Carbon Sequestration in Moroccan Forest Ecosystems Through a Synthesis of Biomass and Soil Carbon Stocks for Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation

Abstract

Climate change increasingly affects forest ecosystems, but forests remain key components of climate mitigation through carbon sequestration. More than half of terrestrial carbon is stored in forest soils and biomass, making forests strategic carbon sinks. This review presents a national-scale synthesis of carbon stocks in Moroccan forest ecosystems, integrating biomass with soil organic carbon. It is based on a structured analysis of published studies. The results highlight strong variability among ecosystems, with soil organic carbon representing the largest carbon pool, particularly in Mediterranean and semi-arid forests. The highest average carbon stocks were observed in zeen oak and cedar forests (197.88 and 187.16 tC ha−1), followed by holm oak (134.06 tC ha−1), while cork oak ecosystems showed lower values (76.08 tC ha−1). These differences mainly reflect species composition and soil properties. Overall, Moroccan forests show a high potential for carbon sequestration, supporting their role in climate change mitigation and sustainable forest management.