Average Atlas

The Moyen Atlas (الأطلسالمتوسط) is a massive mountainous lengthened on a few 350 km, of south-west in the North-East of the Morocco, located between the Rif and the High Atlas, and covering an total surface area of 2,3 million hectares, that is to say 18% of the altimontain field of this country.

It interests mainly the provinces of Khénifra, Ifrane, Boulmane, Sefrou, El Hajeb, as well as part of the provinces of Taza and Beni Mellal - that one indicates under the name of “door of the Average Atlas”.

This chain belongs to the massive of the Atlas, and more precisely, with the one of the three elements of the Moroccan Atlas - the two others being the High Atlas and the Anti-Atlas.

The Average Atlas constitutes a territory with the strange charm, its wealth of Biodiversité faunal and floristic by making a zone with tourist vocation.

The pastoralism remains however the first economic resource.

Relief

The geomorphological structure of the Average Atlas is primarily made up:

of rocks limestones:

tabular rocks in the west, of an altitude of: 1000 with: 1500 meters;
rocks folded in the North-East, of a higher altitude often exceeding: 3000 meters (culminating point: jbel Bou Naceur: 3356 meters);

of volcanic plates.

Over its slopes, immense forests of Cèdre S are spread out as far as the eye can see, intersected with deep valleys. Bordered by the rich person Plaine of Know and the cities of Fès, Meknès and Beni Mellal, the mountainous solid masses of the Average Atlas are the stronghold of tribes Berbères with the very sparse population, speaking the Tamazight.

The solid mass of the Average Atlas is crossed by one of the main roads of access to the south Marocain, of Fès to the Tafilalet. Located at the North-East of the Atlas. The Average Atlas is closed in the east by the National park of Tazekka, with the landscapes dug of throats and caves. In the south of Sefrou, the forests of cedars, holm oaks and cork oaks alternates with plates stripped ic Volcan and small full of fish lakes with water turquoises.

The jewel of the Average Atlas is the National park of Ifrane, located in causse atlasic between Khénifra and Ifrane and the park of Tazekka, classified Ramsar according to convention with Morocco.

Culminating points

Its culminating point is the jbel Bou Naceur (: 3356 meters), then the jbel Mouâsker (: 3277 meters), in north by causse of the Average Atlas, finally the jbel Bou Iblane (: 3192 meters) close to Immouzer Marmoucha.

Climate

The western frontage, with Taza with Azrou, in situation of first ascent for the disturbances coming from the ocean, is well sprinkled (approximately 100 cm annual), supporting relatively green pastures and luxuriant forests. The Eastern valleys are much drier and see progressing the desert (dead forest of Jbel Bou Naceur). More continental than Rif, and overall wetter than the High Atlas, the Average Atlas knows rigorous winters, with a tough snowing up above 2000 to 2500 meters (December/March).

The combination of the temperature and pluviometry is likely to create favorable conditions with belts of vegetation: thus, one will see following one another according to altitude and of the exposures, of the forests of caroubier or kharroubier, holm oaks, and Cèdre S (cedrus atlantica), Genévrier S, tetraclinis-articulata or Thuya (Elaaraar), of the Conifère S and the endemic trees.

Hydrology

Its situation in the middle of Morocco, in a zone of very high pluviometry, gives on the Average Atlas the character of “water tower”, as well from the point of view hydrogeologic as from the hydrographic point of view.

Hydraulic basins

The Average Atlas belongs to four large catchment areas:

the basin of Sebou: of a surface of approximately: 40000 km.
the basin of the Oum Errabiaa: extends on a surface from: 35000 km ².
the basin of Bouregreg: cover a surface about: 10000 km ².

These three rivers occur in the Average Atlas and throw in the ocean the Atlantic.

the basin of the Moulouya: takes its source with Almssid with the junction of the Means and the High Atlas extends on: 74000 km ² and are thrown in the Mediterranean.

The contributions are thus rather abundant and the relatively regular flows. The equipment in stoppings collinaires in cascade of this area has as an aim of protection the downstream, to improve the tourist attractions of the area and to create water reserves supporting the development of the arboriculture which does not cease developing thanks to various international programs like that of the Serou Wadi.

Stoppings

Stoppings of the basin of Oum Errabiaa
Stoppings of the basin of Sebou
Stoppings of the basin of Bouregreg
Stoppings of the basin of Moulouya: high and low Moulouya

Tourist assets

In the middle of these mountains, the longest river of Morocco, the Oum er-Rbia or Oum Errabiaa, takes its source to 40 km of Khénifra, to further throw 600 km in the Atlantique in Azemmour (Doukkala). In the west, the Average Atlas joined the first buttresses of the High Atlas. Called the “Swiss of Morocco”, the Average Atlas shelters also some small towns of average altitude, with the typically Berber seal. Thus Ifrane, with its urban style with European (stone country cottages and red tiled roofs) and its National park of Ifrane (rich by its Zygènes single), Azrou, old station of rest built on the slopes of a cedar plantation, and Imouzzer of Kandar, Ifrane, Azrou, Zaouia d' Ifrane: (village to 15 km of Azrou), El Hajeb, Elksiba, Blessed Mellal with its famous lake of Bin El ouidane formed by Oum Errabiaa and its affluent Wadi El Abid.

These cities and their areas offer splendid landscapes extremely appreciated by the hikers in love with the mountain and splendid lakes, distributed between the province of Ifrane and Khénifra, placed in karstic causse of formation: such Aguelmame Aziza, Aguelmame Sidi Ali, Tiglmamine, Daït Aoua, Afennourir, Daït Afourgah, Dait Iffer, Aguelmame Ouiouane near the sources of Oum Errabiaa, Aguelmame Tifounassine located at 40 km of Azrou on the road of Midelt, Aguelmame Abakhane located on the road N° 33 between Khénifra and Midelt by the Tighassaline village.

The list of its lakes and their characteristic is well elucidated in this document drawn up by professors L. Chilasse, Dakki, Abbassi within the framework of a research on the values and ecological functions of the Wetlands of the Average Atlas; more the majority of these sites are classified SIBE (Sites of Biological and Ecological Interest) of priority 1,2 and 3.

Lakes of the average Atlas

Leisures of continental fishing

The richness of the fish lakes allows the creation of leasings of fishing rights controls by ministerial decrees where the fishermen can practice various fishings namely:

Fishing with brown trout.
Fishing with trout in the water levels.
Fishing in water with white fish.

The principal fish species and their characteristics are: Trout fario, Rainbow trout, Gardon, Pike, low Black, Pike perch, pole. The fish most appreciated by the fishermen are the pike and the trout. The rivers present other varieties according to the places.

The cedar plantations such of Ajdir Ezayane, Ain Leuh, Azrou and Ifrane, Immouzer Marmoucha to the borders of the Riffian solid mass whose National park of Tazekka celebrates it impress the hikers by the contrast of the average landscape atlasic without revealing the secrecy of the life which it hiding place between its majestic trees. The beauty of this region lies in its diversity of landscapes contrasted in a calm environment where purity of the air to gasoline the scented odors of the cedar and Thuja embaume hearts of the visitors.

This circuit of the lakes crosses wild landscapes of rather high mountains, high plateaus green and immense forests traversed by the monkeys called nest eggs.
The area conceals assets favorable to éco-tourism, but it remains much to make for the development of this still virgin inheritance an adequate infrastructure with the needs for the local populations living under the yoke of poverty.

Despite everything these potentialities, the nature of the Average Atlas is subjected to two ecological factors of pressure whose impact is irreversible, to see:

the dynamics of the populations.
the dryness which gains ground for lack of precipitations,
abusive exploitation of the forest.
the habitat threatened by the overgrazing.

The Average Atlas offers varied landscapes. The oriental party is sprinkled little and low in vegetation, but the deep valleys are dominated by more the high summits of the Average Atlas, the jbel Bou Naceur (: 3340 meters) and the jbel Bou Iblane (: 3190 meters) close to Immouzer Marmoucha. In the center, the high plateaus between Azrou and Timahdite are populated little. The Western slope is wetter and cultivable surfaces attracted more populations. Plates and small valleys are covered with forests of cedars, cork oaks and maritime pines. As from December, tops above: 800 meters are snow-covered. The Average Atlas is the space of the seminomad , the Beni Me Guilds and the Berber Zayanes of Khénifra). Sedentary S the winter, they moves in spring, with their Troupeau X, towards the green Pâturage S.

The area of Khénifra constitutes a true water tower by its river system in fork formed by Oum Errabiaa and the affluents of Bouregreg, giving rise to two large hydraulic basins. This area offers a landscape evoking the Pyrenean landscapes and in certain places the Massif Central.

Biodiversity and Ecosystems

The positive description of the nature of the Average Atlas is only one misleading illusion, of media consumption, if one on the matter refers to the reports/ratios of certain specialists such Jean Delacre and Michel Tarrier. The forecast of the future of the ecosystem is announced worrying and nonpromising for Morocco and more particularly in the average Atlas: “What counts is to see the evolution of this inheritance which does not cease being degraded in a which gallops way, the effects on the totality of the ecosystem will start the process of chain reaction which will succeed with the turning into a desert of Morocco and consequently that of Europe. ”. The faunal and floristic inheritance Moroccan is thus threatened of disappearance if one consults the information established by the specialists all disciplines confused.

Introduction

“ the forest precedes the man and the desert succeeds to him. ”, Chateaubriant.

The geographical position of Morocco between Europe and Africa confers to him a situation privileged during its natural history as regards the exchanges of genetic materials and to be subject to various influences climatic what gets in remarkable Morocco bioclimats of wet, sub-wet, semi-arid with Saharan dryness. Morocco has of a large bioclimatic variety and an important range of natural environments: 30 zones biogeographic and 39 ecosystems terrestrial whose 30 ecosystems forest and represents a potential biological diversity and a biological richness exceptional: : 4700 plant species including more than 70 forest trees, 101 species of mammals, 236 species of birds and 114 species of reptiles and Amphibians. However there are serious threats, which had primarily with the multiple activities of the man, whose repercussion can be catastrophic on the biodiversity and the ecosystem in general in Morocco.

This inheritance is confronted with problems related to the human dynamism which tends to the renewal of the cultivable pieces to the detriment of the forest (homo-destructus) and to the dryness due to the climate changes of the biosphere that one allots to the pollution which affects the layer of ozone.
Formerly the Arganier populated the area of Khénifra in the valley of the Grou wadi, with the Average Atlas; its disappearance is due to the turning into a desert and the activities of the man.

Lakes of the Average Atlas

Most of the lakes of the Average Atlas is concentrated in the geograghic surface of Blessed Mellal-Khénifra-Ifrane corresponding to average causse atlassic.

Cascades of the Average Atlas

The Cascade of Ouzoud offers an imposing spectacle which attracts many visitors. Located at 22 km of Tanaant and approximately 150 km of Marrakech, in an area where the cascades are numerous, that Ci corresponds to a 110 m height fall for water of the Ouzoud river which joins then the El-Abide Wadi. The basin of rocks limestones is surrounded by a luxuriant flora.

National parks of the Average Atlas

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