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Evolution of the benthic communities in a north-African river, the upper Sebou (middle atlas-Morocco) between 1981 and 2017: effects of global changes

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Abstract

The invertebrate communities of running waters are known to be highly sensitive to environmental disturbances and have, therefore, high interest in bio assessment. The objective of this study is to reveal, through a case study (the Upper Sebou, Morocco), the trends of these communities in the South Mediterranean region in a context of global change. The study consists in describing and interpreting the changes undergone by insect populations in the studied river between two periods (1981–1985 and 2015–2017), i.e. over a 34-years period. These changes are mainly attested by a strong decrease in species richness, indicating the disappearance of several rheophilic and/or pollution-sensitive species, especially among Plecoptera, and the regression of some taxa against the proliferation of thermophilic and/or pollution-tolerant forms. The data melting of both periods, via a binary matrix ‘species × stations-periods’ treated by the Correspondence Analysis, revealed the classical upstream-downstream ordination of the studied waters, where the majority of the stations register a downstream migration by the time. In this evolutionary perspective, the study implicates the hydrological and thermal factors depending on global warming and on anthropization of the watershed.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Drs. Oussama Khadri and Kamilia Hajji, for their contributions in the identifications of the collected specimens. Our thanks and appreciation to Prof. Dr. Mohamed Ibn Tattou of the Botanical Department of the Scientific Institute for his assistance in the identification of aquatic plants.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Geo-Biodiversity and Natural Patrimony, Scientific Institute, Mohammed V University in Rabat, Rabat, Morocco

    Mariam Zerrouk, Mohamed Dakki, Mohammed Aziz El Agbani, Abdeljebbar Qninba & Oumnia Himmi

  2. Laboratory of Ecology, Systematic and Conservation of the Biodiversity, Faculty of Sciences, Abdelmalek Essaâdi University, Tetouan, Morocco

    Majida El Alami & Nard Bennas

Authors
  1. Mariam Zerrouk
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  2. Mohamed Dakki
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  3. Mohammed Aziz El Agbani
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  4. Majida El Alami
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  5. Nard Bennas
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  6. Abdeljebbar Qninba
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  7. Oumnia Himmi
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Contributions

Mohamed Dakki contributed to the conceptualization; Mariam Zerrouk, Oumnia Himmi, Mohamed Aziz El Agbani and Abdeljebbar Qninba participated in the field data collection; Mariam Zerrouk, Majida El Alami& Nard Bennas contributed to the taxonomic identifications; Mariam Zerrouk, Mohamed Dakki, Himmi Oumnia and Mohamed Aziz El Agbani contributed to the analyses and interpretation of the results; Mariam Zerrouk, Mohamed Dakki and Oumnia Himmi contributed to the writing to the revision and supervision of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Mariam Zerrouk.

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Appendix

Appendix

Table 4 Data matrix for the biotypology of the High Sebou communities in 1981–1985. Each species is represented in each station by its maximum abundance, based on 6 samples of 250 cm2, i.e. an area of 0.15 m2
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Table 5 Data matrix for the biotypology of the High Sebou communities in 2015–2017. Each species is represented in each station by its maximum abundance in a total area of 0.15 m2 (6 samples of 250 cm2)
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Zerrouk, M., Dakki, M., El Agbani, M.A. et al. Evolution of the benthic communities in a north-African river, the upper Sebou (middle atlas-Morocco) between 1981 and 2017: effects of global changes. Biologia 76, 2973–2989 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11756-021-00787-w

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