No abstract

Drought is one of the most serious climatic and natural disasters inflicting serious impacts on the socio-economy of Morocco, which is characterized both by low-average annual rainfall and high irregularity in the spatial distribution and timing of precipitation across the country. This work aims to develop a comprehensive and integrated method for drought monitoring based on remote sensing techniques. The main input parameters are derived monthly from satellite data at the national scale and are then combined to generate a composite drought index presenting different severity classes of drought. The input parameters are: Standardized Precipitation Index calculated from satellite-based precipitation data since 1981 (CHIRPS), anomalies in the day-night difference of Land Surface Temperature as a proxy for soil moisture, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index anomalies from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data and Evapotranspiration anomalies from surface energy balance modeling. All of these satellite-based indices are being used to monitor vegetation condition, rainfall and land surface temperature. The weighted combination of these input parameters into one composite indicator takes into account the importance of the rainfall-based parameter (SPI). The composite drought index maps were generated during the growing seasons going back to 2003. These maps have been compared to both the historical, in situ precipitation data across Morocco and with the historical yield data across different provinces with information being available since 2000. The maps are disseminated monthly to several main stakeholders' groups including the Ministry of Agriculture and Department of Water in Morocco.

In this paper we provide some new tools for the study of finite-dimensional absolute-valued algebras. We introduce homotopy notions in this field and develop some of their applications. Next, we parametrize these algebras by spin groups and study their isomorphisms. Finally, we introduce a duplication process for the construction of absolute-valued algebras.

Context: The flora of the Bouhachem Regional Natural Park has been studied by many botanists and ecologists, but the analysis of the medicinal and economic values of these plants is still weak and poorly documented. Within the framework of this study, further investigations will be carried out into the value of indigenous medicinal plants and the documentation of their ethnopharmacological knowledge. In addition, due to their important socio-economic role as a second source of income after agriculture, the evaluation of the commercial activity of aromatic and medicinal plants (AMP) will also be taken into account. Aims: To evaluate the ethnobotanical and commercialized medicinal plants in north region of Morocco in which traditional medicine is widespread. Methods: The uses of medicinal plants in traditional phytotherapy were researched through 700 question cards, in Bni-Leit and Al-Oued districts, which are a part of the Naturel Regional Park of Bouhachem. A series of ethnobotanical, economic and sociocultural surveys/interviews were conducted among the local population in the study area, between March 2014 and July 2016. Results: This Ethnobotanical study identified 101 medicinal plant species belonging to 46 families, of which the most abundant are Lamiaceae (FUV: 1.87). This study also revealed that the leaves are the most used parts of the plant (26%) and that the most remedies are prepared as decoction (27%). Digestive disorders rank first among the diseases treated by these plants with a rate of 21%. Conclusions: The present study shows that the traditional use of medicinal plants still persists and constitutes a very rich heritage in the northern of Morocco. Therefore, this important indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants would be exploited in pharmaceutical research. It reveals that urgent action is needed to promote a sustainable and best practices to reduce the increasing scale of exploitation of AMPs for commercial use and to draw the attention of Park managers to the preservation of these plants from genetic erosion by a rational management.

The essential oils yield of Cedrus atlantica, Chenopodium ambrosioides and Eucalyptus camaldulensis was different. C. ambrosioides gave a relatively higher yield (2.1 ± 0.1%), while that of C. atlantica was low (1.0 ± 0.1%) and that of E. camaldulensis was lower (0.75 ± 0.1% of dry matter). The active ingredients of the essential oils and some of their biological effects were also determined. The characterization of their chemical compositions showed that the three essences have different chemical profiles: C. atlantica was richer in sesquiterpenes (β-Himachalene (54.21%) and γ -Himachalene (15.54%)), C. ambrosioides was very rich in monoterpene peroxides and monoterpenes (α-Terpinene (53.4%), ascaridole (17.7%) and ρ-Cymene (12.1%)) and E. camaldulensis was very rich in monoterpene compounds and monoterpenols (p-cymene (35.11%), γ-Eudesmol (11.9%), L-linalool (11.51%) and piperitone (10.28%)). The in vitro measurement of antioxidant activity by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) reduction assay showed a significant performance of the eucalyptus oil and average performance of the other two (C. atlantica and C. ambrosioides). The in vitro bio-test for their antimicrobial effects showed that the antibacterial activity differed depending on the essential oil and the concentration used, and that their bactericidal efficacy was similar or superior to that of synthetic antibiotics. The toxicity test on rats revealed that the LD50 of the three essential oils was 500 mg/kg body weight, which classifies them as category four cytotoxic natural products at high doses.