Diversity of Land Cover and its Role in Local Development in the Western Moroccan Rif: Case of the Upper and Middle Oued Laou Basin

Abstract

This article aims to study the characteristics of the pedological cover and its granular components in the upper and middle parts of the Oued Laou basin in the Western Moroccan Rif, covering an area of 824 km², and to determine its geographical diversity resulting from the complex interaction between the morpho-structural system, characterized by numerous mountain peaks, climate, forest cover, and slope gradient. The importance of the study area lies in its subjection to an active erosion dynamic that directly affects the process of pedogenesis.

       The results revealed a pedological diversity distributed between acidic, stony, leached soils with a coarse texture, and clayey-silty or calcareous soils that are shallow and mineral, in addition to red Mediterranean soils associated with rocky outcrops. At the foot of the mountains and along watercourses, acidic clayey soils with a sandy texture and a gravel load of variable depth are prevalent. Their pH ranges from acidic to neutral, with a humus content resulting from the decomposition of organic matter.

        Finally, the study concludes that most of the mountain soils in the area, both calcareous and sandy, are characterized by a limited water retention capacity and low fertility, which imposes structural constraints on agricultural activity and local development, and calls for the adoption of appropriate strategies for soil management and territorial planning.