EFFECTS OF THE CONTINENTALITY AND THE AGE OF PRICKLY PEAR (OPUNTIA FICUS-INDICA (L.) MILL.) PLANTATIONS ON SOIL PROPERTIES ALONG A COASTAL AND CONTINENTAL TRANSECT IN A PRE-SAHARAN REGION OF SOUTH-CENTRAL MOROCCO (AIT BAAMRANE)

Prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill.) is a plant that was spontaneous in South-Central Morocco. Our study focuses on the evaluation of the effects of prickly pear plantations through their ages: young (<10 years), middle (10-25 years) and old (> 25 years) on edaphic characteristics (grain size, pH, organic matter, total Nitrogen, available phosphorus, C/N ratio, exchangeable cations, cation exchange capacity and base saturation rate). These plantations are located along a coastal-continental transect in a Pre-Saharan region of South-Central Morocco: Ait Baamrane region (Sidi Ifni Province). In each zone, prickly pear orchards were classified in four classes with three repetitions each: unplanted plots (control) and three age groups (young, middle and old plantations). Three soil samples were collected, respectively, at 20, 50 and 100 cm from the plant of Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill., in the direction of surface flow. Each time the first 5 cm of surface soil was removed. The results showed that the continentality and plantation age of Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. factors had statistically significant effects on some soil parameters, while the distance from the plant of cactus has no significant effect. This study suggested that prickly pear plantations can significantly improve soil proprieties and contribute to the rehabilitation of arid ecosystems and marginal areas.