Why has forest cover declined in the Atlas Mountains?

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Map showing the Atlas Mountains across Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia in North Africa, with color shading to indicate elevation changes. Major mountain ranges, cities, rivers, and physical features such as the High Atlas, Anti-Atlas, Saharan Atlas, and surrounding deserts are labeled. An inset locator map highlights the region's position in northern Africa. — Atlas Mountains The Atlas Mountains.

The decline of forest cover in the Atlas Mountains is primarily attributed to the clearing of land for agricultural purposes.12

This human-driven transformation has left only a small fraction of the original forest remaining. The environmental impact is further compounded by the region's low annual rainfall and high rates of soil erosion, which are exacerbated by the resulting sparseness of vegetation. While moist forests of cork oaks, green oaks, and cedar once thrived, these ecosystems are now limited to specific ranges and altitudes, leaving much of the landscape with only thin, bushy undergrowth or scattered stands of trees.21