Role of Agricultural Terraces in Flood and Soil Erosion Risks Control in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco

Earth ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 746-763
Author(s):  
Modeste Meliho ◽  
Abdellatif Khattabi ◽  
Asmae Nouira ◽  
Collins Ashianga Orlando
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Soil Loss ◽  
Water Infiltration ◽  
Rainfall Simulation ◽  
Agricultural Terraces ◽  
High Atlas ◽  
Atlas Mountains ◽  
High Atlas Mountains ◽  
Ourika Watershed

Terraced farming play several roles, from improving ecosystem services to enhancing associated population livelihoods. In this study, we were interested in evaluating the roles of mountain terraces in controlling floods and erosion risks, in particular in the Ourika watershed, located in the High Atlas mountains of Morocco. Rainfall simulation tests were conducted to measure infiltration, runoff and initial abstraction, while the Cesium-137 isotope technique was used to quantify soil loss. The results highlighted high infiltration for dense forests (78.00 ± 2.65 mm/h) and low for rangelands (27.12 ± 2.82 mm/h). For terraces, infiltration was found to be about 70.36 ± 0.56 mm/h, confirming the role of terraces in promoting infiltration. The runoff coefficient obtained was lowest for dense forests, followed by cultivated terraces, and highest for rangelands (62.71 ± 3.51). Thus, outside dense forests, infiltration and runoff were significantly very high and low, respectively, for agricultural terraces compared to other land use. The assessment of soil erosion rates showed a significant soil loss for rangelands compared to the agricultural terraces, further underlining the role of terraces in soil conservation. Terraces in the Ourika watershed, by increasing water infiltration, reduce the rate of surface runoff, and consequently, flood risks and soil degradation.

scholarly journals Soil Loss Assessment in Western High Atlas of Morocco: Beni Mohand Watershed Study Case

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Latifa Bou-imajjane ◽  
Mhamed Alaeddine Belfoul
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Soil Loss ◽  
Loss Assessment ◽  
High Atlas ◽  
Gis And Remote Sensing ◽  
Erosion Risk ◽  
Atlas Mountains ◽  
Study Results ◽  
High Atlas Mountains ◽  
Standard Rate

Soil loss triggered by water erosion constitutes a major issue that causes several environmental and socioeconomic concerns. The Moroccan Western High Atlas is the most vulnerable area in the High Atlas Mountains, due to the existence of different forms of landslides, and evidences of erosion are widely observed. This study aims at estimating and quantifying the amount of soil loss as well as highlighting potential areas to erosion risk, using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) combined with GIS and remote sensing. The RUSLE model provides a possibility of computing erosion susceptibility for each pixel on the basis of the controlling factors which are rainfall aggressivity, topography, vegetation cover, soil erodibility, and support practices. In this study, results show that the erosion rate varies between 0 and 227.67 t/ha/year, with an average annual soil loss of 40.38 t/ha/year, and the Beni Mohand River basin is subject to very high rates of erosion which can be irreversible since it exceeds the tolerable standard rate which is 1 t/ha/year. These findings will provide land use planners baseline for land use and risk management and will provide data within the Moroccan Western High Atlas Mountains.

The Atlas Massif separates a northern and a southern mitochondrial haplotype group of North African water frogs Pelophylax saharicus (Anura: Ranidae) in Morocco

2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 437-443 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aziza Lansari ◽  
Miguel Vences ◽  
Susanne Hauswaldt ◽  
Ralf Hendrix ◽  
David Donaire ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mitochondrial Haplotype ◽  
North African ◽  
High Atlas ◽  
Water Frog ◽  
The North ◽  
Water Frogs ◽  
Atlas Mountains ◽  
High Atlas Mountains ◽  
Gene Coi ◽  
Area North

We assessed the genetic variation of 47 Moroccan populations of the North African water frog (Pelophylax saharicus) using partial sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene (COI). All 239 samples belonged to the main haplotype clade previously identified from Morocco, with no haplotypes of the Algerian/Tunisian clades among our samples. Altogether 40 haplotypes were found, with a maximum of 13 mutational steps between them. Two weakly divergent haplogroups separated by a minimum of six mutational steps were distributed (i) in the Anti-Atlas and the Sahara (south of the High Atlas Mountains) versus (ii) in the Middle Atlas, the High Atlas, and in the Rif area north of the Atlas Massif. Haplotypes of the northern haplogroup were found at the southernmost locality, which might be due to human translocation, and co-occurrence of the two haplogroups was recorded at three sites within the range of the northern haplogroup.

Cambrian corynexochid trilobites from Morocco

1994 ◽  
Vol 68 (6) ◽  
pp. 1306-1320 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerd Geyer
Keyword(s):  
High Atlas ◽  
Atlas Mountains ◽  
High Atlas Mountains ◽  
Strong Relationships

Corynexochid trilobites of the Cambrian of Morocco are described and the subfamily Acontheinae is revised. With Kootenia beethoveni n. sp., Kootenia spp. indet., Strettonia sp. A, Clavigellus annulus n. gen. and sp., and gen. et sp. incert., the Moroccan Corynexochida comprise only a few forms that are almost exclusively restricted to the High Atlas Mountains. Biogeographical relationships are weak; strong relationships may exist with the faunas of the Shropshire area as already exemplified by some eodiscid and ellipsocephalid taxa.

The Imiter Gabbroic Complex, High Atlas Mountains, Morocco

1979 ◽  
Vol 87 (3) ◽  
pp. 317-324 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. E. Smith ◽  
J. G. Pozzobon
Keyword(s):  
High Atlas ◽  
Atlas Mountains ◽  
High Atlas Mountains

scholarly journals Nowhere to swim to: climate change and conservation of the relict Dades trout Salmo multipunctata in the High Atlas Mountains, Morocco

Oryx ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
pp. 627-635 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel Clavero ◽  
Javier Calzada ◽  
Javier Esquivias ◽  
Ana Veríssimo ◽  
Virgilio Hermoso ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Active Management ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
Small Range ◽  
Catchment Scale ◽  
Isolated Populations ◽  
Relict Species ◽  
High Atlas ◽  
Atlas Mountains ◽  
High Atlas Mountains

AbstractMontane biota is vulnerable to climate change, especially in the case of relict species in environmentally extreme areas. The Dades trout Salmo multipunctata is a relict species from the Draa basin, on the southern slopes of the High Atlas Mountains, Morocco. Apart from its genetic and morphological singularity almost nothing is known about this species. We surveyed the whole potential distribution range of the Dades trout and found that only two isolated populations exist (in the Dades and M'Goun catchments), occupying an extremely small range, < 22 km of stream reaches in a narrow altitudinal range (c. 2,150–2,375 m). The species was found more frequently and more abundantly at intermediate elevations within its range, and somatic condition increased with altitude. Climatically suitable areas for the Dades trout will be confined to mountain summits without permanent water bodies by 2070. The Dades trout is a Critically Endangered species in need of active management for its persistence. We propose actions for the long-term conservation of the species, including catchment-scale erosion control, riverbed restoration, local-scale measures to mitigate global warming, and an ex situ breeding programme.

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