Ecosystem Services of the Argan Forest, the Current State and Trends

Abstract

The arganeraie is a traditional agro-ecosystem based on a balance between resources and human exploitation. The argan tree plays an important role in the subsistence of the people of the south east region of Morocco through its multi-use (its ecosystem services), and its role in fighting against desertification. Currently, the threat of the argan forest deterioration is a major concern both for local population, for planers and for scientists. There have indeed several decades a reduction of tree cover, both in area occupied and density of trees and therefore the associated ecosystem services. With this concern, we will study firstly, the space of the argan tree by trying to identify the ecosystem services and the key indicators of stress in this space. Then, we will assess the current state and likely future state of argan forest ecosystem services relative to anthropogenic pressure and climate change. The information found will be the basis of the “Integrative Science for Society and the Environment” (ISSE) model developed by ILTER in 2007. This Meta paper is not based on original evidence, but on existing studies.