Iter-years dynamic of Juniperus phoencea L. matorral in the North-Eastern Mediterranen coast of Morocco

Abstract

In the North-Eastern Mediterranen coast of Morocco, the establishment of seaside resorts built as part of the Plan Azur, substantially degraded the coastal matorral of Juniperus phoenicea L. Nonetheless, the species remains an important resource for the ecological balance. The estimation of the changes in land cover is a suitable method to evaluate the degradation rate of the matorral. The aim of the current study is to warn about the degradation of J. phoenicea in Saidia coastline by quantifying the inter-years dynamic of J. phoenicea matorral in 1965 (before the Plan Azur) in 2004 and 2021(after the Plan Azur). Estimation of changes in matorral cover rate was achieved by photo-interpretation. Analysis indicates that J. phoenicea matorral ecosystem of Saidia has been affected by a drop of 63% in land area, over a period of time not exceeding 17 years. Currently the picture of the coastal matorral of J. phoenicea is rather bleak; the vulnerability of this valuable resource has prompted us to raise the alarm in order to preserve remaining up shrubs to the present time.