Abandoned Quarries in the Akreuch Area (Western Morocco): Inventory of Flora for a Rehabilitation Strategy

Abstract

Quarrying is an activity contributing to the vitality of the Moroccan economy. However, most of these quarries were abandoned at the end of extraction and became dump and later a place of uncontrolled landfills. The number of restored or rehabilitated quarries is limited and this threatens several aspects of the environment, especially, the quality of surface and ground water, landscape, forests, etc. This also gives rise to increased erosion risk. The study identifies plant species covering 10 abandoned quarries in the region of Rabat, especially the Bouregreg River and its affluent Akreuch in order to define a strategy for their restoration or rehabilitation. Field surveys were led to locate and map 10 abandoned quarries and to sample plant species. Herbaria were established and species were identified and classified. The results of the study distinguished 46 different plant species spread over 45 genera and 27 botanical families. The most dominant family in the quarries visited is Asteraceae. These results will allow us to study the vegetation dynamics in these abandoned lands and serve as a basis, in the selection of appropriate species in eventual restoration or rehabilitation projects.