Abstract
AbstractThe endemic argan woodlands cover large parts of South Morocco and create a characteristic landscape with areas of sparsely vegetated and bare soil surfaces between single trees. This unique ecosystem has been under extensive agrosilvopastoral management for centuries and is now at risk of degradation caused by overgrazing and increasing scarcity and variability of rainfall.To investigate susceptibility to wind erosion, we conducted an experimental–empirical study including wind tunnel tests and a drone‐generated digital elevation model and quantified wind‐erodible material on five different associated surface types by means of sediment catchers. The highest emission flux was measured on freshly ploughed surfaces (1875 g m–2 h–1), while older ploughed areas with a re‐established crust produced a much lower emission flux (795 g m–2 h–1). Extensive tillage may have been a sustainable practice for generations, but increasing drought and uncertainty of rainfall now lead to an acute risk of severe soil erosion and dust production. The typical crusted surfaces characterized by residual rock fragment accumulation and wash processes produced the second highest emission flux (1,354 g m–2 h–1). Material collected from tree‐shaded areas (933 g m–2 h–1) was revealed to be a considerable source of organic material, possibly affecting substrate conditions positively on a larger regional scale. The lowest flux was measured on rock fragment‐covered surfaces (301 g m–2 h–1).The data show that open argan woodland may be a considerable source for wind erosion and dust production, depending on surface characteristics strongly related to management. An adapted management must include the conservation of argan trees to offer a promising approach to prevent severe wind erosion and dust production and mitigate possible impacts of land‐use change and climate change related shifts in wind and rainfall patterns. © 2020 The Authors. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd
Highlights
The Souss‐Massa Region is the remaining natural habitat of the endemic argan tree (Argania spinosa (L.) Skeels)
It is the keystone species for the regional ecosystem as well as the basis for production of argan oil, which is sold worldwide with growing demand. Because of their spatial distribution along the peripheries of the Sahara, argan woodlands are assumed to act as a buffer against desertification (UNESCO, 2015), protecting the fertile and productive agricultural regions located in the Souss‐Massa Region
Describe and map the different surface types that are typical for the regional argan woodland environment and subsequently determine their erodibility by wind
Summary
The Souss‐Massa Region is the remaining natural habitat of the endemic argan tree (Argania spinosa (L.) Skeels). The argan tree is one of the very few woody species adapted to survive in the extreme conditions of semi‐arid to arid environments, creating a characteristic open woodland over an area of about 950,000 ha (Le Polain de Waroux and Lambin, 2012; Lefhaili, 2015) It is the keystone species for the regional ecosystem as well as the basis for production of argan oil, which is sold worldwide with growing demand. Sphere (MAB) program in 1998 (UNESCO, 2002) and added its traditional management to the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) program in 2014 Despite these acknowledgements of the ecological and socio‐economic implications and the high level of societal interest and regional and national actions, argan woodlands are severely threatened by degradation processes.
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