Afennourrir lake (ramsar)

The Afennourrir lake or Aguelmame is a high altitude lake which is administratively under the province of Ifrane, rural town of Ain ​​Leuh, Morocco, a village just across the border in the province of Khénifra, not far from the famous sources Oum Errabiaa (or Oum Er-Rbia).

Its geographic location in the forest Cédraie gives it the status of Ramsar June 20, 1990, listed among wetlands1 Middle Atlas, due to the ecological and hydrological functions they perform for the conservation of global biological diversity and for sustaining of Life. 

General location

It is located on a plateau tabular Middle Atlas, 20 km (as the crow flies) south of the city of Azrou, the tertiary road connecting the village of Ain Leuh to PR 20 (connecting Azrou to Midelt ). It belongs to the commune of Ain Leuh (Ifrane province).

     Coordinates: 33 ° 17 'N 5 ° 16' W
     Elevation: 1,784 m
     References cards: 1/100 000 - AZROU
     Administrative province Ifrane
     Administrative center near Ain Leuh
     Forest District: Ain Leuh
     Biogeographic region: No. - Central Middle Atlas

Natural lake at high altitude (1798 m) of the Middle Atlas occupying a vast karst depression (limestone) with a flat bottom, filled with basalt and fine deposits. The plane banks to the south and east are covered by short vegetation (grass). The lake is shallow (<2 m) and relatively large (about 50 ha), showing some shallow (islands) near the northeast shore. His level of flooding is highly variable, depending on rainfall; considered semi-permanent, particularly following the enhancement that he suffered after the construction of a dam (low wall) at the spillway, the lake dries up sometimes (eg in 1995 and summer 2000). The waters are eutrophic, slightly alkaline, with temperature ranging between 0-5 ° C (area sometimes frozen in winter) and 24-26 ° C (in summer). The submerged vegetation often invades the waters with some massive development of bulrushes, which gradually extend when the flooding lasts several years.

The regional climate is subhumid type supra-cold winter. Snow, once abundant in the plain, does not persist more than two to three weeks in a normal year.

The mountains are covered by a cedar forest more or less degraded locally, while the slopes are covered by a shrub or steppe vegetation.

The main value of this site lies in its specificity (shallow and wide area) making it a particular type of freshwater North African mountain lake. However, it was chosen primarily because it has a large breeding population of shelduck shelduck.

It is a eutrophic lake. The temperature of the water measured July 13, 1994 at sunrise, was 12 ° C (identical to that of air), while it exceeds 25 ° C in the middle of the day. The pH is slightly basic.

 Flora and vegetation

Aquatic flora is very invasive (Chara sp, Cladophora sp Damasonium alisma, Myriophyllum spicatum, Potamogeton sp, Ranunculus sp gpe aquatilis.) it forms a continuous mat to the edge and at some shallows. Other rare plants or localized distribution exist in the pond (Glyceria fluitans, Juncus bufonius, Juncus inflexus, Juncus articulatus, Persicaria lapathifolia, Scirpus lacustris, Veronica beccabunga pictures of different kinds of Veronica beccabunga) 

.Wildlife and animal population

Invertebrate fauna abundant (especially worms, insects and crustaceans ...) and well diversified, but without particular species biogeographically. Two species of fish were introduced before the site's ranking in the list "RAMSAR" tench, roach and pike, the latter still maintained (for spill fry).

As herpetofauna include blueweed snake (about large funding) and the high abundance of frogs.

Birds give this pond some interest that encourages to keep as a Ramsar site. The latest surveys found there at least ten estivantes species: mallard (<200), the Ruddy Shelduck (<30), the coot (> 500), the crested coot [4] (> 4), the grebe grebe (> 70) and the black-necked grebe (2-4 indi.) are nesting, while some waders (white stork, stilts, herons ... there are plenty of food. finally, note the presence of this summer Northern Bald Ibis (an individual feeding on the edge, and then on an island).

This is practically the most important for the website Middle Atlas wintering waterbirds, despite the relatively small numbers that it hosts (compared to other Morocco RAMSAR sites). 26 species were noted and recorded absolute maximum enrollment of 4,700 birds, mainly Anseriformes, with peaks of 3000 Plover Pochards 900, 400 and 300 casarcas gadwall, not to mention the mallard, shoveler, tufted the Pintail ... both species of coots are regular, totaling more than thousand, of which about 10-20 coots crest. Among the Grebes, the grebe and black-necked G. record 40-60 individuals each. Waders are relatively scarce, although several species were observed.




source : http://fr.wikipedia.org