Le dépérissement des forêts au Maroc: analyse des causes et stratégie de lutte
Author(s)	El Abidine AZ
Year	2003
Journal	Sécheresse
Volume	14(4): 209-18
Languages	French
Study area	Morocco
Species	Cedrus atlantica (Endl.) Carriére, Pinus halepensis Mill., Quercus ilex L., Quercus suber L.
Components	1
Pilot Sites	Maamora
Keywords	Forestry; Drought; Climatology; Development
Abstract	Forest stands in Morocco present important decline facies. This phenomenon is the result of an overall and gradual damaging of the trees due to several biotic and abiotic factors or to their interaction. Water stress resulting from drought appears, in many cases, to be the main predisposing factor for decline. As soon as water stress occurs and becomes increasingly severe in a tree, a number of physiological, biochemical and morphological changes occur. Stressed trees become more predisposed to insects and pathogenic agents’ attacks, leading eventually to death. But when water is scarce, its availability to the plants may be improved by different soil and vegetation management strategies. Forest species choices in afforestation programs must also be made out taking the water resources available into account. These strategies are even more important in view of a possible climate global change marked by a temperature increase and a precipitation decrease. Research programs should also be developed to study forest decline in Morocco to help managers adopt adequate conservation solutions and rational forest resources management strategies.