Analysis of floristic diversity of the forest ecosystems of the Zat valley- High Atlas of Morocco: Valorization and Conservation perspectives

From a management and conservation perspective, measuring the biodiversity of an ecosystem is an indispensable tool for assessing its health. Currently, scientists and authorities are giving great importance to the Zat valley because of its ecological, socio-economic and cultural importance. This study was carried out to assess the floristic biodiversity and to determine the different dominant plant groups in the Zat Valley. Based on 33 phyto-ecological surveys, the floristic diversity of the Zat valley revealed the existence of 114 species and subspecies distributed among 44 families and 96 genera, belonging to various biological types. As a first result, 9 taxa were reported as rare taxa according to the flora of Morocco, whereas 7 species were reported as rare and threatened species. A Correspondence Factor Analysis was performed in this study and allowed the individualization of five groups of plants: Pine formation, Thuja formation, Tamarix formation, Holm Oaks formation and Thuriferous formation, each of these formations was described by its geographical distribution, the biodiversity of its flora and its ecological conditions. This study provides an essential tool for the sustainable management of this valley through the implementation of a management and conservation plan.