Peri-Urban Forest Degradation and Its Impacts on Ecosystem Functioning: A Case Study of Oued Bousselam (Larache)

Abstract

Located along Oued Bousselam in Setif, the peri-urban forest of Larache constitutes a strategic ecosystem that bridges hydrobiological functions, biodiversity conservation, and urban recreational needs. However, its immediate proximity to urban development subjects it to severe ecological strain. This study focuses on evaluating the direct consequences of this forest's degradation on its overall ecosystem functioning. Developed through an intensive field-based ecological diagnosis, our methodological approach combined floral and faunal inventories with a detailed mapping of ongoing disturbances. The findings highlight an ecosystem in crisis, heavily impacted by plastic and sewage pollution, illicit logging, and intensive overgrazing. These overlapping pressures induce severe habitat fragmentation, structural breakdown within the dominant plant stratum ( Populus alba L. ,Salix alba L. , Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn. ,Fraxinus angustifolia), protected animal species in Algeria (Ciconia ciconia L., Falco peregrinus Tunstall, Dendrocopos major L.), and a general decline in ecological regulatory services. To prevent irreversible ecosystem collapse, this study emphasizes the critical need for immediate conservation actions, centering on riparian habitat restoration and enhanced local community engagement