Use of Remote Sensing and GIS to Diagnose and Assess the Current Situation of Acacia Raddiana Stands

Abstract

The Maider region in southeastern Morocco is a hyper-arid zone where annual rainfall rarely exceeds 120 mm. Its sparse natural vegetation is dominated by Acacia raddiana, a keystone species vital for local ecological stability. This study aims to assess the current status and spatial dynamics of Acacia stands using high-resolution Landsat 9 imagery and GIS tools, to inform conservation strategies against ongoing degradation.Results reveal that Acacia covers approximately 370,287 hectares, representing 31% of the lower Maider basin. Sparse annual vegetation, mainly xerophytic Chenopodiaceae, is located along the slopes of the Saghro and Ougnate ranges, whereas much of the terrain is bare soil. Commune-level analysis highlights significant qualitative vegetation decline in the southeastern basin, confirmed by high-resolution imagery. However, long-term NDVI GIMMS/AVHRR data were limited in detecting these localized changes due to their coarse spatial resolution and sensitivity to ephemeral vegetation.This study’s originality lies in the integration of recent Landsat 9 data with a 25-year NDVI time series to monitor the dynamics of Acacia raddiana in a degraded arid environment. The combined use of density-based vegetation classification and spatial analysis at the administrative level offers novel insights into vegetation loss and contributes to practical land restoration planning.