Authors
Mohamed Sarmoum, Rafael Navarro-Cerrilo, Frédéric Guibal
Publication date
2019
Volume
342
Pages
29-40
Description
Dieback of Atlas cedars is a complex phenomenon that has been affecting the cedar forests of the Aurès mountains and Theniet El Had since the 1980s. Its causes are still unknown. This study focused on the cedar forest of Theniet El Had in order to gain a better understanding of the way Atlas cedar dieback is evolving over time and space and to establish whether it has any relationship with environmental factors. Two approaches were applied. In the first, a spatial approach, the distribution of affected trees was mapped out according to altitude, slope, exposure, dendrometric parameters (diameter and height) and state of health (percentage of defoliation). In the temporal approach, radial growth rates were compared between affected and healthy trees in six ecological stations that were representative of Atlas cedar stands in the study zone. The results show that dieback is more severe in the Theniet El Had …
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