69. Targuist mire (Central Rif, Morocco)

Abstract

Site details The mire of Targuist (34° 49′ 9.26′′ N, 4° 26′ 13.78′′ W) is located at 1780 m above sea level (a.s.l.), in the central part of the Rif Mountains, 7 km southeast of Jbel Tidirhine (2456 m a.s.l.). The highest peaks, over 2000 m a.s.l., are formed by quartzitic ridges, whereas predominant bedrock at lower altitudes are schist, grauwacke and sandstone from the Cretaceous period (Despois & Raynal 1967). Targuist weather station (1030 m a.s.l.) shows a mean annual temperature of 13 °C and a mean annual rainfall which hardly reaches 500 mm. However, the study area, located 18 km southwest, is included in the humid bioclimate range, with mean annual precipitation higher than 1200 mm (Benabid 1984). Vegetation is mainly made up of cedar (Cedrus atlantica (Endl.) Manetti ex Carriere) forests, which define the transition between the Supramediterranean and Mountain Mediterranean belts (Taleb & Fennane 2019), accompanied by evergreen and deciduous oaks (Quercus ilex L., Q. pyrenaica Willd., Q. faginea Lam. and Q. canariensis Willd.), Acer granatense Boiss. and Ilex aquifolium L. Cytisus megalanthus (Pau et Font Quer) Font Quer, Genista carpetana Leresche ex Lange, Cistus laurifolius L. and Halimium atlanticum Humbert et Maire form the shrubland. Also characteristic are Luzula forsteri (Sm.) DC., Digitalis purpurea L., Arenaria pomelii Munby, Vicia cedretorum Font Quer and Viola munbyana Boiss. & Reut. (Quezel 1998; Charco 1999). Riparian woods are mainly formed by Prunus lusitanica L. with Betula fontqueri Rothm. The vegetation by the mire is mainly composed of some genera of Cyperaceae, such as Carex L. or Cyperus L. and Poaceae, such as Molinia caerulea (L.) Moench or Danthonia decumbens (L.) DC.; as well as other species including Juncus heterophyllus Dufour, Ranunculus L. spp. and Isoetes L. sp.