Session

Forest-grassland mosaics are common features along the boundary between tree- and grass-dominated ecosystems. However, the Plant composition and diversity in forest-grassland mosaic in northern Morocco are unknown. The aim of this study was to survey the plant composition and diversity of a forest-grassland mosaic in Chefchaouen (northern Morocco). To achieve this goal, a plant species inventory was carried out, and a digital herbarium was constructed. The flora is mainly dominated by Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Poaceae, and Lamiaceae families. Overall, the Mediterranean floristic category was the most dominant in the flora (73.7%) with 264 species. The examined forest-grassland contains a significant number of plant species. The botanical composition had significant variation regarding season and grazing intensity. Three distinct vegetation groups dominate the studied forest-grassland: shrubs, trees, and herbaceous, mainly grasses. The common plants' species identified in the forest-grassland were Aira caryophyllea, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Avena alba, Brachypodium distachyon, Briza maxima, Bromus mollis, Bromus rigidus, Cynodon dactylon, Cynosurus echinatus, Gaudinia fragilis, Hordeum murinum, Hyparrhenia hirta, Koeleria phleoides, Lamarckia aurea, Lolium rigidum, Trisetaria pumila, Vulpia geniculate, and Vulpia myuros. The results emphasize the high floristic diversity of the studied forest-grassland mosaic of Northern Morocco compared to many other regions in the southern Mediterranean side. The protection and maintenance of forest-grassland mosaic is more important than ever, especially for the oak forest-grassland, which requires strict protection to maintain its floristic composition and diversity.