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Aim of study:The aim of the study is to present a diagnosis for the state of Argan forest degradation in Morocco through GIS and remote sensing utilizing Sentinel 2 satellite images of the year 2019 (dated 28/08/2019).Area of study: The study was carried out in a forest commune in Idmine, South West Morocco, which is located in semi-arid bioclimatic region.Material and methods: In the study, two methods were tested. These are; (i) the vegetation indices (VIs) [Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI), Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI), Brilliance Index (IB)] and their combination and (ii) the supervised classification and spectral analysis.Main results: Two methods have given the same results (Kappa coefficient=90%) to describe the state of forest degradation. Consequently, three classes pertaining to forest degradation within the study area were; low (34%), medium (44%) and critical degradation (22%).Highlights: This monitoring might help managers to create forest management plans and to evaluate the speed of deforestation and degradation.

Aim of study:The objectives of this study consist in an examination of the evolution of cork-oak forest in Sehoul forest, Morocco, over two decades and to analyze the impact of the anthropic pressure.Area of study: The research has been carried on Sehoul forest, located in northwestern Morocco. It is linked to the largest plain cork-oak forest in the world.Material and method: This work carried via mapping of forest area, socio-economic surveys and participatory workshops, to assess the state of degradation of forest areas and their evolution, and to search for the causes of these with a relationship with human activities.Main results: Sehoul cork-oak forest is among the forest ecosystems that play a fundamental economic, social and environmental role. However, the current state of its stands is disturbing. The progressive degradation is the result of a combination of climatic and anthropogenic factors that continue to intensify. The degradation of the forest can be expressed by its replacement by introduced species and the reduction of its coverage rate, and the absence of its natural regeneration.Highlights: The cork-oak forest in Sehoul, firewood-borne forest regression is twice as high as forest production and overgrazing rate is around 80%.

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The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) affects humans, who are now developing a milder form of the illness. In addition to the use of available drugs, the local populations in Morocco used medicinal plants during the pandemic. The current study aimed to document and to research the level of use of traditional medicine using plants in Morocco. Ethnobotanical surveys were conducted on the perceptions and level of use of plants through a case study in North-West Morocco. The methodology is based on targeted surveys, from April to September 2021, of households that have had cases if nfection with COVID-19. Five hundred surveys were randomly and systematically distributed in the study area to highlight the medicinal use of plants to treat COVID-19 and its consequences for health and well-being. The results showed the attachment of the populations to traditional medicine with the use of plants available in the study area (local forest area and herbalists). The 23 species used by the populations in question against COVD-19 belong to 12 families. The analysis shows the dominance of the Lamiaceae family with nine species, followed by Asteraceae with three species. The Lamiaceae family have proven marked performance in the fight against COVID-19. The results obtained offer orientations for the enhancement of the beneficial effects of traditional medicine and clinical trials remain to be carried out. The current results highlight that flora can be a source for the discovery of medicinal agents active against COVID-19.