An assessment of soil erosion in Westem High Atlas of Morocco: an application to Ain Asmama site

The Site of Biological and Ecological Interest (SBEI) of Ain Asmama is characterized by a terraced important bioclimate ranging from arid to sub humid. Annual average rainfall shows high spatial irregularity of rainfall. The varied vegetation, dense, continuous and well preserved can protect the area against erosion. Soils are increasingly degraded and sediment from the erosion contributes to siltation of dams. Integration of thematic maps of the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) factors into Geographic Information System allowed a quick and efficient evaluation of erosion risk and produces a synthetic map of distribution of degrees of susceptibility to erosion.