The purpose of the current study is to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected eating behavior and directed toward organic food and bioproducts consumption in the North African region especially Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia as well as identify the variables that may affect the eating behavior of these population. Data were collected using an anonymous online survey on 1,244 respondents from Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. The results showed that the confinement did influence the consumption of healthy food to enhance people’s immune system so as to prevent infection by the COVID-19, and other diseases. Moreover, academic level, gender, and country of residence were diversely correlated with the eating behavior during COVID-19 confinement. The understanding of people’s eating behavior will help the public health to reshape future policies toward organic and bio-based food production; moreover, some further nutritional recommendations could be concluded to maintain a global better health status and improve body defence mechanism.
Analysis of biological diversity in woody habitats is crucial for the implementation of suitable conservation policies. We carried out monthly field visits using the point count method for avian species and walked-transect surveys for mammals and reptiles from January 2018 to December 2021 in Fez, El Hajeb and Sefrou, central Morocco. The studied sites were steppes dominated by Chamaerops humilis. A total of 90 bird, 12 mammal and 8 reptile species were documented. Furthermore, two species of conservation concern, i.e., the vulnerable European turtle dove Streptopelia turtur, and the endangered Egyptian vulture Neophron percnopterus were recorded. The documented species use Chamaerops humilis for breeding (support for nesting birds), foraging (via fruits) and wintering purposes. These findings are the first results related to animal biodiversity in Chamaerops humilis shrublands in Morocco. However, other aspects, including the nutritive quality of Chamaerops humilis fruits for wintering animals, need further studying. Likewise, the threatening factors that might negatively influence North African forests require urgent studying.
The genus Dociostaurus includes at least five species in the Mediterranean Basin. Some of them can damage agricultural fields and pastures. However, these species are almost not characterised by quantitative traits. To fill this gap, we used the geometric morphometrics method to characterise different morphological structures and flying organs of the most observed species of the genus Dociostaurus, namely D. maroccanus (Thunb, 1815), D. dantini (Bolivar, 1914), and D. genei (Ocskay, 1832), in Morocco. Results revealed that D. maroccanus has greater dispersal structures and other body organs, which are suggested to play a direct role in flying performance. On the contrary, D. dantini and D. genei, known as wandering species, have tiny structures, principally the tegmina and wings used for limited flights. In addition to their importance in the characterisation of studied species, these measurements could be used as a practical tool in their identification, particularly where the use of genetic approaches is not possible. Similarly, these results could serve as the first data for the implementation of potential comparative studies and population management of these pest species, especially D. maroccanus. Finally, further morphometric studies will be needed to create a database for taxonomic identification.
Located between the coast and the desert, the Moroccan Middle Atlas Mountains are strongly affected by these two climatic averages, resulting in very complex and diverse biodiversity patterns in Orthoptera fauna. This instability in locusts (Orthoptera, Acrididae), is mainly due to the ambiguity of definitions for each level of classification above the species level. These changes necessitate a review of the literature on the Moroccan Middle Atlas locust orthopterans. This review focuses on the suborder Caelifera, encountered at five stations in the Middle Atlas, and includes the three families of Acridoîdea, of which the Acrididae is the most diversified. A comparative reading of the various taxa frequently met with and their recent systematic controversies are reviewed herein.
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