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Oct 17, 2014Keywords:
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Cannabis cultivation and deforestation in the Site of Bio Ecological Interest (SIBE) of Bouhachem, Morocco
Abstract
Located in the North of Morocco, Bouhachem forest (about 8000 ha) is threatened by increased deforestation. In order to assure the sustainable management of this forest, the study of its landscape dynamic has been conducted, with emphasis on the role of cannabis cultivation and deforestation. For this, forest inventory was done, satellite images covering 26 years period were analysed, interviews of stakeholders conducted and the archives on the management of the forest checked. The forest basal area is 34.6 m²/ha in average. Canopy closure, stand density, rock exposition, and stump density average values were respectively 43%, 1001 stem/ha, 24% 187 stump/ha, for a wild stump rate of 18.7%. The total forest cover has shrunk by 11% between 1984 and 2010.The main reasons of forest depletion are: demographic explosion, erosion land slide, illegal logging and cannabis cultivation around which are gravitating an increased demand of forest resources, livestock grazing, corruption, poor surveillance, forest fire.
Keywords: Bouhachem forest, livestock grazing, corruption, remote sensing and GIS, model of deforestation
