biological diversity and tropical forests in tunisia - PART

C. Irflcerces
Decse forest cover normally protects the steep slopes from erosioc,
b ~ the t forests have been altered macy times by fires ard hmar
maripelatior. More thar 50na of the zec oak have beec hit by flames (~ir.
For.,l965), some of which was a result of the Frecch-Algeriac war. Local
irhabjtarts, Frerch color,ialists acd the A1geri.a~ army all exploited the
forests, oft~c leavire clearings or maq~is that did not regenerate to oak.
Firebreaks vere also cct acd re-opeced every 3 years.
Past actiors still icflcerce the ecosystem today, ard exploitatior
cortinces by the local residects. Cork harvesticg - while cot destructive
to the oaks - resiilts ir trampled ~ndererovth and distsrbance to the
faxa. Other forest products, scch as acorns and Myrtiis conm~nis branches
are also harvested.
T1 Pridja \