Mohamed El Mderssa

Climate change poses a major global challenge, and forests are increasingly recognized for their role in carbon sequestration. This review employs a dual analytical framework, integrating a systematic bibliometric analysis with a structured thematic synthesis, to assess the carbon storage potential of Morocco’s forest ecosystems across both biomass and soil organic carbon pools. Forest types examined range from humid cedar and cork oak stands to semi-arid argan woodlands. The bibliometric analysis, based on 27 peer-reviewed studies retrieved from Scopus, reveals a growing but structurally imbalanced research landscape: approximately 70% of studies address soil carbon, while forest biomass investigations remain comparatively underrepresented. Keyword co-occurrence and collaboration networks further indicate fragmented research dynamics and limited integration of forestry-specific themes. The thematic synthesis provides a quantified overview of carbon stocks: soil organic carbon ranges from 40.1 to 264.7 t C ha⁻1, with the highest values in well-preserved cedar stands, while aboveground biomass carbon ranges from 4.91 t C ha⁻1 in young argan orchards to over 200 t C ha⁻1 in mature cedar forests. These findings reveal critical methodological and spatial gaps constraining national-scale carbon accounting: the absence of species-specific allometric equations for several dominant taxa, inconsistent soil depth treatment across studies, and limited coverage of semi-arid and degraded ecosystems reduce the reliability of current estimates. Strengthening biomass-focused research, expanding remote sensing and machine learning tools, and harmonizing assessment methodologies are identified as priority actions for improving Morocco’s forest carbon reporting under international climate frameworks. This work provides the first national synthesis combining bibliometric and thematic assessment of biomass and soil carbon stocks in Moroccan forest ecosystems. Cite this article as: Naciri, Y., Mderssa, M. E., Ettaqy, A., Abbas, Y., Ibijbijen, J., & Boulli, A. (2026). Assessing carbon storage potential in the Mediterranean forests: a review of Morocco’s ecosystems. Forestist, 76, 0078, doi:10.5152/forestist.2026.25078.

Soil organic carbon (SOC) stored in forest ecosystems represents one of the largest terrestrial carbon reservoirs and plays a crucial role in climate change mitigation and ecosystem functioning. In Mediterranean mountain regions, SOC storage is characterized by pronounced spatial variability resulting from the combined influence of vegetation, climate, topography, parent material and soil-forming processes. Although numerous studies have examined the influence of dominant tree species on SOC accumulation, comparatively few have investigated how the diversity of forest ecosystems interacts with geological substrate to regulate soil carbon storage across heterogeneous protected landscapes. This study evaluates the combined effects of forest ecosystem diversity and geological substrate on SOC storage by comparing two major Moroccan Mediterranean protected areas: Ifrane National Park, located in the Middle Atlas Mountains, and Talassemtane National Park, located in the Rif Mountains. A harmonized dataset comprising 67 observations was assembled from independent field inventories. In Ifrane, the sampled ecosystems were distributed over basaltic and dolomitic substrates, whereas all Talassemtane sites developed on calcareous formations. SOC stocks differed markedly between the two national parks. Mean SOC stock reached 173.99 t C ha ^- ¹ in Ifrane compared with 69.44 t C ha ^- ¹ in Talassemtane. Ecosystem type significantly affected SOC storage in both parks. In Ifrane, the highest SOC stocks were recorded in Zeen oak and Holm oak forests, whereas matorral, cork oak, and fir ecosystems showed the highest values in Talassemtane. Furthermore, basalt-derived soils in Ifrane were associated with markedly greater SOC stocks (200.84 t C ha ^- ¹) than dolomitic soils (147.14 t C ha ^- ¹) in this pooled, ecosystem-confounded comparison; however, the two available ecosystem-matched tests holding vegetation constant (Cedar forest and Holm oak forest, basalt vs dolomite) were both non-significant (P = 0.680 and P = 0.143), so this pooled association should not yet be read as confirmed, independent evidence that geological substrate drives SOC accumulation. Although both parks exhibited similar ecosystem richness, Ifrane showed considerably greater spatial variability in SOC storage than Talassemtane, reflecting stronger ecological differentiation among ecosystem types. These findings demonstrate that forest ecosystem diversity should be interpreted as landscape heterogeneity rather than simply species richness, and that the influence of vegetation on soil carbon cannot be separated from the pedological constraints imposed by geological substrate. These results have important implications for ecosystem-based forest management, carbon accounting and climate-change mitigation strategies in protected areas.

Long-term, spatially explicit reconstructions of forest dieback are scarce for the southern African rim of the Mediterranean basin. This study presents an open, reproducible retrospective analysis of natural forest dieback in the Béni Mellal-Khénifra region of Morocco (936,437 ha) over...

Climate change increasingly affects forest ecosystems, but forests remain key components of climate mitigation through carbon sequestration. More than half of terrestrial carbon is stored in forest soils and biomass, making forests strategic carbon sinks. This review presents a national-scale synthesis of carbon stocks in Moroccan forest ecosystems, integrating biomass with soil organic carbon. It is based on a structured analysis of published studies. The results highlight strong variability among ecosystems, with soil organic carbon representing the largest carbon pool, particularly in Mediterranean and semi-arid forests. The highest average carbon stocks were observed in zeen oak and cedar forests (197.88 and 187.16 tC ha−1), followed by holm oak (134.06 tC ha−1), while cork oak ecosystems showed lower values (76.08 tC ha−1). These differences mainly reflect species composition and soil properties. Overall, Moroccan forests show a high potential for carbon sequestration, supporting their role in climate change mitigation and sustainable forest management.

The vulnerability of Mediterranean forests results from the combined effects of climatic stressors and human pressures. In Morocco, recurrent droughts, wildfires, and rapid land-use change interact with complex governance challenges. This chapter assesses the condition and trends of major forest types such as argan, cedar, cork oak, thuya, and juniper, while placing Morocco in a regional context that includes Algeria, Tunisia, and Spain. Vulnerability is analyzed through an integrated framework linking exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity using ecological and institutional indicators. Despite advances in remote sensing, modeling, and genetic-based restoration, progress is limited by fragmented information systems and weak incorporation of local knowledge. Strengthening resilience requires better interinstitutional coordination, adaptive silviculture, improved data governance, and innovative financing. A strategic roadmap outlines priorities for multi-scale monitoring and a Mediterranean forest resilience toolbox.

The present study was conducted in monospecific stand of Cork oak (Quercus suber L.) in the Oulmes Central Plateau (Case of Zitchouene Forest), with the following objectives: the determination of the organic carbon stock in the different compartments of the forest ecosystem, namely: the soil, the...

Euphorbia resinifera O. Berg is a prickly, leafless and succulent, Moroccan endemic shrub. Field data indicate that the plant faces many challenges related to its natural regeneration and its gradual decline that can lead to a probability of extinction, at least in some areas. Successful seed germination and survival of E. resinifera seedlings during the dry period is one of the main obstacles encountered in establishing natural seedlings. With this in mind, 3080 seeds of two morphotypes of E. resinifera (M1 and M2) were harvested in the Atlas of Beni Mellal to study their germinative potential and determine suitable conditions for growth and development of the seedlings. In the laboratory, five temperatures (10 °, 15 °C, 18 °C, 25 °C, and 35 °C) and two photoperiods (12 h light/12 h dark and 24 h dark) were tested. Whereas in field research, two factors were considered: the availability of water and the type of substrate (clay, peat, and limestone). Results show a maximum germination rate of around 52% for M2 at 15 °C and 48% for M1 at 18 °C. The Monitoring of plant seedling establishment and growth revealed a high vulnerability to prolonged periods of drought. However, consolidated soil is more conducive to seedling establishment. For this species, it is therefore essential to conserve the habitat within the karst geosystem. Furthermore, the variability of this species' morphotypes and their growth form architecture shows a tendency to favor the dwarf, cushion-shaped morphotype, which is the most widespread in the study area.