Spatial Distribution of Desert Plant Species According to Soil Salinity

Abstract

The arid climate of the Saharan regions is accentuated even more by the consequences of climate change and environmental threats, thus affecting normal plant development. The salinization of soils is one of the major stresses in the Moroccan Sahara Desert that strongly penalizes the production. In this sense, it would be interesting to explore the native flora of the target regions, and using it remains the best option to provide sustainable agriculture. The present study is part of a collaborative project with the aim of exploring desert plant species. Different parameters were taken for each species, including soil salinity and density. Two zones showed the highest levels of salinity, Daoura and Akhfennir, both in the Tarfaya province with 19.38 and 24.33 mS/cm, respectively. Although, several species were highly tolerant to salinity and were present at moderate to high densities. Among them, one can cite Aeluropus littoralis (Gouan) Parl., Halocnemum strobilaceum (Pall.) M. Bieb. and Suaeda ifniensis Caball. ex Maire.

Keywords

• spatial distribution
• soil salinity
• desert plant
• Sahara Desert
• Morocco