Integrated Approach to Plant Conservation and Cultural Practices in the Moroccan High Atlas

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1 Integrated Approach to Plant Conservation and Cultural Practices in the Moroccan High Atlas Hassan Rankou, Rachid Ait Babahmad, Mohamed El Haouzi, Ahmed Ouhammou, Emily Caruso & Gary Martin

2 Plant Diversity in Morocco 3913 taxa of plants including 1298 subspecies in 981 genera and 155 families. 879 Endemic species Species endemism = 22 %

3 Extinction Risks World resources Institute, IUCN, UNEP, FAO, UNESCO : Accelerated species extinction, compared to extinction events in the past, due to accelerated habitat loss It is estimated that 60,000 out of the 240,000 world s plant species will go extinct in the next 30 years unless deforestation is slowed immediately Accelerated loss of genetic diversity (e.g., loss of local varietied in favor of uniform modern ones)

4 Threats Habitat loss and degradation Direct and indirect human disturbance Changes in vegetation dynamics Climate change and species intrinsic factors Number of species Threats categories

5 Knowledge, traditions and practices of indigenous peoples and local communities Climate change: Climate change and the future of plant diversity in Morocco

6 GDF: What and Where? Conservation of Important Plant Areas in the Moroccan High Atlas using an Integrated Approach to Plant Conservation and Cultural Practices.

7 An integrated biodiversity-hydrology-agroecology approach. 1. Floristic studies 2. Ecological studies 3. Integrated in situ and ex situ conservation : 4. Documenting conservation practices: 5. Water management 6. Capacity building 7. Networking & Organisations 8. Livelihood improvements for local communities

8 An integrated biodiversity-hydrology-agroecology approach. 1. Floristic studies: Floristic inventories, Species distribution mapping, Plant identification workshops, Community herbaria, Species local uses (Livelihoods), Sharing benefits.

9 2. Ecological studies: Ecological monitoring Habitat mapping Artificial enclosures & Agdals CPC (Floristic richness, Biodiversity indices ). Methods: Transects, Quadrats, Modelling, Remote sensing (NDVI).

10 3. Integrated in situ and ex situ conservation : Conservation assessment for plants and ecosystems. Germplasm: (Community nurseries, seed banking, varieties with livelihood benefits ). Plant enrichment (reintroduction & community distribution). Re-introduction of threatened species to the wild.

11 3. Integrated in situ and ex situ conservation : Climate change effects. IPAs. Conservation action planning and implementation. Species management and protection Site and habitat protection Monitoring and research Communication and Education

12 3. Integrated in situ and ex situ conservation :

13 4. Documenting conservation practices: Agdals: Management, ecological approach, vegetation dyanamics Documentation, dissemination and promotion of regional initiatives on cultural practices of conservation and communitybased resource and landscape management systems. Cultural Conservation Practices Research: Agdals, community-based practices for sustainable land use (e.g. water management, enrichment planting, etc.).

14 5. Water management: Building hydrological infrastructure, Expands cultivation of useful plants, Brings increased domestic water to communities Supply water flows to important biodiversity areas Knowledge: traditional cultural practices and new approaches (drip irrigation, permaculture ).

15 6. Capacity building: Conservation assessment and Red listing of plant species and ecosystems. Herbarium techniques. Plants collection. Databases managements using BRAHMS. Plants identification techniques. Community herbaria curation. Floristic monitoring. Collecting practices. Seed collections.

16 7. Networking & Organisations: Cooperatives and community associations. New associations (NGOs). Working with small and medium sized enterprises to adds value and increase access to markets.

17 8. Livelihood improvements for local communities: IPAs biodiversity conservation. Species cultivation in community nurseries. Distribution of commercially valued plants: Useful tress, medicinal and aromatic herbs. Improved irrigation and water flows. Annual supplements of locallyproduced food and plants.

18 GDF challenge! Preventing the biodiversity loss and improving the local livelihoods. Thank you