The Taza National Park (

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

:الحظيرة الوطنية تازة) is one of the smaller

national parks of Algeria National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, c ...

. It is located in

Jijel Province Jijel ( ar, ولاية جيجل) is a province (''wilaya'') in Algeria, on the eastern Mediterranean coast. The capital is Jijel (Phoenician name : ''Igilgili''). Taza National Park is located in this province. History The province was create ...

in the region of the

Tell Atlas The Tell Atlas ( ar, الاطلس التلي, Latn, ar, al-ʾaṭlas al-tlī) is a mountain chain over in length, belonging to the Atlas mountain ranges in North Africa, stretching mainly across northern Algeria, with ends in both north-easter ...

, and is named after the nearby city of Taza. Its total area is and it includes parts of the forested area of the Guerrouch massif. The lower parts of the park seldom experience frost and are relatively warm and dry, while the peaks may have a covering of snow in winter. The annual precipitation in the park ranges from and the annual mean temperature is around .

The park

Taza National Park was established in 1923 by the French colonial administrators in Algeria. Its aim was to protect the coastline and towering forested heights and provide protection for the Barbary macaque. The park adjoins the Mediterranean Sea, and includes cliffs that rise from sea level to over . The largest forest in Algeria of cork oaks (''Quercus suber'') and gall oaks (''Quercus faginea'') is found here. The park is located 30 kilometres north-east of Jijel. The park includes the

cave A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word ''cave'' can refer to smaller openings such as sea ...

s of Jijel, in addition to

sand beach A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological sources, such as mollusc sh ...

es and many

cliff In geography and geology, a cliff is an area of rock which has a general angle defined by the vertical, or nearly vertical. Cliffs are formed by the processes of weathering and erosion, with the effect of gravity. Cliffs are common on co ...

s and grottoes. It is a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

-recognized

biosphere reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...

with a varied

flora Flora is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous (ecology), indigenous) native plant, native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' ...

and

fauna Fauna is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is ''flora'', and for fungi, it is ''funga''. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively referred to as ''Biota (ecology ...

.UNESCO. 2006

Biosphere reserve

The Taza Biosphere Reserve comprises the whole of Taza National Park. It aims to combine conservation of the environment with the sustainable use of natural resources, allowing the local economy to flourish. Some of the habitats, plants and wildlife are important or unique in North Africa and internationally. About 5,600 people, mostly of Berber origin, live inside the reserve, largely sustaining themselves on small agricultural holdings, cultivating vegetables, fodder crops and tree fruits. Tourism is also important to the local economy. Management of the reserve includes eco-development projects, with beehives and fruit tree seed being distributed to villagers, and forest tracks and electricity supplies being improved for remote communities.

Flora and fauna

At lower altitudes, the Guerrouch forest is largely dominated by cork oaks, but higher up Algerian chestnut-leaved oak (''Quercus afares'') and Algerian oak (''Quercus canariensis'') are also present and there is a plentiful

understorey In forestry and ecology, understory (American English), or understorey (Commonwealth English), also known as underbrush or undergrowth, includes plant life growing beneath the forest canopy without penetrating it to any great extent, but abo ...

of bird cherry (''Prunus avium''), Mediterranean willow (''Salix pedicellata''),

European alder ''Alnus glutinosa'', the common alder, black alder, European alder, European black alder, or just alder, is a species of tree in the family Betulaceae, native to most of Europe, southwest Asia and northern Africa. It thrives in wet locations whe ...

(''Alnus glutinosa''), Montpellier maple (''Acer monspessulanum'') and narrow-leaved ash (''Fraxinus angustifolia''). The barbary ape is an

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and in ...

primate Primates are a diverse order of mammals. They are divided into the strepsirrhines, which include the lemurs, galagos, and lorisids, and the haplorhines, which include the tarsiers and the simians ( monkeys and apes, the latter including ...

with a narrowly restricted present distribution and is present in the park.C. Michael Hogan. 2008 The endangered Algerian nuthatch is also present, with an estimated population of 364 individuals in a 1989 survey. The park is also known for its

birds of prey Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively hunt and feed on other vertebrates (mainly mammals, reptiles and other smaller birds). In addition to speed and strength, these predat ...

. Earlier, the

Barbary lion The Barbary lion, also called the North African lion, Berber lion, Atlas lion, and Egyptian lion, is an extinct population of the lion subspecies '' Panthera leo leo''. It lived in the mountains and deserts of the Barbary Coast of North Africa, ...

's range had included this place.Pease, A. E. (1913)
''The Book of the Lion''
John Murray, London.

References

* C. Michael Hogan. 2008
''Barbary Macaque: Macaca sylvanus'', GlobalTwitcher.com, ed. Nicklas Stromberg
* UNESCO. 2006
''Taza National Park''

Line notes

External links

Park data on UNEP-WPMC
{{authority control National parks of Algeria Biosphere reserves of Algeria Geography of Jijel Province Protected areas established in 1985 Tourist attractions in Jijel Province 1985 establishments in Algeria