Assessment of the Food Habits of the Moroccan Dorcas Gazelle in M’Sabih Talaa, West Central Morocco, Using the trnL Approach

Food habits of the Moroccan dorcas gazelle, Gazella dorcas massaesyla, previously investigated in the 1980s using microhistological fecal analysis, in the M’Sabih Talaa Reserve, west central Morocco, were re-evaluated over three seasons (spring, summer and autumn 2009) using the trnL approach to determine the diet composition and its seasonal variation from fecal samples. Taxonomic identification was carried out using the identification originating from the database built from EMBL and the list of plant species within the reserve. The total taxonomic richness in the reserve was 130 instead of 171 species in the 1980s. The diet composition revealed to be much more diversified (71 plant taxa belonging to 57 genus and 29 families) than it was 22 years ago (29 identified taxa). Thirty-four taxa were newly identified in the diet while 13 reported in 1986–87 were not found. Moroccan dorcas gazelle showed a high preference to Acacia gummifera, Anagallis arvensis, Glebionis coronaria, Cladanthus arabicus, Diplotaxis tenuisiliqua, Erodium salzmannii, Limonium thouini, Lotus arenarius and Zizyphus lotus. Seasonal variations occurred in both number (40–41 taxa in spring-summer and 49 taxa in autumn vs. respectively 23–22 and 26 in 1986–1987) and taxonomic type of eaten plant taxa. This dietary diversification could be attributed either to the difference in methods of analysis, trnL approach having a higher taxonomic resolution, or a potential change in nutritional quality of plants over time

Discrimination of the phenotypic sardine Sardina pilchardus stocks off the Moroccan Atlantic coast using a morphometric analysis

Morphometric variation can be very useful for discriminating ‘phenotypic stocks’ as groups with similar life-history traits. Such groups are of great importance for accurate population-dynamics modelling for purposes of fishery stock assessment and management, independent of their genetic differences or similarities. This study is a contribution to the stock identification of the sardine Sardina pilchardus off the Moroccan Atlantic coast. The objectives were to (i) assess whether specimens from stocks defined by the FAO correspond to different morphotypes, and (ii) compare the obtained results with those recently published on the genetic variability of the studied populations. Morphometric analyses, using truss variables and landmarks data from sardine sampled from four widely spaced ports of landing along the Moroccan Atlantic coast (from north to south: Larache, Safi, Tantan and Dakhla), were carried out using multivariate and geometric approaches. Principal components analysis of truss variables and cluster analysis of the average shape of the sardine revealed the existence of three distinct morphotypes: ‘Larache,’ ‘Safi–Tantan’ and ‘Dakhla.’ These correspond well with the FAO’s stock subdivision. The morphometric variation might be related to the mesoscale hydrodynamic characteristics of the study area. However, these morphometric results do not fully accord with recently published data on genetic variability of the species. Those data indicated the genetic singularity of the Safi population, which could have led to the historical collapse of that sardine stock in the 1970s. Additional work is needed to validate the obtained results by taking into account seasonal variations and transitional areas between stocks.Keywords: European pilchard, geometric approach, morphometrics, multivariate analysis, small pelagics, stock identificatio

Does the breeding biology of the Eurasian Stone-curlew Burhinus oedicnemus in south-western Morocco differ between grazed steppe and irrigated farmland?

Birds associated with steppe and pseudosteppe habitats are one of the most threatened avian communities in Europe, given their recent decline due to agriculture intensification and land abandonment. Large-scale conversion of natural and rural areas into irrigated farmlands is ongoing in North Africa, but the effects of this habitat modification on steppe bird species are not investigated. In this study, we investigated the breeding biology of the Eurasian Stone- curlew nesting in grazed steppes and irrigated farmlands in south-western Morocco. Breeding data were collected dur- ing 2017 and 2018 breeding seasons on 59 nests. Egg volume was significantly higher in grazed steppes than in irrigat- ed farmlands (37.3 ± 2.30 cm3 vs 35.1 ± 2.11 cm3, average ± SD), possibly due to greater food availability in the former habitat. On the other hand, daily nest survival over the incubation period did not differ between habitats and it was quite high (0.85 [95% CI: 0.71–0.93]) also when compared to the data available for other regions. These results suggest that birds nesting in protected areas characterized by traditional pastoralism might find better conditions for reproduction which allow them to lay larger eggs. In addition, the ongoing process of agricultural intensification in the area does not seem to affect the likelihood of nest failure. Our data add to the few available pieces of evidence regard- ing the effect of breeding habitat on the reproductive biology of the Stone-curlew in the southern range of its distribu- tion. Further data are needed in order to understand the conservation implication of our findings and, in particular, how the observed variability of egg size might affect chick quality and survival

Pleistocene diversification in Morocco and recent demographic expansion in the Mediterranean pond turtle Mauremys leprosa

Quaternary climatic oscillations and geographic barriers have strongly influenced the distribution and diversification of thermophilic species occurring in the Mediterranean Basin. The Western Mediterranean pond turtle, Mauremys leprosa, is widely distributed throughout the Iberian Peninsula, southern France and most of the Maghreb region, with two subspecies currently recognized. In this work, we used 566 samples, including 259 new individuals, across the species range, and sequenced two mitochondrial markers (cytochrome b gene and control region; 163 samples in a concatenated mtDNA dataset) and one nuclear intron (R35; 23 samples representing all identified sublineages) to study the evolutionary history of M. leprosa. We combined phylogenetic methods and phylogeographic continuous diffusion models with spatial analysis. Our results (1) show a high level of genetic structure in Morocco originated during the Pleistocene; (2) reveal two independent population expansion waves from Morocco to Tunisia and to southern Europe, which later expanded throughout the Iberian Peninsula, and (3) identify several secondary contact zones in Morocco. Our study also sheds new light on the role of geographical features (Moroccan mountains ranges and the Strait of Gibraltar) and Pleistocene climatic oscillations in shaping genetic diversity and structure of M. leprosa, and underlines the importance of the Maghreb as a differentiation centre harbouring distinct glacial refugia

Distribution of Testudo graeca in the western Mediterranean according to climatic factors

Despite being one of the most charismatic elements of the Mediterranean Basin fauna and its threatened status, the western Mediterranean range of Testudo graeca is at present very poorly known. The present work provides the most detailed geographical and ecological description for the North African clade of T. graeca so far. We gathered 283 occurrence data of T. graeca in North Africa and modelled the distribution by means of presence-only distribution modelling tools. The obtained model was then projected to southern Europe in order to explore whether the environmental characteristics of European populations fall into the predicted niche of the species in North Africa. T. graeca showed a wide environmental range in North Africa. Presence localities ranged from the sea level to 2090 m of altitude and from 116 to 1093 mm of annual precipitation. The presence-only model indicates that distribution in North Africa is mainly related to rainfall, specifically rainfall values in the wettest and coldest quarter of the year. The distribution model showed a range of ca. 1∈000∈000 km 2. The projection of the model to southern Europe showed that the southern Iberian and Balkan Peninsulas, as well as most Mediterranean islands, present climatic conditions within those found in the range of the species in North Africa. © Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2012.Peer Reviewe