Exploitation Effects on Propagation of Argania Spinosa in Morocco

Abstract

Argania spinosa, the argan tree, is endemic to Morocco and provides many ecosystem services for the Moroccan people, as well as people around the world; these include oil production for domestic use or sale, shade for growing crops, grazing areas for livestock, and providing soil stability that helps prevent desertification and climate change. High demand for argan oil has created a market for seeds, thereby providing income for many local people. As demand for the oil rises, the argan forests have become exploited. Argan trees cannot effectively reproduce with high levels of farming, seed harvest, and grazing. Without proper management and regulation of forests, they could be lost and replaced by deserts. This study’s aim is to evaluate how different kinds of exploitation affect natural reproduction in Argania spinosa . Four different study sites were chosen to represent varying levels of exploitation by comparing the effects of farming, grazing, and humans on argan reproduction. Forest plots were sampled in each region to identify young sapling densities compared to adult tree densities, and seed dispersal ranges were compared to identify the effects of exploitation on propagation. Although seed collection pressures have rapidly increased in the past decades, the results of the study suggest that agricultural pressures from farming within argan forests may decrease argan tree propagation.