Study of epiphytic bryophytes in the ifrane national park in Morocco

The Ifrane National Park (INP) is located in the heart of the Middle Atlas in central Morocco. It is characterized by a large biological and ecological diversity. Since bryophyte research is very fragmentary in the region, our study aims to establish an exhaustive list of bryophyte species of INP. The present work begins by establishing a list of epiphyte species. Surveys carried out from 2015 to 2017 showed the presence of 30 species of bryophytes that settled on trunks and branches of the main forest species of the Park: Atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica M.), Green Oak (Quercus rotundifolia Lam.) and Zeen Oak (Quercus faginea Lam.). The listed species are divided into 10 families and 21 genera. Twenty-nine species were observed on Green oak, 28 on Zeen oak and 24 on Atlas cedar. INP includes the Atlas cedar that is best preserved but shows mostly signs of decline especially in areas with strong anthropozoogenic pressure. This regressive trend has repercussions on the bryological diversity whose expansion is limited in these area.