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This research focuses on the evaluation of a heritage office building in the town of Kenadsa in the Southwest of Algeria (a famous oasis in the arid regions of the country). Emphasizing user's perception as a metric key for performance assessment, this study aims to investigate the users' perception and behaviors of a heritage office building on an oasis settlement. The research was conducted in 2023, and employing a multidimensional approach, both quantitative and qualitative methodologies, along with agent-based modeling, were integrated. One qualitative methodology is based on a series of field surveys and the other quantitative methodology relies on in situ measurements of the physical dimensions of the environment. The quantitative aspect involves an agent-based modeling framework, simulating user interactions by incorporating physical dimensions, spatial layout, historical context, and user behavior. The main findings of this study, examining perceptions and behaviors under varying luminous and thermal environments, show that this integrated approach provides insights into user satisfaction, spatial utilization, and the identification of user behaviors and productivity in each office. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During field surveys carried out in north-eastern Algeria, the escape of Gazania ×splendens Hend. & Andr. Hend. was observed; it is reported here as in the process of naturalization for the first time in Algeria and continental North Africa. This hybrid of the Asteraceae family, highly appreciated and widely used in ornamentation, was discovered at a single locality on a coastal dune in the Skikda region, where it is currently colonizing disturbed habitats, in particular the edges of sidewalks. It grows on sandy soil, spreads from seeds and seems to have escaped from the countless green spaces in the region. Gazania ×splendens manages to cope well with summer heat and drought and has maintained itself at the site for more than three years. Field photos and a map marking the escaped populations and the cultivated populations in their vicinity are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Maghreb population of Emys orbicularis extends over a narrow strip of northern Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. Our understanding of the presence of this turtle in Algeria, in contrast to Morocco and Tunisia, is quite limited and frequently rests on a few small-scale studies or even reports from a century ago. The present study provides the first complete data on the distribution and level of threat of this species in Algeria. A field survey was carried out based on the data obtained from scattered local reports and available studies that suggested the presence of the species in Algerian wetlands. Data on climatic and habitat preferences, the geographic elevation of inhabited localities, and their conservation status were collected. A total of 45 wetlands were inhabited by E. orbicularis, of which 40 were part of a well-interconnected eastern metapopulation, joined by an extensive hydrographic network. In some places, the species has persisted for over 130 years in the same wetland complex. However, the five remaining populations living in central North Algeria are fragmented, highly isolated, and therefore more threatened. With a few exceptions, turtles inhabit lowlands below 100 m above sea level. Detected sub-populations inhabit mostly stagnant waters (60%), sometimes dams and lakes (24%), and sporadically also slow-moving water bodies (16%). Altogether, the Algerian distribution of E. orbicularis extends to a total area of 2900 km2, a 40 km wide strip with a length of 490 km west of the Tunisian border. Although restricted to this narrow strip, the persistence of numerous populations in Algeria, especially in Numidia, testifies to their relatively better conservation status. In order to ensure the sustainability of these efforts, follow-up and monitoring activities should be suggested, with special attention paid to highly isolated populations to maintain their long-term viability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oasian space in the northern Sahara has been little studied, despite its importance for the sustainability of the oasis, the Ksar of Ouargla in this case. This study focused on highlighting the extent of urbanization over the period from 1975 to 2015 and estimating areas lost due to the influence of environmental and socio-economic factors. The methodological approach adopted using, satellite images, aerial photographs and field surveys, has enabled us to estimate the losses in agricultural areas at 18.52% as a result of the above-mentioned problems and 17.23% are losses due to urbanization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Algeria underwent expedited urbanization in response to a growing demand for housing. The study aims to identify the current housing situation in Algiers from 1984 to 2021 using official statistics and a field investigation of a sample of 600 households. The study also used Landsat 5 and 8 satellite images to analyze the development of vegetation cover in the province, so the results analyzed in SIG. This study shows that the built-up area has increased from 47.32 km2 in 1984 to 81.34 km2 in 2021, damaging the fertile Mitidja plain. Inadequate housing persists despite the rise in residential construction, and insecure dwellings are proliferating due to migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During field work carried out in northeastern Algeria between 2016 and 2021, a population of Austrocylindropuntia cylindrica (Lam.) Backeb. was discovered, a casual species not reported before from Algeria. We also report, for the first time, further data on the naturalization of Austrocylindropuntia subulata (Muehlenpf.) Backeb. in Algeria, a species already reported by the first author in 2019. We present a map of the current distribution of the two species in Algeria, field photographs, as well as information concerning their habitat and their biological characteristics, in particular their mode of reproduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]