@article{fdi:010069352,
  title = {{B}ack to forests in pre-{S}aharan {M}orocco ? {W}hen prickly pear cultivation and traditional agropastoralism reduction promote argan tree regeneration},
  author = {{G}{\'e}nin, {M}. and {A}lifriqui, {M}. and {F}akhech, {A}. and {H}afidi, {M}. and {O}uahmane, {L}. and {G}{\'e}nin, {D}idier},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{I}n the southwestern pre-{S}aharan arid zone of {M}orocco, the endemic argan forest ({A}rgania spinosa) had been almost completely destroyed in the 1960s due to intensive coal mining and mixed cereal-livestock farming. {T}hese activities turned out to be unviable and a massive rural exodus occurred in the 1970s. {L}ocal populations started to develop maintenance-free prickly pear ({O}puntia ficusindica) cultivation at large scale in order to keep their land ownership rights, while reducing their traditional agropastoral activity. {W}e conducted a survey in order to characterize the relationships between the age of prickly pear orchards and argan tree regeneration. {W}e also explored facilitating factors, such as soil organic matter and mycorrhiza. {R}esults showed a high positive correlation (r(2) = 0.75, p < 0.001) between the age of prickly pear orchards and argan tree resprouts, but with differences depending on a continentality gradient. {T}he soil organic matter content also showed highly significant differences (p < 0.001) depending on the age of the prickly pear plantation, while spora density did not show such differences. {T}he recent high economic value attributed to prickly pear fruits, and to both argan and prickly pear seed oil, has given farmers the opportunity to develop a lucrative agricultural activity, while promoting the recovery of native vegetation. {T}his situation constitutes a remarkable example of speculative agricultural development in a very harsh environment, in phase with ecological priorities for combating desertification. {I}t could represent an alternative to the externally-generated projects sustained by high levels of public funding, with ecological, economic and social impacts which are sometimes questionable.},
  keywords = {{A}rgania spinosa ; agroforestry parklands ; arid zones ; desertification ; facilitation factors ; land use changes ; {O}puntia ficus-indica ; {MAROC}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{S}ilva {F}ennica},
  volume = {51},
  numero = {1{B}},
  pages = {art. 1618 [22 p.]},
  ISSN = {0037-5330},
  year = {2017},
  DOI = {10.14214/sf.1618},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010069352},
}