TITLE:
Contribution of Chamaerops humilis L. (Arecaceae) in Conservation in Situ of Soil Resources in the Tlemcen Region (Western Algeria)
AUTHORS:
Naima Brahimi, Hasnaoui Okkacha, Cherif Ismahan
KEYWORDS:
Chamaerops humilis, Morphometric Measurements, Soil, Conservation, Tlemcen
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Ecology,
Vol.6 No.9,
August
22,
2016
ABSTRACT: In recent
years, the anthropic action on scrubs in the region of Tlemcen (a province in
western Algeria) has represented a threat to the groups of Chamaerops humilis L. (Arecaceae). The main purpose of the present investigation is to highlight
the relationship between Chamaerops humilis and its biotope. Taking
advantage of the refurbishment works in the study area, clumps of Chamaerops
humilis, freshly dug by machinery, were collected and used to conduct some
measurements. A total of 34 clusters were considered. The main parameters to be
studied are: 1. The height of the tangle of roots and the number of roots in
each cluster; 2. The weight of soil trapped between roots; 3. Physico-chemical
properties of soil in which taxa grow. The results obtained showed that the
average weight of soil retained by the clumps was important (70.3 kg); the
average height of the tangle was 68.4 cm and the average number of roots was 382.
The tangle of roots, of various stocks of Chamaerops humilis, creates a
root network, very tangled in its upper part, thereby trapping a significant
amount of soil. The statistical analyses of pairs of parameters, considered in
the present work (height of the tangle, mass of soil trapped by roots and
number of roots), were found to be highly correlated. These analyses allowed
identifying the relationships existing between the studied parameters. They
also helped to deduce the role of the taxon in the in situ conservation
of edaphic potential.