Graduation Year
2023
Document Type
Thesis
Degree
M.S.
Degree Name
Master of Science (M.S.)
Degree Granting Department
School of Geosciences
Major Professor
Thomas L. Crisman, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Shawn M. Landry, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Steven Reader, Ph.D.
Keywords
climate change, GIS, suitability analysis, tree planting
Abstract
The practice of planting fruit trees to combat climate change impacts in Morocco has been growing in popularity with support from the Moroccan government and non-profit organizations. Although it is often considered a successful adaptive management tool, tree planting initiatives (TPIs) in arid lands have not been thoroughly analyzed, their management is unstandardized, and these initiatives can cause harm when trees are planted in areas that cannot support them. To implement tree planting better these TPIs need to find areas where the trees they are introducing have the best chance of survival without negatively impacting the surrounding ecosystem and human community. A suitability analysis considering the physical and climatic demands of tree species being planted by a Marrakesh-based TPI, the High Atlas Foundation (HAF), was performed to help determine where in Morocco it would be best to plant specific trees under current conditions. Additional information about projected climate is included to provide a perspective on the sustainability of these locations. Past TPIs have not considered the consequences of climate change trends on their locations, and the lack of research related to tree planting as an adaptive management tool needs to be addressed. The suitability analysis revealed that species planted by HAF are not widely supported throughout Morocco by current climatic characteristics. Less than 35% of planted HAF trees considered in this analysis were planted in suitable areas for their species. The sustainability of HAF's tree planting sites and nurseries are expected to decrease as precipitation continues to decrease and temperatures continue to rise within the country.
Scholar Commons Citation
Robinson, Stephanie J., "Tree Planting as an Adaptive Management Tool for Climate Change in Morocco" (2023). USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/etd/10082
