Microbial activities and physicochemical properties of coniferous forest soils in two forest areas (arid and semi-arid) of western Algeria

Abstract

The Algerian forest, the last bulwark against desertification coming from Sahel, is particularly vulnerable to global change and must be protected from deforestation, which is constantly advancing. Aleppo pine, which covers 880,000 ha, is the predominant species of forests in semi-arid and arid regions. The soils of these regions are generally fragile and vulnerable due to climatic aridity; their degradation today has accentuated the phenomenon of desertification.The objective of this work was to compare the physicochemical and microbiological characteristics of the coniferous forest soils of the semi-arid and arid zones of the Algerian west. In addition to characterization of climates, 16 physical, chemical and microbiological properties were analyzed on soils collected from forest areas characteristic of the two zones: Jebel Sid Ahmed Zeggai forest massif (Saida province) located in the semi-arid zone and the forest massif of jebel Antar (Naama province) located in the arid zone. Our results showed very different soil qualities between the two zones: moisture content, water retention capacity, permeability, porosity and organic carbon content, total nitrogen and organic matter are higher in the semi-arid zone compared with the arid zone, which is characterized by the large presence of total limestone. Biomass and microbial basal respiration are higher in the semi-arid zone. Our results are discussed with regard to the vulnerability of soils to the respective climate of each of the zones and agro-silvo practices potentially involved in the degradation of these soils.

Predicting suitable habitats of the major forest trees in the Saïda region (Algeria): A reliable reforestation tool

“…The mean maximum temperature in the warmest months (July and August) and the lowest average temperature in the coldest months (January and February) were 27 and 3°C, respectively. The climate in the study area is semi-arid Mediterranean; the seasonal regime of the zone is of the WASS type (winter, autumn, spring, and summer) with a dry period of almost 6 months from May to October (Zouidi et al, 2019).…”

Effect of monospecific and mixed litters on bacterial communities' structure and functions under contrasting Mediterranean climate conditions

“…Soils here are often thin, poorly developed, very stony, with low water reserves (Curt and Marsteau, 1997) and frequently eroded, therefore particularly fragile and vulnerable (Pires and Pavon, 2018). • In Algeria, sampling sites were located in the Massif of Jebel Sid Ahmed Zeggai (N34°46′33.71″ E0°04′02.47″) situated near the town of Ain el Hadjar in the Wilaya of Saida (North-Western Algeria) and under the semi-arid bioclimatic stage (Zouidi et al, 2019). Declared a national forest in 1962, the stands are situated on brown limestone soils and dominated by Aleppo pines at least 60 years old (Zouidi et al, 2019).…”

“…• In Algeria, sampling sites were located in the Massif of Jebel Sid Ahmed Zeggai (N34°46′33.71″ E0°04′02.47″) situated near the town of Ain el Hadjar in the Wilaya of Saida (North-Western Algeria) and under the semi-arid bioclimatic stage (Zouidi et al, 2019). Declared a national forest in 1962, the stands are situated on brown limestone soils and dominated by Aleppo pines at least 60 years old (Zouidi et al, 2019). The accompanying species are lentisk (Pistacia lentiscus L.), juniper (Juniperus oxycedrus L.), holm oak (Quercus ilex L.) and alfa (Stipa tenacissima L.) (Zouidi et al, 2019).…”

“…Declared a national forest in 1962, the stands are situated on brown limestone soils and dominated by Aleppo pines at least 60 years old (Zouidi et al, 2019). The accompanying species are lentisk (Pistacia lentiscus L.), juniper (Juniperus oxycedrus L.), holm oak (Quercus ilex L.) and alfa (Stipa tenacissima L.) (Zouidi et al, 2019). This study site is also a preserved environment without artificialisation, where no sylvicultural practices have been applied for at least 40 years.…”

“…This makes understanding how decomposer communities could respond to changing climate conditions a major issue for sustainable development in the Mediterranean (Cramer et al, 2018). Certain studies have taken the first step, such as Zouidi et al (2019) who compared coniferous forest soils of semi-arid and arid zones in Algeria, and found that microbial biomass and basal respiration were lower in the arid zone as a consequence of its characteristic long drought periods. However, while there is a wealth of studies in temperate Northern European countries (Brunel et al, 2017;Cramer et al, 2018;Santonja et al, 2017a), few studies have addressed the most vulnerable zone, the more arid Southern Mediterranean countries (Cramer et al, 2018).…”