Ifrane National Park | |
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Location | Morocco |
Coordinates | 33°25′54.32″N5°7′48.58″W / 33.4317556°N 5.1301611°W |
Area | 500 km2 (190 sq mi) |
Official name | Lac d'Afennourir |
Designated | 20 June 1980 |
Reference no. | 208 [1] |
Ifrane National Park is a national park located in the Middle Atlas mountain range, in Morocco. [2] Its territory extends over the Western part of the Middle Atlas mountains and areas within the provinces of Ifrane and Boulmane. [3] It was established in 2004 and covers an area of 125,000 hectares (310,000 acres). [4] Much of the park is forested with Atlas cedar. [5] Ifrane National Park is one of the few remaining habitats for the Barbary macaque, Macaca sylvanus; this primate prehistorically had a much broader range in North Africa, but currently survives as an endangered species in narrowly restricted and fragmented habitats. [6]
Ifrane National Park was conceived in 1994 and established in October 2004 due to many reasons such as the existence of remarkable species in the territory, the presence of internationally important ecosystems, and the increase of human activity and resource exploitation. [7]
Since the 1990s, Morocco got involved in the conception of strategies that can help in protecting the environment and biodiversity through projects and conventions such as Ramsar. [7] Ifrane National Park is one of the strategies that the Moroccan state came up with in order to demonstrate the importance of its forests and ecosystems.
The park initially covered an area of 53,800 ha (133,000 acres), and was enlarged in April 2008 to 125,000 ha (310,000 acres). [4] The zone encompasses some of the most ecologically sensitive areas such as wetlands and high-altitude forests. [3] It is believed that the park's altitude varies between 1,300 and 2,400 metres (4,300 and 7,900 ft) including the cedar forest located in the province of Ifrane. [4]
It was stated that the park contains one tenth of the Atlas Cedar in the world, one fourth of the world's population of the Barbary Macaque, and two Ramsar sites: the two lakes Afennourir and Tifounassine. [4]
Additionally, included in Ifrane National Park's territory are the following 'daiyat', as in lakes, and forests:
The former monastery of Toumliline is also located within the perimeter of the National Park of Ifrane. [8]
The park constitutes a very important natural reserve to Morocco since it is biologically and geologically diverse. The park was created with these three intentions:
Located in the Atlas Mountains, and affected by the cold north Atlantic current, Ifrane National Park has a continental-influenced warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Csb) with short, somewhat dry, warm summers and long, cool, damp winters. The nights can be severely cold in winter. The winter highs rarely exceed 10 °C (50 °F) in December–February.
Because of its elevation, the area experiences snow during the winter months and a cooler climate during the summer (not as hot as in the nearby regions). [9]
Owing to the area's elevation and proximity to the north Atlantic Ocean, rainfall is very heavy whenever frontal systems affect the region. Precipitation patterns follow the classic Mediterranean range, from October to April. The park also receives high snowfall starting as early as October and lasting well into spring season. The annual average temperature does not exceed 11 °C (52 °F).
The city of Ifrane holds the record of the lowest temperature ever observed in Africa: −23.9 °C (−11.0 °F) on February 11, 1935. [9]
Climate data for Ifrane, Morocco, 1961-1990 normals, extremes 1965-2016 | |||||||||||||
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Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 20.0 (68.0) | 21.1 (70.0) | 22.0 (71.6) | 27.0 (80.6) | 27.2 (81.0) | 32.8 (91.0) | 34.0 (93.2) | 35.0 (95.0) | 37.0 (98.6) | 26.0 (78.8) | 19.0 (66.2) | 17.2 (63.0) | 37.0 (98.6) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 8.9 (48.0) | 9.9 (49.8) | 11.9 (53.4) | 13.2 (55.8) | 17.5 (63.5) | 22.5 (72.5) | 28.7 (83.7) | 28.9 (84.0) | 24.7 (76.5) | 18.4 (65.1) | 12.5 (54.5) | 9.4 (48.9) | 17.2 (63.0) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 4.1 (39.4) | 5.2 (41.4) | 6.6 (43.9) | 8.0 (46.4) | 11.8 (53.2) | 15.9 (60.6) | 21.2 (70.2) | 21.4 (70.5) | 17.9 (64.2) | 12.5 (54.5) | 7.8 (46.0) | 4.7 (40.5) | 11.4 (52.5) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −0.8 (30.6) | 0.5 (32.9) | 1.4 (34.5) | 2.8 (37.0) | 6.0 (42.8) | 9.4 (48.9) | 13.7 (56.7) | 13.9 (57.0) | 11.0 (51.8) | 6.6 (43.9) | 2.9 (37.2) | 0.0 (32.0) | 5.6 (42.1) |
Record low °C (°F) | −13.0 (8.6) | −23.9 (−11.0) | −8.0 (17.6) | −3.9 (25.0) | −2.0 (28.4) | 0.0 (32.0) | 7.0 (44.6) | 4.0 (39.2) | 0.0 (32.0) | −1.1 (30.0) | −6.1 (21.0) | −10.0 (14.0) | −23.9 (−11.0) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 138.9 (5.47) | 175.1 (6.89) | 126.1 (4.96) | 130.7 (5.15) | 76.7 (3.02) | 38.3 (1.51) | 13.6 (0.54) | 12.7 (0.50) | 33.3 (1.31) | 72.9 (2.87) | 178.3 (7.02) | 141.8 (5.58) | 1,118.4 (44.03) |
Average rainy days | 10.6 | 12.4 | 12.1 | 12.4 | 10.3 | 6.5 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 6.5 | 8.4 | 10.8 | 10.3 | 108.3 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 180.6 | 169.1 | 214.4 | 211.2 | 263.1 | 302.3 | 340.8 | 317.0 | 258.1 | 227.3 | 175.8 | 172.8 | 2,832.5 |
Source: NOAA [10] [11] |
The area has 1015 different plant species including the Atlas Cedar (Cedrus Atlantica), the Evergreen Oak (Quercus Ilex), the Algerian Oak (Quercus Canariensis), the Maritime Pine (Pinus Pinaster), and the Spanish Juniper (Juniperus Thunifera). [4] Other tree species that exist in the park include the Montpellier maple, the yew, and the holly. [4]
The park contains a rich fauna. It constitutes a natural living environment for the endangered monkey species the Barbary Macaque. Moreover, in the park one can find wild Barbary boars ( Sus scrofa algira ), the African wolf ( Canis lupaster ), the striped hyenas ( Hyaena hyaena ), the Barbary stag ( Cervus elaphus barbarus ), the arruis ( Ammotragus lervia ), red foxes ( Vulpes vulpes ), the serval ( Leptailurus serval constantinus ), the caracal ( Caracal caracal algira ), the European otter ( Lutra lutra ), the European rabbit ( Oryctolagus cuniculus ), the crested porcupine ( Hystrix cristata ), the cape hare ( Lepus capensis ) the common genet ( Genetta genetta) and probably the Barbary leopard ( Panthera pardus pardus ). [7]
In addition, the park is a place where various bird species keep showing up. In fact, Afennourir Lake is a Ramsar Site where you can find a shelter for bird-watching. The bird species that can be found in the lake include coots, also called Fulica, snipes, and egrets. [7]
In 2021, to celebrate World Biodiversity Day, in the Ifrane National Park, 31 arruis and 6 crested porcupine were reintroduced. In 2021 to Friday June 4, 28 arruis were reintroduced.
The Atlas Mountains are a mountain range in the Maghreb in North Africa. It separates the Sahara Desert from the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean; the name "Atlantic" is derived from the mountain range, which stretches around 2,500 km (1,600 mi) through Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. The range's highest peak is Toubkal, which is in central Morocco, with an elevation of 4,167 metres (13,671 ft). The Atlas Mountains are primarily inhabited by Berber populations.
The Barbary macaque, also known as Barbary ape, is a macaque species native to the Atlas Mountains of Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco, along with a small introduced population in Gibraltar. It is the type species of the genus Macaca. The species is of particular interest because males play an atypical role in rearing young. Because of uncertain paternity, males are integral to raising all infants. Generally, Barbary macaques of both sexes and all ages contribute in alloparental care of young.
Cedrus atlantica, the Atlas cedar, is a species of tree in the pine family Pinaceae, native to the Rif and Atlas Mountains of Morocco, and to the Tell Atlas in Algeria. A majority of the modern sources treat it as a distinct species Cedrus atlantica, but some sources consider it a subspecies of Lebanon cedar.
Ifrane is a city in the Middle Atlas region of northern Morocco. The capital of Ifrane Province in the region of Fès-Meknès, Ifrane is located at an elevation of 1,665 m (5,463 ft). In the regional Tamazight language, "ifran" means caves.
The Tell Atlas is a mountain chain over 1,500 km (932 mi) in length, belonging to the Atlas mountain ranges in North Africa, stretching mainly across northern Algeria, ending in north-eastern Morocco and north-western Tunisia.
The Middle Atlas is a mountain range in Morocco. It is part of the Atlas mountain range, a mountainous region with more than 100,000 km2, 15 percent of its landmass, rising above 2,000 metres. The Middle Atlas is the northernmost and second highest of three main Atlas Mountains chains of Morocco. To south, separated by the Moulouya and Um Er-Rbiâ rivers, lies the High Atlas. The Middle Atlas form the westernmost end of a large plateaued basin extending eastward into Algeria, also bounded by the Tell Atlas to the north and the Saharan Atlas to the south, both lying largely in Algeria. North of the Middle Atlas and separated by the Sebou River, lie the Rif mountains which are an extension of the Baetic System, which includes the Sierra Nevada in the south of Spain. The basin of the Sebou is not only the primary transportation route between Atlantic Morocco and Mediterranean Morocco but is an area, watered by the Middle Atlas range, that constitutes the principal agricultural region of the country.
Originally from the Atlas Mountains and the Rif Mountains of Morocco, the Barbary macaque population in Gibraltar is the only wild monkey population on the European continent. Although most Barbary monkey populations in Africa are experiencing decline due to hunting and deforestation, the Gibraltar population is increasing. As of 2020, some 300 animals in five troops occupy the Upper Rock area of the Gibraltar Nature Reserve, though they make occasional forays into the town. As they are a tailless species, they are also known locally as Barbary apes or rock apes, despite being classified as monkeys. Spanish speakers simply refer to them as monos when conversing in Spanish, although English is the native language as the area is a British overseas territory.
Azrou is a Moroccan town 89 kilometres south of Fez in Ifrane Province of the Fès-Meknès region.
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The Chréa National Park(Arabic:الحديقة الوطنية الشريعة) is one of the largest national parks of Algeria. It is located in Blida Province, named after Chréa, a town near this park. The park, located in a mountainous area known as the Blidean Atlas includes the ski station of Chréa, one of the few ski stations in Africa where skiing can be done on natural snow, and the grotto of Chiffa.
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The Mediterranean woodlands and forests is an ecoregion in the coastal plains, hills, and mountains bordering the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean in North Africa. It has a Mediterranean climate, and is in the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome.
Mediterranean conifer and mixed forests is an ecoregion, in the temperate coniferous forest biome, which occupies the high mountain ranges of North Africa. The term is also a botanically recognized plant association in the African and Mediterranean literature.
Al Hoceima National Park is a national park located outside the town of Al Hoceima in Morocco. It covers an area of 480 km2 (185 sq mi), including 196 km2 (76 sq mi) of sea. The park was created in 2004 and is managed by the Haut-Commissariat des eaux et forêts et de la lutte contre la désertification.
Chrea is a town in Algeria, located in Blida Province, Ouled Yaïch District, in a mountainous area named Tell Atlas, near Blida. It had a population of 783 in 2008.
Fraxinus dimorpha is a species of ash tree native to Morocco and Algeria in Northern Africa. An example occurrence of F. dimorpha is the Ourika River Valley, which is also the sole location within the High Atlas Range where the endangered primate Barbary macaque, Macaca sylvanus is known to occur, is the southernmost species of the genus in the world.
Cèdre Gouraud Forest is a woodland area in the Middle Atlas Mountain Range in Morocco. It was named for the French general Henri Gouraud. This forest is located on National Route 8 between Azrou and Ifrane. The forest is notable as a habitat for a sub-population of Barbary macaques, Macaca sylvanus.
Morocco provides a refuge for a rich and diverse flora with about 4,200 taxa, of which 22% are endemic. The phytogeographic zones of Morocco comprise 8 zones: the Mediterranean zone, the Cedar zone (1000-2000m), the sub-Alpine zone (2,000-2,500m), the Alpine zone (2,500m+), the semi-desert scrub zone, the Reg, the sandy desert zone and the oases.
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