Vegetation and landscape dynamics of the Guerbes-Benazouz dune cordon in Skikda, Algeria
Abstract
The coastal dunes of Guerbès region in eastern Algeria, are protected by typical Mediterranean plant cover, including Diotis maritima, Ammophila arenaria, Retama boveï, Juniperus oxycedrus, Quercus coccifera, Alnus glutinosa, Pistacia lentiscus, and Quercus suber. This vegetation cover is threatened by intense anthropic activities such as clearing, cutting, fire, grazing, and construction, which result in bare land exposed to wind dynamics from the prevailing northwesterly winds. In 2018, the amount of sand transport reached a maximum during the winter season, with a rate of 768.12 g/m/s. The results of this study suggest that biological fixation of the dune cordon via the introduction of Retama boveï is required to stabilize the moving sands, as well as to combat all forms of degradation, and the negative impacts of human activities.