COMMUNAUTÉS VÉGÉTALES ET FACIÈS PASTORAUX DANS LA ZONE DE TAOURIRT-TAFOUGHALT DU MAROC ORIENTAL: ÉCOLOGIE ET INVENTAIRE FLORISTIQUE

Abstract

Vegetation and pasturelands in Taourirt-Tafoughalt (Eastern Morocco): ecology and flora. The study was undertaken during 2009 in the “Taourirt-Tafoughalt” zone located west of the Eastern Morocco. The objectives are natural vegetation inventory and ecological characterization in relation to the environmental conditions. The methodology is based primarily on determining the floristic composition and the ecological state of the vegetation upon phyto-ecological surveys. Statistical analysis were performed using the Correspondence Analysis (CA). The main results show the existence of five major plant formations: (i) forests, matorral and forest-steppes, (ii) Stipa tenacissima steppe, (iii) degraded mixed steppes, (iv) degraded steppes based Anabasis aphylla, Peganum harmala, Artemisia herba-alba, Asphodelus microcarpus and Thymelaea microphylla (v) scattered steppe based Lygeum spartum, Thymelaea microphylla, Atriplex halimus and Salsola vermiculata. Furthermore, the dominant floristical composition reflects, in general, a trend towards a significant qualitative regression of vegetation. Most of the species are indicative of advanced degradation: Noaea mucronata, Asphodelus microcarpus, Thymelaea microphylla, Launaea acanthoclada, Anabasis aphylla, Peganum harmala, Urginea maritima, Lygeum spartum. Vegetation cover outside forests and Stipa tenacissima steppes is very low (<15%). Rainfall, lithology (gravel load), geomorphology (geology, slope, topography and exposure), soil type and human influence are the main variables that determine the distribution of plant communities in this zone. Soil texture determines particular groups of extreme situations, such as gypsum and psammophytes and-halophytes. The phytosociological analysis, applied only on the Stipa tenacissima formation, shows floristical affinities between pastoral facies and formations, expressed by the existence of common species.