Aouadj Sid Ahmed^{1, 📧}, Nasrallah Yahia², Hasnaoui Okkacha¹, Khatir Hadj³

1. Laboratory of Ecology and Management of the Natural Ecosystems, Abu Bakr Belkaid University, Tlemcen, Algeria.
2. Laboratory of Biotoxicology, Pharmacognosy and biological valorisation of plants, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Biology, University of Saida Dr Tahar Moulay, 20100 Saida, Algeria.
3. Private scientific consultant and a head of Reprodbiotech and Stem Cells Inc. Montréal, Canada.

📧 sidahmed.aouadj@univ-tlemcen.dz

Received: November 2022 | Accepted: End December 2022 | First published: 03 January 2023

Abstract

Strategies for the restoration and conservation of degraded natural ecosystems begin by understanding the behavior of vegetation in its composition and dynamism and approaching the process of degradation and assessment of these potentials. The bulk of work, includes six years of filed research, considered in this study involves evaluation and characterization of the vegetation in the Mounts of Saida area, which would allow for the development of efficient restoration plan. This is towards an assessment of the extent, the type of dynamics and degradation of the vegetation using degradation indices, soil quality analysis and vegetation techniques aimed at the regeneration of pioneered plant species. The results of the diagnosis have shown that this region is rich in significant biological diversity. It is estimated for the total of 351 taxa subdivided into 77 families, and 226 genera where Pinus halipensis, Tetraclinis articulata and Juniperus oxycedrus are pioneer forest species. It also contains 35 rare species, 28 endemics, 9 protected taxa and 73 medicinal plants (local use), as well as 10 Orchids some of which are rare, endemic and protected either by the decree 12/03 of the Algerian Republic and/or by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). This diagnosis also showed that human pressure constitute an important factor to be considered in the restoration plan. The overgrazing coefficient and the human action index are very high, 92.3% and 28 without unit. respectively. The application of ecological restoration techniques (soil and vegetation) has shown that soil turning (scarification of soil) is very suitable for the regeneration of these three pioneer forest species that show a density of 34.5 emergence / m2 / 3 years and a growth of 11 cm / 3 years). Controlled burning is very suitable for the regeneration; a density of 4.9 emergence / m 2 / 3 years and a growth of 3.5 cm / 3 years.

Key words

Floristic, Ecological Diagnostic, Mounts of Saida, Ecological Restoration, Assessment.