I was born with a strong fascination for wildlife at a very young age and I have participated in several volunteering works and I did environmental stewardship. I got my PhD in Forestry and Landscape Ecology and MSc in Integrated Marine and coastal zones Management from the University Mohamed5 of Rabat, I authored several scientific publications, I presented international communications &chaired several symposiums . I worked in five international Environment & conservation-based oranizations. Phone: +212662383331
African vulture populations are rapidly declining, yet funding and other resources available for ... more African vulture populations are rapidly declining, yet funding and other resources available for their conservation are limited. Improving our understanding of which African vulture species could best serve as an umbrella species for the entire suite of African vultures could help conservationists save time, money, and resources by focusing their efforts on a single vulture species. Furthermore, improving our understanding of the suitability of African vultures as biomonitors for detecting environmental toxins could help conservation authorities to detect changes in ecosystem health. We used a systematic approach based on criteria selected a priori to objectively evaluate the potential of each of the 10 resident African vulture species as (i) an umbrella species for all of the African vulture species, and (ii) an avian biomonitor. For each criterion, we scored the respective African vulture species and summed the scores to determine which species was best suited as an umbrella speci...
Islands, and the particular organisms that populate them, have long fascinated biologists. Due to... more Islands, and the particular organisms that populate them, have long fascinated biologists. Due to their isolation, islands offer unique opportunities to study the effect of neutral and adaptive mechanisms in determining genomic and phenotypical divergence. In the Canary Islands, an archipelago rich in endemics, the barn owl (Tyto alba), present in all the islands, is thought to have diverged into a subspecies (T. a. gracilirostris) on the eastern ones, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote. Taking advantage of 40 whole-genomes and modern population genomics tools, we provide the first look at the origin and genetic makeup of barn owls of this archipelago. We show that the Canaries hold diverse, long-standing and monophyletic populations with a neat distinction of gene pools from the different islands. Using a new method, less sensitive to structure than classical FST, to detect regions involved in local adaptation to insular environments, we identified a haplotype-like region likely under sel...
Sex chromosomes often bear distinct patterns of genetic variation due to unique patterns of inher... more Sex chromosomes often bear distinct patterns of genetic variation due to unique patterns of inheritance and demography. The processes of mutation, recombination, genetic drift and selection also influence rates of evolution on sex chromosomes differently than autosomes. Measuring such differences provides information about how these processes shape genomic variation and their roles in the origin of species. To test hypotheses and predictions about patterns of autosomal and sex‐linked genomic diversity and differentiation, we measured population genetic statistics within and between populations and subspecies of the barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) and performed explicit comparisons between autosomal and Z‐linked genomic regions. We first tested for evidence of low Z‐linked genetic diversity and high Z‐linked population differentiation relative to autosomes, then for evidence that the Z chromosome bears greater ancestry information due to faster lineage sorting. Finally, we investigate...
The avifauna of the highly fragmented Cork Oak forest of Ma'amora in Morocco was studied from... more The avifauna of the highly fragmented Cork Oak forest of Ma'amora in Morocco was studied from October 2004 to December 2005 with special attention to breeding species. A total of 132 bird species were recorded out of 150 known to occur in the entire forest system. The main phenological groups are formed by resident species (n=47) which are present all the year and use the forest to breed and/or to feed, and passage migrants (n=47) that only use the forest as a stopover during their spring and autumn migrations. The regular avifauna also includes breeding migrants (n=29) and winter visitors (n=24). 46 species have been recorded breeding in the cork oak forest, 31 of these are resident and 18 are breeding migrants. Their status and its evolution since the beginning of the 20th century are discussed thanks to the analysis of available bibliography. In addition to woodland species, some water birds were also found breeding on the temporary lakes dotted around the forest. During the ...
The Barbary macaque (Macaca sylvanus), a species endemic to Morocco, is listed as ‘Endangered’ on... more The Barbary macaque (Macaca sylvanus), a species endemic to Morocco, is listed as ‘Endangered’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and on ‘Appendix I’ of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), and the species is the most trafficked live mammal to Europe in the last decade. Ifrane National Park (INP) in the Middle Atlas Mountains of Morocco is the stronghold of the Barbary macaque (BM), with approximately half of the surviving BMs living there. INP had been identified as the main source of poaching where juveniles are often targeted to be sold as pets, mainly for European consumers. Born to be Wild” was a three-year project focused on the sustainable protection of the Barbary macaque mainly from trafficking from North Africa to Europe
Relationship between sylvatic landscape-scale and the habitat area for the breeding forest birds:... more Relationship between sylvatic landscape-scale and the habitat area for the breeding forest birds: Case of Ma'mora Cork Oak forest Bird presence is often associated with the area of habitat in the surrounding landscape. However, the extent of landscape for which habitat area is assessed is generally unknown. Studies have already demonstrated that some species are associated with the amount of habitat at the regional scale and that for certain species, measures of area-sensitivity vary depending on the spatial scale used. Our goal was to demonstrate the influence of spatial scale on apparent area-Sensitivity of forest songbirds. We tested the response of forest breeding birds to habitat area measured inside seven radii from 100 m to 12.000 m. Census of forest breeding birds was based on various count points distributed across 44 different patches. Area of dense cork oak forest, Open cork oak forest and mixed forest was derived from landsat-TM satellite imagery. We used species-spe...
Historical data on the distribution and status of the White-headed Duck (Oxyura leucocephala) in ... more Historical data on the distribution and status of the White-headed Duck (Oxyura leucocephala) in Morocco were collected by bibliographic research and birdwatchers trip report. The population suffered severe decline and range contraction during most of the 20th century and the species becomes extinct by the 70s, due mainly to habitat loss and degradation and excessive hunting. However, the population has begun to recover in the last decade mainly through direct protection of some of the former breeding wetlands like Sidi Boughaba (a Ramsar and biological reserve) and probably also due to immigration from Spain. The population size has increased significantly since the first reappearance in 1996 and the range has expanded to most of its former area but breeding include only 3 sites which are also listed as Important Bird Area. The estimated Moroccan breeding population in 2011 was 31 pairs in the IBA of Sidi Bou Ghaba (MA012). Although the population is recovering, its small size, hig...
The present study examines the effects of structural connectivity between pure cork oak patches a... more The present study examines the effects of structural connectivity between pure cork oak patches and non-indigenous plantations plots. It also investigates the effect of the distance between the cork oak forests patches on forest bird communities. A systematic sampling of habitats and bird communities was carried out in a set of 44 cork oak patches. The long-term monitoring of birds by using point counts may provide useful data on species movements in forest corridors between fragments and in the surrounding matrix. The Maamora forest is very fragmented; cork patches are integrated in a matrix of non-native plantations. We then defined Maamora forest as (cork oaks + non-native plantations). Two indexes of similarity were used: Sorensen (Is) and Jaccard (IJ). These two indexes and the "terms of autocorrelation" (Autocor) were used to calculate the effect of distance on different bird assemblages. We used also ANOVA tests to assess the recruitment of forest birds in the diffe...
In landscape ecology, understanding the requirements in term of the size and quality of the avail... more In landscape ecology, understanding the requirements in term of the size and quality of the available habitat for a number of forest-dependent bird species reveals to be crucial for a better forest management and biodiversity conservation. We studied resident bird communities in the highly fragmented lowland Cork Oak forest in Northern Morocco. In this paper we focused on studying the Mistle Thrush, a species which is believed to have a very scattered distribution at low altitudes in Morocco. In a stepwise regression analysis, cork oak habitat area and habitat isolation were the most important parameters explaining numbers, density, regularity, and probability of presence in three successive years (2005- 2007) of Mistle Thrush. Also, the estimation of habitat quality contributed significantly to the equations as the species occurs only in dense oak patches. A 99% regularity of occurrence during the study period was found in non mixed oak areas of 46 ha. It is suggested that, for a s...
As part of the IBA assessment Program in Morocco, we conducted a pelagic seabirds monitoring duri... more As part of the IBA assessment Program in Morocco, we conducted a pelagic seabirds monitoring during six winters (during three months: Dec, Jan, Feb) from 2008/2009 until 2013/2014 along the coastline situated between south Rabat to North Kenitra. In total, 17 species were observed amongst which six were present regularly with fluctuating numbers including the critically endangered Balearic shearwater (Puffinus mauretanicus). The most abundant species were the Manx' shearwater (Puffinus puffinus) and the Gannet (Sula bassana) with a maximum of 193 and 320 birds respectively counted during the winter 2011/2012 and 2013/2014. The numbers of the endangered Balearic shearwater wintering in the area varied from 28 birds to 112 The first results are showing that the coast zone covered during the survey, which represent only 2% of Moroccan shoreline, is fairly attractive for migratory pelagic seabirds and therefore it is very important to extend our survey in order to determine Marine I...
With support from the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF), trials were begun in this main season in a... more With support from the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF), trials were begun in this main season in an irrigation system in Gharb region of central Morocco. Technical assistance was provided by Dr. Baharul Majumdar from the Department of Agriculture in Agartala, India, who has given leadership to the spread of SRI in the Indian state of Tripura. Two articles on this first attempt at SRI in Morocco appeared in the first and third issues of the SRI Newsletter on the SRI-India website. While water use was reduced, the first trials produced only 5.3 t/ha, less than the conventional average, due to management issues and lack of tools appropriate for the clay soils.
The cork oak forest of Ma’amora in north-western Morocco was the largest cork oak forest in the w... more The cork oak forest of Ma’amora in north-western Morocco was the largest cork oak forest in the world until the beginning of the 20th century. Due to growing land use for agriculture and urbanization, however, this forest has become fragmented into relatively small and isolated patches. The effects of this fragmentation on the diversity of wild animal communities have never been investigated despite the importance of such investigations in elaborating longterm conservation plans of the biodiversity of this forest system. In this study, we examined the effects of structural connectivity between pure cork oak patches and non-indigenous plantations plots. We also studied the effect of the distance between the cork oak forests patches on Ma’amora forest bird communities. A systematic sampling of habitats and bird communities was carried out in a set of 44 cork oak patches. We estimated that a long-term monitoring of auditory and visual demonstrations of birds using point counts may prov...
Due to its geographical position and diversity of wetland habitats typology, Morocco has the rich... more Due to its geographical position and diversity of wetland habitats typology, Morocco has the richest breeding ducks diversity in North Africa. Nevertheless, since more than three decades Moroccan wetlands have undergone severe drainage, system modification and destruction mainly due to agriculture, urbanization, climate change and severe weather resulting in several conservation issues of waterbirds especially ducks. However, our long-term survey of breeding Anatidae (2002-2014), which covered 10 wetlands, has shown positive trends in diversity and abundances of nesting ducks. In total, nine duck species (Tadorna ferruginea, Anas platyrhynchos, Anas strepera, Anas clypeata, Oxyura leucocephala, Netta rufina, Marmaronetta angustirostris, Aythya ferina and Aythya nyroca) have bred in Morocco during the last decade, 05 species were common, 03 were uncommon and 01was occasional. Three globally threatened species are breeding and 06 species are listed in the national red list project. We...
African vulture populations are rapidly declining, yet funding and other resources available for ... more African vulture populations are rapidly declining, yet funding and other resources available for their conservation are limited. Improving our understanding of which African vulture species could best serve as an umbrella species for the entire suite of African vultures could help conservationists save time, money, and resources by focusing their efforts on a single vulture species. Furthermore, improving our understanding of the suitability of African vultures as biomonitors for detecting environmental toxins could help conservation authorities to detect changes in ecosystem health. We used a systematic approach based on criteria selected a priori to objectively evaluate the potential of each of the 10 resident African vulture species as (i) an umbrella species for all of the African vulture species, and (ii) an avian biomonitor. For each criterion, we scored the respective African vulture species and summed the scores to determine which species was best suited as an umbrella speci...
Islands, and the particular organisms that populate them, have long fascinated biologists. Due to... more Islands, and the particular organisms that populate them, have long fascinated biologists. Due to their isolation, islands offer unique opportunities to study the effect of neutral and adaptive mechanisms in determining genomic and phenotypical divergence. In the Canary Islands, an archipelago rich in endemics, the barn owl (Tyto alba), present in all the islands, is thought to have diverged into a subspecies (T. a. gracilirostris) on the eastern ones, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote. Taking advantage of 40 whole-genomes and modern population genomics tools, we provide the first look at the origin and genetic makeup of barn owls of this archipelago. We show that the Canaries hold diverse, long-standing and monophyletic populations with a neat distinction of gene pools from the different islands. Using a new method, less sensitive to structure than classical FST, to detect regions involved in local adaptation to insular environments, we identified a haplotype-like region likely under sel...
Sex chromosomes often bear distinct patterns of genetic variation due to unique patterns of inher... more Sex chromosomes often bear distinct patterns of genetic variation due to unique patterns of inheritance and demography. The processes of mutation, recombination, genetic drift and selection also influence rates of evolution on sex chromosomes differently than autosomes. Measuring such differences provides information about how these processes shape genomic variation and their roles in the origin of species. To test hypotheses and predictions about patterns of autosomal and sex‐linked genomic diversity and differentiation, we measured population genetic statistics within and between populations and subspecies of the barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) and performed explicit comparisons between autosomal and Z‐linked genomic regions. We first tested for evidence of low Z‐linked genetic diversity and high Z‐linked population differentiation relative to autosomes, then for evidence that the Z chromosome bears greater ancestry information due to faster lineage sorting. Finally, we investigate...
The avifauna of the highly fragmented Cork Oak forest of Ma'amora in Morocco was studied from... more The avifauna of the highly fragmented Cork Oak forest of Ma'amora in Morocco was studied from October 2004 to December 2005 with special attention to breeding species. A total of 132 bird species were recorded out of 150 known to occur in the entire forest system. The main phenological groups are formed by resident species (n=47) which are present all the year and use the forest to breed and/or to feed, and passage migrants (n=47) that only use the forest as a stopover during their spring and autumn migrations. The regular avifauna also includes breeding migrants (n=29) and winter visitors (n=24). 46 species have been recorded breeding in the cork oak forest, 31 of these are resident and 18 are breeding migrants. Their status and its evolution since the beginning of the 20th century are discussed thanks to the analysis of available bibliography. In addition to woodland species, some water birds were also found breeding on the temporary lakes dotted around the forest. During the ...
The Barbary macaque (Macaca sylvanus), a species endemic to Morocco, is listed as ‘Endangered’ on... more The Barbary macaque (Macaca sylvanus), a species endemic to Morocco, is listed as ‘Endangered’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and on ‘Appendix I’ of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), and the species is the most trafficked live mammal to Europe in the last decade. Ifrane National Park (INP) in the Middle Atlas Mountains of Morocco is the stronghold of the Barbary macaque (BM), with approximately half of the surviving BMs living there. INP had been identified as the main source of poaching where juveniles are often targeted to be sold as pets, mainly for European consumers. Born to be Wild” was a three-year project focused on the sustainable protection of the Barbary macaque mainly from trafficking from North Africa to Europe
Relationship between sylvatic landscape-scale and the habitat area for the breeding forest birds:... more Relationship between sylvatic landscape-scale and the habitat area for the breeding forest birds: Case of Ma'mora Cork Oak forest Bird presence is often associated with the area of habitat in the surrounding landscape. However, the extent of landscape for which habitat area is assessed is generally unknown. Studies have already demonstrated that some species are associated with the amount of habitat at the regional scale and that for certain species, measures of area-sensitivity vary depending on the spatial scale used. Our goal was to demonstrate the influence of spatial scale on apparent area-Sensitivity of forest songbirds. We tested the response of forest breeding birds to habitat area measured inside seven radii from 100 m to 12.000 m. Census of forest breeding birds was based on various count points distributed across 44 different patches. Area of dense cork oak forest, Open cork oak forest and mixed forest was derived from landsat-TM satellite imagery. We used species-spe...
Historical data on the distribution and status of the White-headed Duck (Oxyura leucocephala) in ... more Historical data on the distribution and status of the White-headed Duck (Oxyura leucocephala) in Morocco were collected by bibliographic research and birdwatchers trip report. The population suffered severe decline and range contraction during most of the 20th century and the species becomes extinct by the 70s, due mainly to habitat loss and degradation and excessive hunting. However, the population has begun to recover in the last decade mainly through direct protection of some of the former breeding wetlands like Sidi Boughaba (a Ramsar and biological reserve) and probably also due to immigration from Spain. The population size has increased significantly since the first reappearance in 1996 and the range has expanded to most of its former area but breeding include only 3 sites which are also listed as Important Bird Area. The estimated Moroccan breeding population in 2011 was 31 pairs in the IBA of Sidi Bou Ghaba (MA012). Although the population is recovering, its small size, hig...
The present study examines the effects of structural connectivity between pure cork oak patches a... more The present study examines the effects of structural connectivity between pure cork oak patches and non-indigenous plantations plots. It also investigates the effect of the distance between the cork oak forests patches on forest bird communities. A systematic sampling of habitats and bird communities was carried out in a set of 44 cork oak patches. The long-term monitoring of birds by using point counts may provide useful data on species movements in forest corridors between fragments and in the surrounding matrix. The Maamora forest is very fragmented; cork patches are integrated in a matrix of non-native plantations. We then defined Maamora forest as (cork oaks + non-native plantations). Two indexes of similarity were used: Sorensen (Is) and Jaccard (IJ). These two indexes and the "terms of autocorrelation" (Autocor) were used to calculate the effect of distance on different bird assemblages. We used also ANOVA tests to assess the recruitment of forest birds in the diffe...
In landscape ecology, understanding the requirements in term of the size and quality of the avail... more In landscape ecology, understanding the requirements in term of the size and quality of the available habitat for a number of forest-dependent bird species reveals to be crucial for a better forest management and biodiversity conservation. We studied resident bird communities in the highly fragmented lowland Cork Oak forest in Northern Morocco. In this paper we focused on studying the Mistle Thrush, a species which is believed to have a very scattered distribution at low altitudes in Morocco. In a stepwise regression analysis, cork oak habitat area and habitat isolation were the most important parameters explaining numbers, density, regularity, and probability of presence in three successive years (2005- 2007) of Mistle Thrush. Also, the estimation of habitat quality contributed significantly to the equations as the species occurs only in dense oak patches. A 99% regularity of occurrence during the study period was found in non mixed oak areas of 46 ha. It is suggested that, for a s...
As part of the IBA assessment Program in Morocco, we conducted a pelagic seabirds monitoring duri... more As part of the IBA assessment Program in Morocco, we conducted a pelagic seabirds monitoring during six winters (during three months: Dec, Jan, Feb) from 2008/2009 until 2013/2014 along the coastline situated between south Rabat to North Kenitra. In total, 17 species were observed amongst which six were present regularly with fluctuating numbers including the critically endangered Balearic shearwater (Puffinus mauretanicus). The most abundant species were the Manx' shearwater (Puffinus puffinus) and the Gannet (Sula bassana) with a maximum of 193 and 320 birds respectively counted during the winter 2011/2012 and 2013/2014. The numbers of the endangered Balearic shearwater wintering in the area varied from 28 birds to 112 The first results are showing that the coast zone covered during the survey, which represent only 2% of Moroccan shoreline, is fairly attractive for migratory pelagic seabirds and therefore it is very important to extend our survey in order to determine Marine I...
With support from the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF), trials were begun in this main season in a... more With support from the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF), trials were begun in this main season in an irrigation system in Gharb region of central Morocco. Technical assistance was provided by Dr. Baharul Majumdar from the Department of Agriculture in Agartala, India, who has given leadership to the spread of SRI in the Indian state of Tripura. Two articles on this first attempt at SRI in Morocco appeared in the first and third issues of the SRI Newsletter on the SRI-India website. While water use was reduced, the first trials produced only 5.3 t/ha, less than the conventional average, due to management issues and lack of tools appropriate for the clay soils.
The cork oak forest of Ma’amora in north-western Morocco was the largest cork oak forest in the w... more The cork oak forest of Ma’amora in north-western Morocco was the largest cork oak forest in the world until the beginning of the 20th century. Due to growing land use for agriculture and urbanization, however, this forest has become fragmented into relatively small and isolated patches. The effects of this fragmentation on the diversity of wild animal communities have never been investigated despite the importance of such investigations in elaborating longterm conservation plans of the biodiversity of this forest system. In this study, we examined the effects of structural connectivity between pure cork oak patches and non-indigenous plantations plots. We also studied the effect of the distance between the cork oak forests patches on Ma’amora forest bird communities. A systematic sampling of habitats and bird communities was carried out in a set of 44 cork oak patches. We estimated that a long-term monitoring of auditory and visual demonstrations of birds using point counts may prov...
Due to its geographical position and diversity of wetland habitats typology, Morocco has the rich... more Due to its geographical position and diversity of wetland habitats typology, Morocco has the richest breeding ducks diversity in North Africa. Nevertheless, since more than three decades Moroccan wetlands have undergone severe drainage, system modification and destruction mainly due to agriculture, urbanization, climate change and severe weather resulting in several conservation issues of waterbirds especially ducks. However, our long-term survey of breeding Anatidae (2002-2014), which covered 10 wetlands, has shown positive trends in diversity and abundances of nesting ducks. In total, nine duck species (Tadorna ferruginea, Anas platyrhynchos, Anas strepera, Anas clypeata, Oxyura leucocephala, Netta rufina, Marmaronetta angustirostris, Aythya ferina and Aythya nyroca) have bred in Morocco during the last decade, 05 species were common, 03 were uncommon and 01was occasional. Three globally threatened species are breeding and 06 species are listed in the national red list project. We...
The Barbary macaque (Macaca sylvanus), a species endemic to Morocco, is listed as ‘Endangered’ on... more The Barbary macaque (Macaca sylvanus), a species endemic to Morocco, is listed as ‘Endangered’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and on ‘Appendix I’ of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), and the species is the most trafficked live mammal to Europe in the last decade. Ifrane National Park (INP) in the Middle Atlas Mountains of Morocco is the stronghold of the Barbary macaque (BM), with approximately half of the surviving BMs living there. INP had been identified as the main source of poaching where juveniles are often targeted to be sold as pets, mainly for European consumers. Born to be Wild” was a three-year project focused on the sustainable protection of the Barbary macaque mainly from trafficking from North Africa to Europe
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Papers by Sidi Imad Cherkaoui