris) et le Colvert (Anas platyrhynchos) continuent de s’y reproduire avec des effectifs qui demeurent stables malgré un nombre de femelles avec canetons qui ne cesse de chuter. Le nombre d’espèces d’anatidés nicheurs recensé sur ce plan d’eau reste des plus élevés au Maroc et au Maghreb. Les résultats ont montré que les effectifs des Chipeaux, Nettes rousses, Fuligules milouins et Fuligules nyrocas sont en net accroissement, suivant généralement la même dynamique d’expansion que celle enregistrée aux niveaux régional et méditerranéen. L’initiation de recherches similaires sur d’autres sites humides est primordiale pour évaluer l’abondance et préciser les tendances démographiques de ce groupe d’oiseaux d’eau nicheurs à une échelle spatiale beaucoup plus grande.Cherkaoui Imad, Dakki Mohamed, Lahrouz Saïd, Hanane Saâd. Dix années de suivi des anatidés nicheurs sur le lac de Sidi Boughaba (Nord-ouest Marocain) : Situation, tendances d’évolution et perspectives de recherche. In: Revue d'Écologie (La Terre et La Vie), tome 68, n°2, 2013. pp. 167-180

Migration et hivernage de quelques passereaux au Maroc: Mise au point à partir des données de baguage-reprise

Beaucoup de passereaux traversent le Maroc au cours de leur passage migratoire entre les régions de reproduction paléarctiques et leurs quartiers d'hivernage africains. Le Maroc joue un rôle majeur dans la migration et l'hivernage de ces migrateurs, en raison de sa position géographique et sa grande diversité d'habitats utilisés comme sites de la halte. La migration des passereaux y a été étudiée par une analyse des données des reprises enregistrées par le Centre d'Etude des Migrations d'Oiseaux (CEMO). L'analyse de la migration automnale confirme une tendance des migrateurs à traverser le Maroc le long de la côté Atlantique. Les reprises hivernales sont principalement concentrées dans les régions du nord et au centre du Maroc. L'analyse de la migration printanière montre des différences dans les routes empruntées en fonction des espèces et les saisons de migration.Morocco plays a major role in the migration and wintering of several Palaearctic-African passerines, because of its geographical position and great diversity of wetlands used as stopover sites. These have been studied on the basis of recovery data stored at the Centre d'Etude des Migrations d'Oiseaux (CEMO). The analysis of the autumn migration across Morocco confirms that many birds pass near the Atlantic coast. Winter recoveries in Morocco are mainly concentrated in the northern and central regions. The analysis of the spring migration shows that most birds use approximately the same routes in both autumn and spring, but some other species: Pied Flycatcher, Black Redstart and Wheatear, follow a loop migration, using a different route in each season.Ostrich 2007, 78(2): 343–34

Analyse de la biodiversité floristique des zones humides du Maroc: flore rare, menacée et halophile.

RÉSUMÉ. Analyse de la biodiversité floristique des zones humides du Maroc: flore rare, menacée et halophile. La flore des zones humides du Maroc montre une grande richesse floristique de ces écosystèmes, estimée à plus de 670 espèces et sous-espèces (83 familles) auxquelles s’ajoutent au moins 272 autres considérées plutôt comme terrestres, mais qui peuvent coloniser périodiquement ces milieux. Le taux d’endémisme se rapproche de 6,5 %, mais le fait le plus marquant est la grande proportion des taxons rares ou menacés, évaluée à 34 %. La flore halophile fait l’objet d’un commentaire particulier vu la prédominance de milieux salés au Maroc à la fois par le nombre et par l’étendue des sites. Elle compte environ 115 espèces et sous-espèces réparties entre 20 familles.Mots clés. Biodiversité, zones humides, flore rare, flore menacée, flore halophile, Maroc.Abstract. Analysis of the moroccan wetlands floristical diversity: rare, threatened and halophilous flora. The moroccan wetlands flora shows a great floristical richness of these ecosystems, estimated at more than 670 species and subspecies (83 families) which can be supplemented by at least 272 others taxa considered rather as terrestrials but can colonize periodically these biotopes. This flora shows a rate of endemism close to 6,5 %, but the most fact is the great proportion of rare or threatened taxa (estimated at 34%). The halophilous flora was a subjet of particular comment considering the prevalence of the salt biotopes in Morocco, either by the number or the extent of the sites. It counts 115 species and subspecies distributed among 20 families.Key words. Biodiversity, wetlands flora, rare flora, threatened flora, halophilous flora, Morocco

Le bassin du Gareb-Bou Areg (Rif oriental) : une région-clé pour l'interprétation de la structuration alpine de la chaîne rifaine

The Gareb -Bou Areg Basin (Earstern Rif) : a key-area for interpretation the alpine tectonics of Rif belt. In the eastern edge of the Rif belt, the post-nappe molassic basin of Gareb -Bou Areg forms the junction between the eastern Rif and its foreland. Structural study based on field data and siesmic reflection profiles permitted to conclude that an important tectonic activity was responsable for the structuring of the Mesozoic and Middle Miocene series into southwestern verging imbricates and thrust sheets. This system is overlain by an olistostrome which consists of mixed and reworked sediments (Gareb -Kebdana chaotic unit). This complex of nappes, imbricates and olistostrome, is interpreted to be the result of the interferance of compression and gravity tectonics. The system is capped by post-nappe molass. This studied region corresponds to the lateral evolution of the rifian accretion prism, with minor displacement than its western part.Sur la bordure orientale de la chaîne rifaine, le bassin molassique post-nappe du Gareb -Bou Areg, constitue un corridor qui sépare le Rif oriental de son avant-pays. L'étude structurale de ce bassin, à partir des données de surface et de profils de sismique-réflexion, montre d'importants faits nouveaux : tout d'abord, une importante structuration de la couverture mésozoïque et miocène moyen en nappe, formée d'écaillés imbriquées à vergence SW. Au-dessus, vient un olistostrome de resédimentation gravitaire (unité chaotique du Gareb -Kebdana). Ce complexe de nappes, écailles et olistostrome, résulte successivement de la compression arrière et de l'étalement gravitaire. Il est masqué par les molasses post-nappe. Cette région représenterait l'évolution latérale du prisme d'accrétion rifain avec une flèche de déplacement, de l'ensemble allochtone, moins importante que dans le Rif occidental.Yahyaoui A.M., Dakki Mohamed, Hoepffner Christian, Demnati A. Le bassin du Gareb-Bou Areg (Rif oriental) : une région-clé pour l'interprétation de la structuration alpine de la chaîne rifaine. In: Géologie Méditerranéenne. Tome 24, numéro 1-2, 1997. pp. 73-92

Rôle de la côte Atlantique marocaine dans l'hivernage des limicoles (Aves, Charadrii)

L'analyse de la distribution des limicoles hivernant au Maroc a montré que la majorité de ces oiseaux (91%) se répartit sur la côte Atlantique. En effet, c'est principalement le long de ce littoral que les habitats préférés de ce groupe (sablières, vasières, près et pelouses humides) sont relativement bien représentés. Par ailleurs, les principales populations de limicoles du Maroc peuvent être classées en trois catégories selon leur mode de distribution géographique:Espèces dont la répartition s'étale tout le long de la côte Atlantique; ces limicoles semblent ne privilégier aucune latitude Le littoral marocain représente pour ces espèces une continuité entre les aires d'hivernage en Europe occidentale et celles d'Afrique de l'Ouest;Populations dont la répartition est restreinte à la région septentrionale du Maroc; celle-ci constitue pour ces populations la limite sud de leurs aires d'hivernage en Europe de l'Ouest;Populations confinées principalement dans les zones côtières méridionales; le littoral sud-marocain représente, par conséquent, l'extension vers le nord du principal quartier d'hiver de ces populations, le Banc d'Arguin mauritanien.De ce point de vue, le territoire marocain constitue, le long de la voie est-atlantique, une zone de transition entre l'Europe occidentale et l'Afrique de l'Ouest: la partie nord de ce pays joue un rôle analogue à celui de l'Europe occidentale, alors que sa partie sud s'apparente à l'Afrique de l'Ouest. La ligne de démarcation entre les deux secteurs est représentée par la région du Souss et les reliefs du Haut et de l'Anti Atlas. An analysis of the distribution of wintering waders in Morocco showed that 91% were found on the Atlantic coast, where their preferred habitats (sandy beaches, mudflats, marshlands) are best represented. Waders in Morocco can be grouped into three categories based on their distribution: (1) species which occur all along the Atlantic coast, without any favoured sites; for this group the Moroccan coast is part of a continuous range from Western Europe to West Africa; (2) species whose distribution is restricted to northern Morocco, which represents the southern limit of their wintering range in Western Europe; (3) species found primarily on the southern Moroccan coast, which then represents a northward extension of their main wintering area, the Banc d'Arguin in Mauritania. Thus the Moroccan coast is a transitional zone between Western Europe and West Africa, with the northern sector allied to Western Europe, the southern sector to West Africa. The boundary between the two is the Souss region, and the ranges of the High Atlas and the Anti-Atlas. Ostrich 2007, 78(2): 489–49

Longitudinal distribution of macroinvertebrate in a very wet North African Basin: Oued Melloulou (Morocco)

Melloulou River, which is located in Middle Atlas of Morocco, is a good example of a very wet and poorly known basin, and therefore of special conservation concern. The aim of this study was to draw up an initial inventory of the benthic macroinvertebrates taxa, and to analyze its longitudinal distribution in the basin, particularly searching for the main abiotic factors addressing its zonation for improving future management and conservation actions. The study allowed identifying 161 taxa belonging to 127 genera and 80 families, most new records for northeast Morocco. The biotypology, which was studied by using Foucart' Factorial Correspondence Analysis (FCA), Partial Triadic analysis (PTA), and IndVal showed a longitudinal distribution of macroinvertebrates mainly governed by altitude, slope and current velocity. The studied biota revealed the presence of three assemblages and an important number of ubiquitous species not included in any group. The first group is located in the upper courses of Melloulou River representing a community proper of a crenon-rhithron zone; the second occurs in the middle and lower courses, and clearly reflects the community of a large potamon; the third one is a mixture of taxa capable to colonize the entire study area. Our finding, highlight the singular aquatic biodiversity occurring in the Melloulou River and its extraordinary changing water dynamic over time, which are key factors for future monitoring, as well as managing and conservation actions.The Melloulou River presented 161 invertebrate taxa, most new for northeast Morocco. Multivariate analyses showed an invertebrate distribution governed by altitude, slope and current velocity in a highly flow dynamic. Three assemblages and a great number of ubiquitous taxa were also found. These findings are of crucial concern for managing actions