Argania Spinosa is the name that was awarded in 1911 to this curiosity of nature. Yet this for more than 80 million years in Morocco, this tree under threat, which now grows only in the region of southwest Morocco, has been the subject of attention only recently.
Of the family Sapotaceae, known for giving birth to hardy and resistant species and interest in food, the argan tree is a tree that does not grow.
This thorny tree - hence the term "Spinoza" - which can reach 8 to 10 meters tall and live for 200 years, is easily recognizable in the Moroccan landscape. It has a large crown and round, a gnarled trunk, rather short and crooked, often itself composed of many intertwined branches. The argan forests are rather sparse (about 30 trees per hectare).
The branches are thorny argan trees and lined with small dark green leaves that may remain even during the dry season.
Finally, the argan tree gives flowers and fruits. The flowers appear from May to June and are greenish yellow, sometimes white. The fruit has the size and shape of a large olive, it consists of a pulp and a core containing seeds called kernels. On average, a tree can produce up to 8 kg of fruit per year for a total of 128,000 tons per year for all of the Moroccan argan tree.
The argan tree has many peculiarities.
It can grow on any soil type, except for the soft ground like sand.
He does not fear the heat, so it is found mainly in arid, semi arid and close to the desert.
It is undemanding water, its roots up to 30 feet deep to retrieve deep water.
This tree has a great capacity for adaptation in case of severe drought it loses its leaves to resist evaporation, and "plays dead" and comes to life when the humidity increases
Today, the Arganeraie is 65% of the forested area of southern Morocco and covers an area of 830,000 hectares. It extends from the region of Oued Souss Oued Tensift to, to Marrakech, Agadir and Essaouira.
Once upon a time ... the argan
The presence of the argan tree in Morocco goes back to the Tertiary period. Researchers have shown that it already existed when Morocco was attached to the Canaries, that is to say, before the movements due to plate tectonics.
At the time quaternary glaciations have developed the presence of the argan tree in the region of Rabat. More recently, in the tenth century, the Phoenicians used the argan oil in their lamps for lighting.
Today, this ancient tree whose operation is real challenges has become the emblem of the southern regions. But its exploitation is a serious threat to its survival. During World War I, the forest has been heavily deforested to make a charcoal of excellent quality which was exported throughout southern Europe, including Spain and Portugal.
Aware of the danger entailed massive destruction of the argan trees for local people, the Moroccan authorities in 1925 promulgated a Dahir governing the rights of exploitation of argan trees and introducing a common law .
This law is still in effect benefit the local populations of broad usage rights:
- The right to collect and fruit picking,
- Grazing rights without compensation,
- Right to till the land,
- Right to use stones and sand for no consideration,
- Right to pick up the dry wood.
Role of the argan tree in the southern provinces
The story gradually led researchers and the Moroccan authorities, including the administration of Forestry and Soil Conservation, interested in the case of the argan tree. An interest that was manifested by an awareness of its role in social, environmental and economic regions of South and resulting in the need to develop a plan for the protection, promotion and development value of the argan tree.
In 1998, aware of the importance of the preservation and protection of such heritage, UNESCO has granted the argan forest of Morocco the status of Biosphere Reserves.
