When you climb towards Jbel Lakraa or walk the heights of Talassemtane, you enter a dark forest of tall trees with short needles. This is the Moroccan fir, one of the rarest trees in the country, which grows naturally only in these mountains.
How to recognise it
- A straight, tall trunk and a cone-shaped crown.
- Short, flat needles arranged around the twigs.
- Cones that stand upright on the branches, unlike pine cones, which hang down.
Why it matters
These forests live in special conditions of altitude, moisture and limestone soil. They shelter many plants and animals, protect the soil from erosion and hold the rainwater that feeds the springs and valleys below, including Akchour.
What threatens it?
Fire, logging, overgrazing and climate change. That's why most of these forests lie within Talassemtane National Park, where they are protected.
How you can help protect it
- Never light a fire in the forest, not even for cooking.
- Don't cut branches or take cones or seedlings.
- Stay on the paths so you don't trample young plants.