Toubkal National Park

Toubkal National Park
	Toubkal
Location:	Al Haouz , Taroudannt , Morocco
Next city:	Marrakesh
Surface:	380 km²
Founding:	January 19, 1942
	National park map
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The Toubkal National Park ( Arabic منتزه وطني توبقال, DMG muntazah waṭanī Tūbqāl , Central Atlas Tamazight ⴰⴼⵔⴰⴳ ⴰⵏⴰⵎⵓⵔ ⵏ ⵜⵓⴱⵇⴰⵍ Afrag Anamur n Tubqal ) is a national park in Morocco . It was founded in 1942 as the country's first national park and is 380 km² in size. The national park was created to protect the natural resources of the high mountain region, but especially because of the high biodiversity of flora and fauna, including the Great White Jumper and the Cuvier's gazelle.

location

The national park is located in the High Atlas and is grouped around the highest mountain in Morocco and all of North Africa , the 4,167 m high Toubkal . The area is inhabited by Berbers , who use the area to a lesser extent for agriculture, but to a greater extent for grazing.

Places in the park

fauna

Cuvier Gazelle

Barbary sheep

Approximately 16 species of mammals live in the area of the national park, including the blackjacket , Cuvier's gazelle , Barbary macaque , common porcupine , striped hyena and atlas squirrel . In the past, Berber leopards and Berber lions were also at home here; however, both are considered extinct (in the wild).

The avifauna is dominated by the birds of the Palearctic region . There are around 50 species of birds; including birds of prey (z. B. Bartgeier , Gleitaar , Lannerfalke , Barbary Falcon , eagles , dwarf eagle , hawk Adler and Schlangenadler ) and red-knobbed coot , Rock chicken , little swift , Red-rumped , dipper , Rotkopfwürger , Lark , Alps Braunelle , Moussier's Redstart , Eurasian crimson-winged finch , house Bunting , Chough and Alpendohle .

Once the home of the Berber lions, this national park could perhaps also become their new home. Descendants of various lions are examined for their ancestry using DNA . The most promising candidates should then be fed into a breeding program. The final phase provides for a release into a national park in the High Atlas.

flora

The climate in the national park is determined by its altitude, the Atlantic and the Sahara . About 15% of the national park area is covered with forest.

The northern, more humid flanks are covered by maquis or forest. Here are holm oak , Aleppo pine and juniper before. In the higher elevations, juniper predominates, which turns into alpine meadows, pseudo-steppe vegetation and finally into scree. The alpine zone takes up about 20% of the national park area and includes daffodils , bluebells , rock cresses , gorse , thistle , dwarf eyebright , recumbent cherries , herons' beaks and snail clovers. The southern slopes of the massif are drier than the northern ones, and accordingly they are less forested. The juniper dominates here, alternating with Artemisia and awl grass . The numerous river valleys allow a rich flora there, which is dominated by oleander , willow , black and silver poplar , holm oak, Portuguese oak and single hawthorn .

Web links

United Nations Environment Program