Forest Degradation Susceptibility and Sustainability: Case Study of Arganeraie Biosphere Reserve, Atlantic High Atlas, Morocco

The regional environmental conditions primarily regulate the ecosystem structure, wherein their relationship with sub-surface geological settings is less studied. The Moroccan argan forest (Argania Spinosa) was designated in 1998 by the Man and Biosphere (MAB) program of UNESCO as a terrestrial ecosystem of global importance and called Arganeraie Biosphere Reserve (RBA). Since 2014, UNESCO has also inscribed the RBA as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity. This chapter aims to show the influence of the geological substrate on biodiversity by focusing on the argan grove of the Ida OutananeMountains and the geological formations of the Atlantic High Atlas (Morocco). The ground data species diversity with local soil and geological characteristics have been recorded at various altitudinal ranges. The study showed that the lithological diversity of the main geological formations in the study area influences the distribution of the argan tree and its floral procession. The study capitalizes and promotes the multidisciplinary knowledge acquired in botany and geology within the ecosystem of the RBA.