Native plant diversity for ecological reclamation in Moroccan open-pit phosphate mines.

Mining activities have significant impacts on the environment, particularly in terms of the destruction of natural habitats andbiodiversity loss. With the increasing awareness of the importance of ecological restoration and conservation, there is a growing need to study and understand the flora that thrives in mining sites in order to facilitate successful reclamation efforts. This study aimed to investigate the floristic composition and plant diversity of four phosphate mine sites (PMSs) in Morocco, namely Bou Craa mine (BCM), Ben Guerir mine (BGM), Youssoufia mine (YSM), and Khouribga mine (KHM). The study found a total of 215 vascular plant species from 166 genera and 49 taxonomic families across the four sites. BGM was the most diverse site with 120 plant species, followed by KHM with 75, YSM with 57, and BCM with 54. Compositae family species were the most common at BGM and KHM, while Amaranthaceae species were dominant at BCM, and Poaceae and Compositae at YSM. Therophytes (annual species) were the most common functional group (45.0%), followed by chamaephytes (19.6%) and hemicryptophytes (15.9%). Atriplexnummularia and Chenopodiumalbum were the most common species found at all four sites, while Atriplexsemibaccata, Bassiamuricata, Haloxylonscoparium, and 12 other species were common at three sites. However, 156 plant species were found at only one site. The findings of this study highlight the significant abundance of plant species in Moroccan PMSs and provide a basis for successful ecological engineering rehabilitation plans. The study emphasizes the importance of studying the indigenous plant species that naturally populate these marginal lands to ensure successful reclamation efforts.

The Antioxidant Activities of Ethanolic, Methanolic, Ethyl Acetate, and Aqueous Extracts of the Endemic Species, Lavandula mairei Humbert (A Comparative Study between Cold and Hot Extraction).

Background: Medicinal plants have been used for therapeutic purposes and have shown important biological properties. This study aimed to evaluate for the first time the antioxidant activities, total flavonoid, and total phenolic contents of Lavandula mairei Humbert. The ethanol, methanol, ethyl-acetate, and water extracts were used for this purpose. Methods: The antioxidant activities were assessed in vitro by free radical scavenging activity against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrzyl (DPPH), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC). The total flavonoid and phenolic contents were determined spectrophotometrically with gallic acid and Quercetin as standards. Results: In either Soxhlet or maceration methods, the flavonoids and the total phenolic contents were significantly higher in the methanolic extract (P<0.05) compared to other extracts. The total flavonoid content of L. mairei ranged between 119 and 224.6 mg QE/g DW for Soxhlet extracts and from 111.8 to 148.51 mg QE/g DW for maceration extracts. While the total phenolic content was between 35.12 and 99.37 mg GAE/g DW for Soxhlet extracts and 27.63 to 58.99 mg GAE/g DW for maceration extracts. In either the Soxhlet or maceration method, the highest total antioxidant capacity (TAC) was obtained using the ethanolic extract, while the aqueous extract had the highest antioxidant activity for DPPH and FRAP assays. Conclusion: These results showed that Lavandula mairei Humbert has great potential to be a promising candidate for natural plant sources of antioxidants.

A Quantitative Study on the Ethnobotanical Knowledge about Wild Edible Plants among the Population of Messiwa.

Background: The preservation of traditional knowledge of wild edible plants (WEPs) is one of the challenges to the sustainability of natural resources. Therefore, it is crucial to assess the traditional knowledge of WEPs in relation to some socio-demographic and economic factors. Methods: The survey was conducted among the Messiwapopulationthrough a semi-structured questionnaire. The first part of the questionnaire concerns socio-demographic and economic information, while the second part concerns the plants recognized and used by the informant. The recognition frequency (RF), the use frequency (UF), the general consumption frequency(CF), the recent consumption frequency (RCF), and the correlation between these frequencies were evaluated. A comparison of means was also used to compare informant's knowledge according to their socio-demographic and economic status. Results: The three species;Foeniculum vulgare, Ziziphus lotus, and Malva sylvestris were the most recognized (FR = 1) and the most used (FU = 1). The consumption frequency (CF) and the recent consumption frequency (RCF) for Foeniculum vulgare were 1 and 0.9, respectively. Taraxacum getulum, Calendula arvensis and Cyperus rotundus were the least recognized (FR= 0.16; 0.16; 0.48) and least used (FU = 0.3; 0.3; 0.4) species, respectively. The informants who showed a high level of traditional knowledge on WEPs were housewives, with a low level of schooling and at least 45 years old. Conclusion: Despite the decline in traditional knowledge about wild edible plants, some populations preserve this knowledge, especially among the elderly. Therefore, documentation of this knowledge is necessary through ethnobotanical and ethnomedicinal studies.

Ethnobotanical study on wild edible plants traditionally used by Messiwa people, Morocco.

BACKGROUND: The traditional knowledge on wild edible plants has been shown in many studies a worrying decline throughout the last few decades. Therefore, the first aim of this study was to document the population knowledge on wild edible plants among the Messiwa people. The second objective was to assess the traditional knowledge of our informants according to their socio-economic status. METHODS: The survey was conducted among 149 informants through a semi-structured questionnaire. The relative importance of the plants was obtained by calculating the relative frequency of citation (RFC) for each species. To compare means, we used Student's t test for two-group comparisons and Snedecor's F-test for multi-group comparisons. The multi-range Duncan test was used for multiple mean comparisons. The correspondence factor analysis (CFA) was also used. RESULTS: A set of 64 species belonging to 56 genera from 34 families has been collected and identified. The species used for nutritional and medicinal purposes represent 56%, while 44% were used exclusively as nutritional plants. The most used parts are, respectively, the aerial parts (58%), the fruits (17%), the underground parts (13%), the seeds (8%), and finally the flowers (5%). On the other hand, the higher level of knowledge on wild edible plants was found among women, the elderly, illiterate, married people, and those engaged in agricultural occupations. CONCLUSION: This work could be a basis to be reproduced on other regions in Morocco and to be widened through pharmacological and nutritional studies in order to promote and valorize these wild edible plants.

Assessment of the Transfer of Trace Metals to Spontaneous Plants on Abandoned Pyrrhotite Mine: Potential Application for Phytostabilization of Phosphate Wastes.

The abandoned Kettara pyrrhotite mine (Marrakech region, Morocco) is a real source of acid mine drainage (AMD) and heavy metal pollution from previous mining operations-which has spread, particularly because of wind erosion. A store-and-release cover system made of phosphate wastes was built on the site for preventing AMD. To ensure the integrity of this cover and its durability, it is desirable to revegetate it (phytostabilization) with plants adapted to the edaphoclimatic conditions of the region. In this paper, a study was carried out on the spontaneous vegetation around the phosphate cover in order to consider the selection of plants to promote the stabilization of the Kettara mine tailings pond. Nine species of native plants with their rhizospheric soils growing in agricultural soils and tailings from the Kettara mine were collected, and metals (As, Cd, Co, Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, Cr) were analyzed. The soil analysis showed that the tailings contained high concentrations of Cu (177.64 mg/kg) and Pb (116.80 mg/kg) and that the agricultural soil contained high concentrations of As (25.07 mg/kg) and Cu (251.96 mg/kg) exceeding the toxicity level (Cu > 100 mg/kg, Pb > 100 mg/kg, As > 20 mg/kg). The plant analysis showed low trace metal accumulation in Scolymus hispanicus, Festuca ovina, Cleome brachycarpa, Carlina involucrata and Peganum harmala. These species had a bioconcentration factor (BCF) greater than 1 and a translocation factor (TF) less than 1, demonstrating a high tolerance to trace metals. Therefore, they are good candidates for use in the phytoremediation of the Kettara mine tailings. These species could also potentially be used for the phytostabilization of the phosphate waste cover of the Kettara mine, thus completing the rehabilitation process of this area.

Medicines in the Kitchen: Gender Roles Shape Ethnobotanical Knowledge in Marrakshi Households.

Differences in gendered knowledge about plants are contingent on specific cultural domains. Yet the boundaries between these domains, for example food and medicine, are sometimes blurred, and it is unclear if and how gender plays a role in creating a continuum between them. Here, we present an in-depth evaluation of the links between gender, medicinal plant knowledge, and culinary culture in Marrakech, Morocco. We interviewed 30 women and 27 men with different socio-demographic characteristics and evaluated how gender and cooking frequency shape their food and medicinal plant knowledge. We documented 171 ethno-taxa used in Marrakshi households as food, medicine, or both, corresponding to 148 botanical taxa and three mixtures. While no clear differences appear in food plant knowledge by gender, women have a three-fold greater knowledge of medicinal plants, as well as plants with both uses as food and medicine. Women's medicinal and food plant knowledge increases with their reported frequency of cooking, whereas the opposite trend is observed among men. Men who cook more are often single, have university-level degrees, and may be isolated from the channels of knowledge transmission. This demonstrates that the profound relations between the culinary and health domains are mediated through gender.

Combination of Stable Isotopes and Fatty Acid Composition for Geographical Origin Discrimination of One Argan Oil Vintage.

Quality control and traceability of Argan oil requires precise chemical characterization considering different provenances. The fatty acid profile is an essential parameter that certifies the quality and purity of Argan oil. In addition, stable isotopes were recently shown to be accurate as an indicator for geographical origin. In this study, fatty acid composition by gas chromatography (GC) and stable isotope ratio by isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) were investigated for classifying Argan oil according to its geographical origin. Forty-one Argan oil samples, belonging to six geographical origins of Moroccan natural Argan population (Safi, Essaouira, Agadir Ida Outanane, Taroudant, Tiznit and Sidi Ifni) were collected and extracted under the same conditions. The results show that the isotope δ13C, palmitic acid (C16:0), linoleic acid (C18:2) and unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) were strongly influenced by ecological parameters. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) was performed to discriminate the six studied provenances. Discriminant models predicted the origin of Argan oil with 92.70% success. Samples from Safi, Essaouira and Agadir Ida Outanane presented the highest classification rate (100%). In contrast, the lowest rate was reported for samples from Tiznit (85.70%). The findings obtained for fatty acids and isotope combination might be considered as an accurate tool for determining the geographical origins of Argan oil. Moreover, they can potentially be used as specific markers for oils labeled with Protected Geographical Indication (PGI).

Description of Microbial Communities of Phosphate Mine Wastes in Morocco, a Semi-Arid Climate, Using High-Throughput Sequencing and Functional Prediction.

Soil microbiota are vital for successful revegetation, as they play a critical role in nutrient cycles, soil functions, and plant growth and health. A rehabilitation scenario of the abandoned Kettara mine (Morocco) includes covering acidic tailings with alkaline phosphate mine wastes to limit water infiltration and hence acid mine drainage. Revegetation of phosphate wastes is the final step to this rehabilitation plan. However, revegetation is hard on this type of waste in semi-arid areas and only a few plants managed to grow naturally after 5 years on the store-and-release cover. As we know that belowground biodiversity is a key component for aboveground functioning, we sought to know if any structural problem in phosphate waste communities could explain the almost absence of plants. To test this hypothesis, bacterial and archaeal communities present in these wastes were assessed by 16S rRNA metabarcoding. Exploration of taxonomic composition revealed a quite diversified community assigned to 19 Bacterial and two Archaeal phyla, similar to other studies, that do not appear to raise any particular issues of structural problems. The dominant sequences belonged to Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, and Gemmatimonadetes and to the genera Massilia, Sphingomonas, and Adhaeribacter. LEfSe analysis identified 19 key genera, and metagenomic functional prediction revealed a broader phylogenetic range of taxa than expected, with all identified genera possessing at least one plant growth-promoting trait. Around 47% of the sequences were also related to genera possessing strains that facilitate plant development under biotic and environmental stress conditions, such as drought and heat.

Phytostabilization of Phosphate Mine Wastes Used as a Store-and-Release Cover to Control Acid Mine Drainage in a Semiarid Climate.

The abandoned Kettara pyrrhotite mine, located near Marrakech, Morocco, is an acid mine drainage (AMD) producer site. A store-and-release cover system made of phosphate wastes was built to prevent water infiltration and the formation of AMD. This cover system should be vegetated with appropriate plants to ensure its long-term sustainability and allow its reintegration in the surrounding ecosystem. Several indigenous plant species were studied. The choice of plant species was based mainly on their tolerance to trace elements contained in the phosphate wastes, and their low capacity to translocate these metals to their aboveground parts in order to limit the risk of pollutants transfer along the food chain. The main metals and metalloids (As, Cd, Co, Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, Cr) are determined in 13 dominant plants naturally colonizing the store-and-release cover and their rhizospheric soils. The results showed that the phosphate cover contained high concentrations of Cr (138.04 mg/kg), Cu (119.86 mg/kg) and Cd (10.67 mg/kg) exceeding the regulatory thresholds values (Cr > 100 mg/kg, Cu > 100 mg/kg, Cd > 3 mg/kg). The studied plants revealed no hyper-accumulation of metals and metalloids, and lower concentrations in shoots than in roots. Six species (Plantago afra, Festuca ovina, Aizoon hispanicum, Herniaria cinerea, Echium plantagineum and Asphodelus tenuifolius) have bioconcentration factors greater than 1, and weak translocation factors, identifying them as appropriate candidates for phytostabilization of the phosphate cover.

Use of native plants and their associated bacteria rhizobiomes to remediate-restore Draa Sfar and Kettara mining sites, Morocco.

Soil and mine tailings are unreceptive to plant growth representing an imminent threat to the environment and resource sustainability. Using indigenous plants and their associated rhizobacteria to restore mining sites would be an eco-friendly solution to mitigate soil-metal toxicity. Soil prospection from Draa Sfar and Kettara mining sites in Morocco was carried out during different seasons for native plant sampling and rhizobacteria screening. The sites have been colonized by fifteen tolerant plant species having different capacities to accumulate Cu, Zn, and P in their shoots/root systems. In Draa Sfar mine, Suaeda vera J.F. Gmel., Sarcocornia fruticosa (L.) A.J. Scott., and Frankenia corymbosa Desf. accumulated mainly Cu (more than 90 mg kg-1), Atriplex halimus L. accumulated Zn (mg kg-1), and Frankenia corymbosa Desf. accumulated Pb (14 mg kg-1). As for Kettara mine, Aizoon canariense L. mainly accumulated Zn (270 mg kg-1), whereas Forsskalea tenacissima L. was the best shoot Cu accumulator with up to 50 mg kg-1, whereas Cu accumulation in roots was 21 mg kg-1. The bacterial screening revealed the strains' abilities to tolerate heavy metals up to 50 mg kg-1 Cu, 250 mg kg-1 Pb, and 150 mg kg-1 Zn. Isolated strains belonged mainly to Bacillaceae (73.33%) and Pseudomonadaceae (10%) and expressed different plant growth-promoting traits, alongside their antifungal activity. Results from this study will provide an insight into the ability of native plants and their associated rhizobacteria to serve as a basis for remediation-restoration strategies.

Accumulation of heavy metals in metallophytes from three mining sites (Southern Centre Morocco) and evaluation of their phytoremediation potential.

The current study aims to perform a field survey of three abandoned mining sites in the southern centre of Morocco to assess the recent metal pollution in soils and accumulation potential of plant species. Native plants and soils were sampled at several sites in the studied mines and analysed for Cu, Zn, Pb and Cd concentrations. Soils in the investigated sites proved to be deficient in major macronutrients and to contain toxic levels of Cu, Zn, Pb and Cd. Botanical survey of the prospected sites showed the abundance of diverse plant communities (46 species and 19 families), with no obvious toxicity symptoms. Results showed that the concentrations of heavy metals were different in the same plant species and from plant species to another. Eight plants of 46 species namely Hirschfeldia incana (L.) Lagr.-Foss, Citrullus vulgaris (L.) Schradi, Portulaca oleracea L., Stipa capensis Thunb., Lactuca viminea (L.) J.Presl & C.Presl, Forsskaolea tenacissima L., Lycium intricatum Boiss. and Hammada scoparia (Pomel) Iljin were considered as the best-performing specimens due to their high ability to accumulate multiple metals in their shoots and roots without being affected by excessive metal contents. This was confirmed by the transfer factors generally higher than 1. Consequently, these tolerant and native plant species could be used as tools for an effective phytorestoration of metal-contaminated sites.

Diversity of fungal assemblages in roots of Ericaceae in two Mediterranean contrasting ecosystems.

The plants belonging to the Ericaceae family are morphologically diverse and widely distributed groups of plants. They are typically found in soil with naturally poor nutrient status. The objective of the current study was to identify cultivable mycobionts from roots of nine species of Ericaceae (Calluna vulgaris, Erica arborea, Erica australis, Erica umbellate, Erica scoparia, Erica multiflora, Arbutus unedo, Vaccinium myrtillus, and Vaccinium corymbosum). The sequencing approach was used to amplify the Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) region. Results from the phylogenetic analysis of ITS sequences stored in the Genbank confirmed that most of strains (78) were ascomycetes, 16 of these were closely related to Phialocephala spp, 12 were closely related to Helotiales spp and 6 belonged to various unidentified ericoid mycorrhizal fungal endophytes. Although the isolation frequencies differ sharply according to regions and ericaceous species, Helotiales was the most frequently encountered order from the diverse assemblage of associated fungi (46.15%), especially associated with C. vulgaris (19.23%) and V. myrtillus (6.41%), mostly present in the Loge (L) and Mellousa region (M). Moreover, multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) showed three distinct groups connecting fungal order to ericaceous species in different regions.

Treating infants with frigg: linking disease aetiologies, medicinal plant use and care-seeking behaviour in southern Morocco.

BACKGROUND: Although most Moroccans rely to some extent on traditional medicine, the practice of frigg to treat paediatric ailments by elderly women traditional healers known as ferraggat, has not yet been documented. We describe the role of these specialist healers, document the medicinal plants they use, and evaluate how and why their practice is changing. METHODS: Ethnomedicinal and ethnobotanical data were collected using semi-structured interviews and observations of medical encounters. Information was collected from traditional healers, namely ferraggat, patients, herbalists and public health professionals. Patients' and healers' narratives about traditional medicine were analysed and medicinal plant lists were compiled from healers and herbalists. Plants used were collected, vouchered and deposited in herbaria. RESULTS: Ferragat remain a key health resource to treat infant ailments in the rural High Atlas, because mothers believe only they can treat what are perceived to be illnesses with a supernatural cause. Ferragat possess baraka, or the gift of healing, and treat mainly three folk ailments, taqait, taumist and iqdi, which present symptoms similar to those of ear infections, tonsillitis and gastroenteritis. Seventy plant species were used to treat these ailments, but the emphasis on plants may be a recent substitute for treatments that used primarily wool and blood. This change in materia medica is a shift in the objects of cultural meaningfulness in response to the increasing influence of orthodox Islam and state-sponsored modernisation, including public healthcare and schooling. CONCLUSIONS: Religious and other sociocultural changes are impacting the ways in which ferraggat practice. Treatments based on no-longer accepted symbolic elements have been readily abandoned and substituted by licit remedies, namely medicinal plants, which play a legitimisation role for the practice of frigg. However, beliefs in supernatural ailment aetiologies, as well as lack or difficult access to biomedical alternatives, still underlie the need for specialist traditional healers.

Assessment of heavy metals accumulation by spontaneous vegetation: Screening for new accumulator plant species grown in Kettara mine-Marrakech, Southern Morocco.

The present paper aims to perform a screening of native plants growing in Kettara mine-Marrakech (Southern Morocco) for its phytoremediation. Plants and soil samples were collected and analyzed for Pb, Zn, Cu and Cd concentrations at several sites in the mine. The results showed that the soil in the vicinity of Kettara mine is deficient in major elements and contain toxic levels of metals. Spontaneously growing native plants were botanically identified and then classified into 21 species and 14 families. Significant difference was observed among the average concentrations of four heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Cu and Cd) in plants (p ≤ 0.05). Six plants of 21 species namely Hammada scoparia (Pomel) Iljin, Hirschfeldia incana (L.) Lagreze-Fossat, Lamarckia aurea (L.) Moench, Calendula algeriensis Boiss. & Reuter, Aizoon hispanicum L. and Melilotus sulcata Desf. were considered as the best-performing specimens due to their high ability to accumulate multiple metals in their shoots and roots without sustaining toxicity. This was confirmed by the transfer factors generally higher than 1. Using the most common criteria to classify the hyperaccumulator plants, these species can be classified as new accumulator plants of many heavy metals and be potentially used as remediation tools of metal-contaminated sites.

Comprehensive dataset of the medicinal plants used by a Tashelhit speaking community in the High Atlas, Morocco.

This dataset describes medicinal plants used in a poorly studied area of Morocco: the High Atlas mountains, inhabited by Ishelhin people, the southern Moroccan Amazigh (Berber) ethnic group, "An ethnomedicinal survey of a Tashelhit-speaking community in the High Atlas, Morocco" (Teixidor-Toneu et al., 2016) [1]. It includes a comprehensive list of the plants used in the commune, as well as details on the plant voucher specimens collected and a glossary of Tashelhit terminology relevant to the study. To collect the data, semi-structured and structured interviews were carried out, as well as focus group discussions. Free prior informed consent was obtained for all interactions. A hundred and six adults were interviewed and 2084 use reports were collected; a hundred fifty-one vernacular names corresponding to 159 botanical species were found.

An ethnomedicinal survey of a Tashelhit-speaking community in the High Atlas, Morocco.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Traditional knowledge about medicinal plants from a poorly studied region, the High Atlas in Morocco, is reported here for the first time; this permits consideration of efficacy and safety of current practises whilst highlighting species previously not known to have traditional medicinal use. AIM OF THE STUDY: Our study aims to document local medicinal plant knowledge among Tashelhit speaking communities through ethnobotanical survey, identifying preferred species and new medicinal plant citations and illuminating the relationship between emic and etic ailment classifications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ethnobotanical data were collected using standard methods and with prior informed consent obtained before all interactions, data were characterized using descriptive indices and medicinal plants and healing strategies relevant to local livelihoods were identified. RESULTS: 151 vernacular names corresponding to 159 botanical species were found to be used to treat 36 folk ailments grouped in 14 biomedical use categories. Thirty-five (22%) are new medicinal plant records in Morocco, and 26 described as used for the first time anywhere. Fidelity levels (FL) revealed low specificity in plant use, particularly for the most commonly reported plants. Most plants are used in mixtures. Plant use is driven by local concepts of disease, including "hot" and "cold" classification and beliefs in supernatural forces. CONCLUSION: Local medicinal plant knowledge is rich in the High Atlas, where local populations still rely on medicinal plants for healthcare. We found experimental evidence of safe and effective use of medicinal plants in the High Atlas; but we highlight the use of eight poisonous species.

Use of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to improve the drought tolerance of Cupressus atlantica G.

In this study, we investigated whether indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi could improve the tolerance of Cupressus atlantica against water deficit. We tested a gradient of watering regime spanning from 90% to 25% of soil retention capacity of water on mycorhized and non-mycorhized seedlings in pot cultures with sterilized and non-sterilized soils. Our result showed a positive impact of AM fungi on shoot height, stem diameter and biomass as well as on the growth rate. We also observed that inoculation with AM fungi significantly improved uptake of minerals by C. atlantica in both sterilized and non-sterilized soils independently of water regimes. We found that mycorhized plants maintained higher relative water content (RWC) and water potential compared with non-mycorhized plants that were subjected to drought-stress regimes (50% and 25% of soil retention capacity). The contents of proline and of soluble sugars showed that their concentrations decreased in non-mycorhized plants subjected to DS. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities also decreased in non-mycorhized plants submitted to DS compared to mycorhized plants. The same pattern was observed by measuring peroxidase (POD) enzyme activity. The results demonstrated that AM fungal inoculation promoted the growth and tolerance of C. atlantica against DS in pot cultures. Therefore, mycorrhizal inoculation could be a potential solution for the conservation and reestablishment of C. atlantica in its natural ecosystem.

Effect of Different Amendments on Growing of Canna indica L. Inoculated with AMF on Mining Substrate.

Canna indica L. (CiL) was used here in phytoremediation of mining soils. Our work evaluated the effect of AMF (i) on the growth and (ii) on the uptake of heavy metals (HM). The tests were conducted in the greenhouse on mining substrates collected from the Kettara mine (Morocco). The mine soil was amended by different proportions of agricultural soil and compost and then inoculated with two isolates of AMF (IN1) and (IN2) of different origins. After six months of culture, the results show that on mining soils (100%) only AMF (IN2) was able to colonize the roots of CiL with a frequency of 40±7% and an intensity of 6.5±1.5%. Also, the lowest values of shoot and root dry biomass are obtained on these mining soils with respectively 0.30 g and 0.27 g. In contrast, the accumulation of HM was higher and reached more than 50% of that contained in the mining soils, the highest values with 138 mg kg(-1) Cu2+, Zn2+ 270 mg kg(-1) and 1.38 mg kg(-1) Cd was recorded. These results indicate that the colonization of CiL roots by AMF (IN2) could significantly improve its potential to be used in phytoremediation of polluted soil.

Assessment of the food habits of the Moroccan dorcas gazelle in M'Sabih Talaa, west central Morocco, using the trnL approach.

Food habits of the Moroccan dorcas gazelle, Gazella dorcas massaesyla, previously investigated in the 1980s using microhistological fecal analysis, in the M'Sabih Talaa Reserve, west central Morocco, were re-evaluated over three seasons (spring, summer and autumn 2009) using the trnL approach to determine the diet composition and its seasonal variation from fecal samples. Taxonomic identification was carried out using the identification originating from the database built from EMBL and the list of plant species within the reserve. The total taxonomic richness in the reserve was 130 instead of 171 species in the 1980s. The diet composition revealed to be much more diversified (71 plant taxa belonging to 57 genus and 29 families) than it was 22 years ago (29 identified taxa). Thirty-four taxa were newly identified in the diet while 13 reported in 1986-87 were not found. Moroccan dorcas gazelle showed a high preference to Acacia gummifera, Anagallis arvensis, Glebionis coronaria, Cladanthus arabicus, Diplotaxis tenuisiliqua, Erodium salzmannii, Limonium thouini, Lotus arenarius and Zizyphus lotus. Seasonal variations occurred in both number (40-41 taxa in spring-summer and 49 taxa in autumn vs. respectively 23-22 and 26 in 1986-1987) and taxonomic type of eaten plant taxa. This dietary diversification could be attributed either to the difference in methods of analysis, trnL approach having a higher taxonomic resolution, or a potential change in nutritional quality of plants over time.

Heavy metal contamination from mining sites in South Morocco: 2. Assessment of metal accumulation and toxicity in plants.

Metalliferous soils cover a relatively large surface area in Morocco, and up to now no hyperaccumulating plants have been identified on these mining or these industrial sites. The aim of this work was to assess the extent of metal accumulation by plants found in three mining areas in southern Morocco with the ultimate goal of finding metal hyperaccumulating species by using the MetPAD biotest. The biotest helps to obtain information on the selective metal toxicity of aqueous extracts from the plants. A strong metal toxicity, as revealed by the biotest is an indication of a hyperaccumulating plant. Toxicity tests were run concurrently with chemicals analyses of metals in plants and their water extracts. The chemical analyses allow the determination of the hyperaccumulated metal(s). Specimens of the plant species mainly growing on and in the vicinity of the three mines were sampled with their corresponding soils. The results show that all plants analyzed had lower heavy metal content and toxicity despite the relatively very high soil concentrations. A comparison of our results with the criterion used to classify the hyperaccumulator plants indicates that plants we collected from mining sites were hypertolerant but not hyperaccumulators. This was confirmed by transfer factors generally lower than 1. Nevertheless, these tolerant plants species can be used as tools for revegetation for erosion control in metals-contaminated sites (phytostabilization).