Abhatoo - Centre Nationale de Documentation

Forest rangelands are an important component of extensive goat production in the Medi-terranean region. The aim of this study was to survey the floristic composition, lifespan, life forms, phytogeographic relationships, palatability degree, and forage availability of forest rangelands in Northern Morocco. To achieve this goal, a plant species inventory was carried out, and a digital herbarium was constructed. Forage availability was estimated using the quadrat method. Accord- ing to the results, 358 taxa were recorded with 228 genera and 66 families. The flora is mainly dom- inated by Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Poaceae, and Lamiaceae families. Six principal life forms of plants were recognized with the predominance of therophytes (48.3%). The Mediterranean floristic cate- gory was the most dominant in the flora (73.7%) with 264 species. The palatability degree was stud-ied for 95 taxa, known by herders. The palatable plant group was highly represented with 32 species. Of these identified taxa, 93% were evaluated as potential sources of forage for grazing animals. The forage availability depended considerably on the season and the existing plant species (p < 0.01). The spring recorded the higher value with 3143 kg DM/ha. In conclusion, forest rangelands have a high biodiversity, which they need for rigorous protection to preserve their floristic composition and diversity.