Abstract
Soil degradation is a global phenomenon that leads to land degradation and affects agricultural land. Land degradation caused by erosion is expected to increase due to climate change, and more directly affected by changes in extreme daily rainfall. The central Rif in Morocco, presents a favorable environment for erosion phenomena due to the dominance of steep slopes, fragile lithology substrate. Reforestation and soil conservation practices can fully reduce the impact of CC on slope dynamics. The objective of this study is to analyze the variations in maximum daily rainfall, to study the meteorological situations that produce this rainfall and also to assess their impacts on soil degradation at the scale of experimental plots in the central High Rif. The results show an overall trend of increasing daily rainfall maxima during the period 1980-2012, whose average values exceed 120 mm in some showers. The origin of this precipitation is related to frontal Atlantic disturbances. The effects of this precipitation on the environment vary according to physiographic factors and land use types. Soil loss is expected to increase as a result of climate change, which will lead to further increases in sediment in dam reservoirs. The increasing trend of extreme precipitation could be aggravated by locally implemented incompatible human practices characterised by agricultural expansion and deforestation.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Assessing Impacts in Diverse Ecosystems
KEYWORDS
CLIMATE CHANGE, EXCEPTIONAL PRECIPITATION, LAND USE, CONSERVATION MESURES, MOROCCO
