Survival rate, adaptation ability and carbon production and sequestration of 21 green oak (Quercusrotundifolia Lam.) provenances at Mounts of Saida (western Algeria)

Abstract Due to recent global changes, a substantial degradation of natural ecosystems in North Africa and difficulties of species regeneration have been observed. A comparison of 21 green oak (Quercus rotundifolia Lam.) provenances in different bioclimatic zones was carried out at two ecologically different stations in western Algeria. The main objectives of the study were to (a) assess the survival rate and development in the natural environment of young individuals who derive from it, (b) gain an understanding of the level of morphological variability and (c) explore the possibilities of adapting the different provenances of green oak in the west Algerian ecological regions. The field trial was established in 2008 at two sites. The average survival rate ten years after the establishment of the field trial was 38.50%, with a total height average of 122.95 cm, a dry epigeous biomass production of 0.0630 t/ha and a sequestered amount of atmospheric carbon (CO2) of 0.0859 t/ha. The green oak provenance (origin) of Zaccar from the Tellian Atlas group is distinguished by a higher survival rate and dryer epigeous than other origins. The variability of large regions of the country means that there are four areas in which varieties can show superiority in survival and biomass: those representing the Northern part of the Saharan Atlas, those of the high inner plains, those of the southern facade of the Tellian Atlas and finally those of the Saharan Atlas.