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Altitude is one of the determinant factors that influence the spatial distribution of birds and their species richness. However, few investigations studied its influence on African bird communities over a wide gradient in North Africa. Considering this knowledge gap, 194 sampling points were carried out along altitudinal gradient (773 to 2595 m) in two adjacent mountainous valleys in the Central High Atlas of Beni Mellal in Morocco, Aït Bouguemmaz (AB), and Ahançal (OA). Each valley was divided into three altitudinal intervals (low, medium, and high zones). For each spatial subdivision, we studied the phenological cycle, in the sense that each valley underwent a four-season monitoring, during 2018 and 2019. The results showed 131 species in the study area in 43 families; both valleys had similar community richness, but they differed by the phenological status of their species. Indeed, the increase in altitude led to a decrease in bird species richness, while it does not show any correlation with abundance. In addition, richness and abundance increased during the high-productivity seasons (i.e., spring and summer). Although these results were expected, they provide an opportunity to compare these results with higher latitude communities in Europe and to better focus future large-scale investigations on the combined influence of latitude and altitude on birds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the first results of 1-year survey of aquatic Diptera, carried out in two Moroccan High Atlas rivers, Assif Ahançal and Assif n'Aït Bouguemaz, which are registered as Ramsar sites and drain a large part of the mountainous Geopark of Mgoun. This survey, which consists in a first study of the longitudinal distribution of these insects, occurs during the period September 2019–July 2020, at high and medium altitudes (1086–2408 m). Limited to immature stages, this study permitted to collect 561 specimens of Diptera from 16 river sections, mainly using a Surber-net sampler. Among the collected material, we were able to identify 38 genera and 11 species, belonging to five families. This fauna is relatively rich in new taxa for Morocco or for the High Atlas mountains. Indeed, two Chironomidae species, Macropelopia notata (Meigen, 1818) and Psectrocladius (Allopsectrocladius) flavus (Johannsen, 1905), and one Tipulidae, Tipula (Yamatotipula) pierrei, Tonnoir, 1921, are newly recorded in Morocco, as well as five genera: three Chironomidae (Krenopelopia, Fittkau; Natarsia, Fittkau; and Psilometriocnemus, Saether), one Empididae (Chelifera, Macquart), and one Ceratopogonidae (Atrichopogon, Kieffer). Two other species, Parachironomus frequens (Johannsen) and Heterotrissocladius marcidus (Walker), and seven genera are reported as new taxa in the High Atlas. The two rivers have similar richness (21 taxa each), mainly due to Chironomidae (94%), the most abundant and diversified family. The Empididae (4.8%) are relatively under-represented in the two rivers, as well as the other families (Ceratopogonidae, Tipulidae, and Tabanidae), which do not exceed 1% of the total dipteran abundance. The vertical distribution of the taxa revealed significant influence of the altitude on community compositions and distributions. In waiting to collect adults, immature dipteran stages prove the high abundance and diversity of the benthic entomological assemblages, which give hope that a more deep study of the dipteran fauna in the two Ramsar sites will provide remarkable novelties, in both systematic and ecological domains. It is also expected that this study will permit to assess the aquatic biodiversity of these ecosystems and its sensitivity to the increasing human disturbances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban areas may affect the richness of avian species. The abundance and diversity of urban landscapes offer breeding habitats and nesting resources for urban-adapted species. In our study, we investigated the breeding birds in urban landscapes of Fez's historical city (Morocco). We used line-transects to search for nests of breeding species, populations, and habitats counting breeding sites and predicting factors (foraging, nesting resources, and urbanization). Furthermore, four habitats counting green gardens, old city walls, urban farms, and urban forests were prospected to search for nests of breeding birds. Among 13 breeding species including 12 resident-breeders, and one breeding migrant, a total of 109 nests were documented. Five species counting Turdus merula, Sylvia atricapilla, Spilopelia senegalensis, Columba livia, and Coloeus monedula were encountered in green gardens; four species counting Athene noctua, Sturnus unicolor, Passer domesticus, and Tachymarptis melba were observed in old city walls. Falco tinnunculus, Fringilla coelebs, and Accipiter nisus occurred in urban forests; and Streptopelia decaocto in urban farms. The recorded nests were divided between cavities (50 nests) and trees (59 nests). In green spaces, nests were distributed among Olea europaea (17), Citrus aurantium (15), Bambusa vulgaris (11), and Eucalyptus globulus (7). In contrast, Olea oleaster and Cupressus sp. hosted only tree nests each, while Populus sp. and Washingtonia filifera hosted only one nest each. Most nests were recorded in habitats rich in nesting trees and close to water sources. On the contrary, the number of nests decreased as the surface and distance of the habitat to the urban center increased. Our data revealed the diversity, habitat use, and nesting substrates of urban breeding bird communities in Morocco and the Southern slope of the Western Palearctic. Future urban plans must integrate measures to provide suitable breeding resources such as cavities of old walls and a high diversity of urban green spaces for birds to enhance their breeding performances, thus promoting the well-being of the population via increasing biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]