Atlas Cypress: Morocco’s Ancient Tree Faces Extinction After Earthquake and Climate Threats

Among the 300 species of trees and shrubs found in the Mediterranean basin is the Atlas cypress. A specialty of the High Atlas valley in Morocco, this species, which is resistant to global warming, has continued to attract the curiosity of many botanists, foresters and ecologists since the 1920s. Captain Charles Watier, inspector of waters and forests in southern Morocco, was the first to announce the presence of this cypress in the N’Fiss valley in the High Atlas in 1921. In 1950, French botanist Henri Gaussen elevated this Goundafa cypress to the rank of species and gave it the scientific name Cupressus atlantica Gaussen, relays The Conversation.

The Atlas cypress is distinguished from other Mediterranean cypresses, with its bluish foliage and small spherical pine cones (between 18 and 22 mm). It is found only in the N’Fiss valley, where it currently covers nearly 2,180 hectares, compared to 5,000 to 10,000 hectares in the 1940s and 1950s. Figures that show a significant regression of this species. A situation attributable to humans who, for centuries, have exploited cypress wood for the construction of dwellings and heating, and used its foliage to feed goat herds in the forest. The Atlas cypress has also been used in traditional medicine: back massages with its leaves, or decoction of its cones.

Overgrazing and human pressure that hinder the regeneration of these trees, added to the September 8 earthquake that caused significant material damage in the N’Fiss valley, notably destroying the Tinmel mosque, contribute to their extinction. Similarly, one of the old cypresses dating back more than 600 years was felled during the redevelopment of the main road. The installation of tracks and gravel deposits in the middle of the stands during the reconstruction of the villages affected by the earthquake also destroyed old cypresses. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) classifies C. atlantica among the 17 global forest species whose genetic heritage is declining.

Moreover, the Atlas cypress is threatened by climate change due to the persistent drought that Morocco has been experiencing for six years. It is among the species critically endangered, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). To protect the Atlas cypress, measures such as the closure of certain areas to eliminate grazing, and the prohibition of wood harvesting must be considered. It is also important to raise awareness among local populations and to replant quality cypresses. The creation of urban forests would be a good way to preserve this endangered species outside its natural area.