Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

Vol 27, Issue 2, 2021; Page No.(574-584)

PHYTODIVERSITY AND DYNAMICS OF QUERCUS FAGINEA SUB SP. TLEMCENENSIS STANDS IN THE MOUTAS RESERVE - TLEMCEN (NORTH-WESTERN ALGERIA)

Naima Bouazza, Kouider Cherifi and Brahim Babali

Abstract

Using a phytoecological approach, our study aims to understand the phytodiversity and the dynamics of the Quercus faginea subsp. tlemcenensis stands structuring the vegetation in the Moutas reserve (Tlemcen region, north-west Algeria). One of the essential chracteristics of the vegetation in the study area is its great plant diversity. The flora listed in all the phyto-sociological surveys carried out in the field includes 299 plant species belonging to 57 families and 202 genera. Our work is focused on the ecological interest of inventoried species, their taxonomies and their dynamics. This research allowed us to establish a census of the current vegetation various strata which are often of great ecological plasticity, but also to gather and analyze all the ecological and floristic elements which we have to better understand the evolution of this phyto-genetics capital. The floristic data analysis by factorial correspondence analysis (FCA) and the ascending hierarchical classification (AHC) identified the main factors governing the distribution of plant formations in the study area and brought out four major groups (Gr A, Gr B, Gr C and Gr D) of plant populations according to their regressive spatial dynamics; forest, pre-forest, scrub and therophyte. This regression of vegetation is linked to climate change (drought) and to the pressure of the environment (fires, erosion, agriculture ...) contributing to an aridification followed by the installation of therophytic, toxic and / or thorny species.