Evolution of wildfires, burned areas, and affected species in Middle Atlas forests (Morocco) from 2000 to 2020

Abstract

This study evaluated of the impact of wildfires, burned areas and affected species, for the first time, in Fez, Sefrou and Boulemane provinces located in the Middle Atlas Mountains of Morocco. Data collected from field surveys from 2000 to 2020 and GIS-based aggregation functions were used to produce spatial distribution maps and to show the evolution of wildfires and burned areas. Results show that wildfires were intense during summer periods, mainly in Sefrou and Boulemane where the rate of wildfires and burned areas were higher. Nine plant species were affected mostly, Pinus halepensis (43 wildfires) and Quercus rotundifolia (21 events). In Fez province, only two pre-urban forests were affected (51 wildfires), while in Boulemane (91 wildfires) and Sefrou (193 wildfires), the wildfires were severe and affected mountainous areas far from urban perimeters. Although this study demonstrated the impact of wildfires in the Middle Atlas, the biotic and abiotic factors might have a crucial role in this phenomenon and their impacts must be addressed carefully. This investigation offers new insight into the impact of wildfires in the forests of the Middle Atlas Mountains and provides valuable reference data to study other regions in the High Atlas and other plant species taking into account the threatened species.