Monetarization of Ecosystem Services of Oasean Biome (Case Study: Provisioning Services of Middle Draa Valley Oases, Morocco)
Ahmed Karmaoui *
Department of Environmental Sciences (LHEA-URAC 33), Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, Morocco.
Issam Ifaadassan
Department of Environmental Sciences (LHEA-URAC 33), Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, Morocco.
Mohammed Messouli
Department of Environmental Sciences (LHEA-URAC 33), Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, Morocco.
Mohammed Yacoubi Khebiza
Department of Environmental Sciences (LHEA-URAC 33), Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, Morocco.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Numerous studies have evaluated the monetarization of the ecosystem services throughout the world, but few have showed the oasean ecosystem services (Desert oasis). The purpose of this research is to identify and quantify ecosystem services as a tool to provide useful information for the management of arid lands. This study can serve as a reference to measure future changes in the oasean ecosystem mainly under the impact of extreme events. In this paper, we examine the economic value of the ecosystem services provided by the oases of Middle Draa Valley (MDV), which is part of Biosphere Reserve of southern Moroccan Oasis (UNESCO). The economic values are standardized to US$ per hectare per year (2008-2010 period prices). The total value is found to be 117639, 75Dhs /ha/year (14116,7US$/ha/year) in the arable area (for 26 000ha) and 2039Dh/ha/year (244,7US$/ha/year) for the total area (1500 000ha). The study can be applied to other oases of the pre-Saharan part of Morocco because of the similarity of lifestyle, climate, and water requirements etc.
Keywords: Economic value, provisioning services, oasean ecosystem, Morocco, Africa