The study area is located in the central western region of Morocco, approximately 50km East of Casablanca and 50km South of Rabat. It includes a part of Coastal meseta, one of the topographical regions in which Morocco landscape can be roughly divided at small scale; the other regions are the Rif mountain, the Atlas system and the desert region (Hamada and Erg) in the South (Figure 2).
The Rif mountain chain runs westward, parallel to the Mediterranean coast and is formed by several massifs whose altitude do not exceed 2452m. The Atlas system is characterised by the three most prominent mountain ranges, which run parallel from the Northeast to the Southwest: the Middle Atlas, the High Atlas and, the Anti-Atlas. The High Atlas reaches 4165m, the Middle Atlas is slightly lower (1796m) and the Anti Atlas reaches more than 2612m. West of the Atlas, the meseta (plateau) is a series of plateaux going up to the coast.
The study area, that includes all the province of Ben Slimane, covers a surface of around 600km2 and is delimited by the external boundaries of administrative municipalities of Moualine El Ghaba, Ain Tizgha and Ziaida (Chaouia-Ourdigha region).
Figure 1 - The project framework
From a hydrological point of view, the study area is limited in the East by the Oued Cherrat and in the West by Oued Nefifikh. These two oueds, as the principal oueds of the region, flow northward from the Central plateau and transversally cut the Coastal meseta (Figure 3).
The average altitude of the meseta is 200m with isolated reliefs reaching about 350m such as Sokhra El Hajiba and Sokhra Nemra. These are localised respectively on the South and on the North of Ben Slimane.
In the whole plateau of Ben Slimane numerous depressions (dayas) can be found; among them the greatest are: daya El Kalaa in the Southwest of Ben Slimane, daya El Habchi and El Tine, in the Southeast of the isolated relief of El Hajiba, daya El Jmamera in the Northwest of the same relief and daya Ben Haoula in the central part of the study area.
The province of Ben Slimane is characterised by arid to semi-arid climate with rainfall between 450-500mm per year. Also groundwater availability is poor both for human and herd consumption.
Figure 2 - Location of the study area
The landscape is mostly dominated by agricultural land cultivated with wheat, barley, white lupin and bean, and small orchards with fruit trees like pomegranate, olive and almonds. Natural vegetation is represented by three main kinds of cover: Quercus suber forest, Tetraclinis articulata forest, and shrubland.
The main feature of the cork oak formation is the Ben Slimane forest situated in the central part of the study area. This woodland is partially degraded due to the high impact of grazing and to the exploitation for Eucaliptus spp. plantation. In the eastern part of the study area, along Oued Cherrat, the Tetraclinis articulata forest is the main formation. This land cover type is characterised by the presence of a dense shrubs layer. Shrubland is widespread but it dominates in the southern part of the Ben Slimane province. Pinus halepensis afforestations are located in the Southeast part where, because of overgrazing, the soil erosion and degradation were higher than the other area. Eucaliptus spp. plantations are well distributed in all the area.
The favourable climatic conditions and the proximity of the two important Moroccan cities give the study area a particular importance for tourist purposes and its development. Indeed, around the city of Ben Slimane, structures have been built for leisure such as golf coures and thermal baths, even if it remains very poor in basic infrastructures. The Ben Slimane forest could be a starting point for a sustainable tourist development of the province providing a more reasonable exploitation of natural resources.
The poverty belt with very precarious life condition and the brand-new country houses of the Casablanca citizens represent two contrasting aspects of the region.
Figure 3 - Study area