In North Africa, Cedrus
atlantica forests are in decline, following decades of anthropogenic
pressure and repeated drought events. Mixed C. atlantica-Quercus ilex stands located
in the Theniet El Had National Park (northwestern Algeria) were considered in
the present study. Based on a stratified sampling, six temporary plots were
established to describe structure (species composition, density, total height,
diameter and basal area) and radial growth in relation to type of stand (pure
and mixed), using a dendroecological approach. The diameter distribution of C. atlantica indicated the presence of few young individuals and a poor
regeneration status in all the stands. The density and basal area of C. atlantica were significantly higher in pure stands, which necessitate
silvicultural operations. In contrast, Q. ilex showed a progressive dynamic, at
moderate altitude. Radial growth showed a significant decline from 1980 to the
2000s. The absence of an appropriate management plan and the increase in
anthropogenic effects, without ruling out a role for the current climate
conditions marked by drought, seem to be the causes of C. atlantica decline.
References
[1]
Quézel, P. and Médail, F. (2003) Ecologie et biogéographie des forêts du bassinméditerranéen. Lavoisier, Paris, France, 576.
[2]
Chauchard, S., Carcaillet, C. and Guibal, F. (2007) Patterns of Land Use Abandonment, Control Tree Recruitment and Forest Dynamics in Mediterranean Mountains. Ecosystems, 10, 936-948. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-007-9065-4
[3]
Barbero, M., Bonin, G., Loisel, R. and Quézel, P. (1990) Changes and Disturbances of Forest Ecosystems Caused by Human Activities in the Western Part of the Mediterranean Basin. Vegetatio, 87, 151-173. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00042952
[4]
Benabid, A. (1994) Biogéographie, phytosociologie et phytodynamique des cédraies de l’Atlas Cedrus atlantica (Manetti). Annales de la Recherche Forestière au Maroc, 27, 33-60.
[5]
Cheddadi, R., Fady, B., Francois, L., Hajar, L., Suc, J.P., Huang, K., Demarteau, M., Vendramin, G. and Ortu, E. (2009) Putative Glacial Refugia of Cedrus atlantica Deduced from Quaternary Pollen Records and Modern Genetic Diversity. Journal of Biogeography, 36, 1361-1371. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2699.2008.02063.x
[6]
Magri, D. (2012) Quaternary History of Cedrus in Southern Europe. Annals of Botany-London, 2, 57-66.
[7]
Ladjal, M., Huc, R. and Decrey, M. (2005) Drought Effects on Hydraulic Conductivity and Xylem Vulnerability to Embolism in Diverse Species and Provenances of Mediterranean Cedars. Tree Physiology, 25, 1109-1117. https://doi.org/10.1093/treephys/25.9.1109
[8]
M’hirit, O. and Benzyane, M. (2006) Le cèdre de l’Atlas: Mémoire du temps. Mardoga, Hayen, Belgique, 288.
[9]
Kherchouche, D., Kalla, M., Gutiérrez, E.M., Attalah, S. and Bouzghaia, M. (2012) Impact of Droughts on Cedrus atlantica Forests Dieback in the Aurès (Algeria). Journal of Life Science, 6, 1262-1269.
[10]
Touchan, R., Anchukaitis, K.J., Meko, D.M., Kerchouche, D., Slimani, S., Ilmen, R. and Piermattei, A. (2017) Climate Controls on Tree Growth in the Western Mediterranean. The Holocene, 27, 1429-1442. https://doi.org/10.1177/0959683617693901
[11]
Sarmoum, M. (2008) Impact du climat sur le dépérissement du cèdre de l’Atlas. Diagnostic climatique et dendroécologique de la cédraie de Theniet El Had. Master’s Thesis, USTHB, Alger, Algérie.
[12]
Linares, J.C., Taiqui, L. and Camarero, J.J. (2011) Increasing Drought Sensitivity and Decline of Atlas Cedar (Cedrus atlantica) in the Moroccan Middle Atlas Forests. Forests, 2, 777-796. https://doi.org/10.3390/f2030777
[13]
Abdessemed, K.H. (1981) Le cèdre de l’Atlas dans les massifs des Aurès et du Belazma, étude phytosociologiques et problèmes de conservation et d’aménagement. PhD Thesis, Université d’Aix Marseille, Marseille, France.
[14]
Navarro-Cerrillo, R.M., Manzanedo, R.D., Bohorque, J., Sánchez-Salguero, R., Sánchez, J., de Miguel, S., Solano, D., Qarro, M., Griffith, D. and Palacios, G. (2013) Structure and Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of Cedar Forests along a Management Gradient in the Middle Atlas, Morocco. Forest Ecology and Management, 289, 341-353. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2012.10.011
[15]
Messaoudene, M., Rabhi, K., Megdoud, A., Sarmoum, M. and Dahmani-Megrerouche, M. (2013) Etat des lieux et perspectives des cédraiesalgériennes. Forêt Méditerranéenne, 4, 1-8.
[16]
Mediouni, K. and Yahi, N. (1989) Etude structurale de la série du cèdre (Cedrus atlantica Manetti) d’AitOuabane (Djurdjura). Forêt Méditerranéenne, 11, 103-112.
[17]
Krouchi, F., Derridj, A. and Lefevreb, F. (2004) Year and Tree Effect on Reproductive Organisation of Cedrus atlantica in an Undisturbed Forest. Forest Ecology and Management, 197, 181-189. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2004.05.013
[18]
Slimani, S., Derridj, A. and Gutiérrez, E. (2014) Ecological Response of Cedrus atlantica to Climate Variability in the Massif of Guetiane (Algeria). Forest Systems, 23, 448-460. https://doi.org/10.5424/fs/2014233-05175
[19]
Touchan, R., Anchukaitis, K.J., Meko, D.M., Sabir, M., Attalah, S. and Aloui, A. (2011) Spatiotemporal Drought Variability in Northwestern Africa over the Last Nine Centuries. Climate Dynamics, 37, 237-252. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-010-0804-4
[20]
Anonymous (2008) Plan de gestion du Parc National de Theniet El Had. Direction générale des forêts. Ministère de l’agriculture et du développement durable, Algérie.
[21]
Rivas-Martínez, S., Rivas, S. and Penas, A. (2011) Worldwide Bioclimatic Classification System. Global Geobotany, 1, 1-634.
[22]
Mattauer, M. (1958) Etude géologique de l’Ouarsenis oriental (Algérie). Publication de Service des Cartes Géologiques d’Algérie, Algérie, 534.
[23]
Guibal, F. (1985) Dendroclimatologie du cèdre de l’Atlas (Cedrus atlantica Manetti) dans le Sud-Est de la France. Ecologia Mediterranea, 11, 87.
[24]
Baker, P., Bunyavejchewin, S., Oliver, C. and Ashton, P. (2005) Disturbance History and Historical Stand Dynamics of a Seasonal Tropical Forest in Western Thailand. Ecological Monograph, 75, 317-343. https://doi.org/10.1890/04-0488
[25]
Sokal, R.R. and Rohlf, F.J. (1995) Biometry: The Principles and Practice of Statistics in Biological Research. Freeman and Company, New York, USA, 915.
[26]
R Core Team (2012) R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria.
[27]
Grissino-Mayer, H.D. (2001) Evaluating Crossdating Accuracy: A Manual and Tutorial for the Computer Program COFECHA. Tree-Ring Research, 57, 205-221.
[28]
Guiot, J. and Goeury, C. (1996) PPPBase, a Software for Statistical Analysis of Paleoecological and Paleoclimatological Data. Dendrochronologia, 14, 295-300.
[29]
Piovesan, G., Di Filippo, A. and Alessandrini, A. (2005) Structure, Dynamics and Dendroecology of an Old-Growth Fagus Forest in the Apennines. Journal of Vegetation Science, 16, 13-28.
[30]
Bentouati, A. and Oujehih, B. (1999) Première étude sur la croissance et la productivité du cèdre de l’Atlas (Cedrus atlantica Manetti) dans le massif de Bélazma (Aurès, Algérie). Forêt Méditerranéenne, 20, 115-119.
[31]
Yahi, N. (2007) Etude phytoécologique et phytosociologique et problèmes de conservation des cédraiesalgériennes. PhD Thesis, USTHB, Alger, Algérie.
[32]
Touchan, R., Anchukaitis, K.J., Meko, D.M., Attalah, S., Baisan, C. and Aloui, A. (2008) Long Term Context for Recent Drought in Northwestern Africa. Geophysical Research Letters, 35, L13705. https://doi.org/10.1029/2008GL034264
[33]
Lefebvre, H. (1900) Les forêts de l’Algérie. University of California Library, USA, 458.
[34]
Lepoutre, B. (1963) Premier essai de synthèse sur le mécanisme de régénération du cèdre dans le moyen atlas marocain. Annales de la Recherche Forestière au Maroc, 7, 57-163.
[35]
Ezzahiri, M. and Belghazi, B. (2000) Synthèse de quelquesrésultats sur la régénération naturelle du cèdre de l’Atlas au Moyen Atlas (Maroc). Sécheresse, 11, 79-84.
[36]
Linares, J.C., Taiqui, L., Sangüesa-Barreda, G., Seco, J.I. and Camarero, J.J. (2013) Age-Related Drought Sensitivity of Atlas Cedar (Cedrus atlantica) in the Moroccan Middle Atlas Forests. Dendrochronologia, 31, 88-96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dendro.2012.08.003
[37]
IPCC (2007) Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA, 996.
[38]
Guillemot, J., Klein, E.K., Davi, H. and Courbet, F. (2015) The Effects of Thinning Intensity and Tree Size on the Growth Response to Annual Climate in Cedrus atlantica: A Linear Mixed Modelling Approach. Annals of Forest Science, 72, 651-663. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13595-015-0464-y
