Biodiversité de l'avifaune aquatique des zones humides sahariennes : cas de la dépression d'Oued Righ (Algérie)

• Published in: Physio-Géo
• Main Authors: Bensaci, Ettayib, Saheb, Menouar, Nouidjem, Yacine, Bouzegag, Abdelaziz, Houhamdi, Moussa
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: French
• Published: Claude Martin 2022
• Subjects: Algeria; biodiversity; birds; Oued Righ; saltpans; wetland; Access to water; Alluvial terraces; Barrier beach; Caulerpa racemosa; Channel morphology; Climate change; Climate history; Climatology; Coastal geomorphology; Drought; Environment; Filtration; Flood risks; Floodplains; Geomorphology; Heavy metals; Hydraulic conductivity; Hydrogeomorphology; Hydrology; Lahar; Marine ecosystem; Marsh; Neotectonics; Orbieu; Palynology; Risks; River mouth; Sabkha; Sea ice; Sea level; Shoreline; Travertines; Urbanization; Vegetation; Vegetation history; Volcano; Wastewater; Water; Algérie; avifaune; biodiversité; chott; zone humide; Accès à l'eau; Anas clypeata; Shoveler
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.4000/physio-geo.3198; http://journals.openedition.org/physio-geo/3198

The wetlands complex of Oued Righ (Algerian NorthernSahara) includes a series of sites of undeniable importance. This eco-complex contains three very large salt pans (Chott Melghir, Chott Merouane and Chott Sidi Slimane), classified as wetlands of international importance according to the Ramsar convention and other small temporary wetlands such as: Chott Hamraïa, ChottTighdidine and Chott Tindle, and two permanent sites: Ayata and Oued Khrouf lakes. These aquatic ecosystems divided between wilayas of El-Oued, Biskra and Ouargla, have a great biological diversity due to their size, salinity and substrate. With a total area of 900000 ha, these wetlands remain very poorly studied in Algeria and their biological and ecological roles remain unknown.The bird fauna of wetlands complex of Oued Righ is very rich, where 53 species representing 15 families were assessed. They are dominated by the Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus, the Shoveler Anas clypeata, the Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferriginea, and the Teal Anas crecca crecca. Some species were observed with relativelylarge numbers (the Greater Flamingo, 42700) and other species are listed as endangered and vulnerable following the IUCN Red List such as: Marbled Teal Marmaronetta angustirostris, Ferruginous duck Aythya nyroca. Regular monitoring of this bird fauna allowed as defining the status and phenology of these species.Overall, the wetlands of Oued Righ depression are exploited as wintering grounds, stopover during migration journeys and breeding sites for several waterbirds species. L'éco-complexe de zones humides de la dépression d'Oued Righ (Sahara septentrional algérien) comporte trois vastes chotts (Sidi Slimane, Chott Melghir et Chott Merouane) d'intérêt international selon la convention de Ramsar et une vingtaine de dépressions qui ne sont en eau que durant les années très pluvieuses tels les Chotts Hamraïa, Tighdidine et Tindla, et deux sites permanents : le lac Ayata et le lac d'Oued Khrouf. Ces milieux aquatiques, répartis entre les wilayas ...