Production Potential of Thymus atlanticus (Ball) Roussine in the Eastern High Atlas of Morocco

Aromatic and medicinal plants are a rich source of substances that are beneficial to human health. At a socio-economic level, the exploitation of medicinal plants constitutes an important income for the local populations. However, the use of these plants in recent decades has put a lot of pressure on these resources, and many species suffer from over-use without taking into account the existing potential. Thymus atlanticus is an aromatic and medicinal shrub endemic to Morocco. It’s rare and has a very limited geographical area. In this study, we determine the status of T. atlanticus and evaluate the biomass production potential of this spontaneous species in 2021. The results show that the density of T. atlanticus does not exceed 235 plants per 100m2, with a recovery rate of 19.92%. Whereas the biomass dry matter was only 67.3±1.22kg/ha. The yield of T. atlanticus essential oil was 1.78% (w/w). From these results, it appears that T. atlanticus cannot be exploited in this state. It needs to be rehabilitated, and protected. These results can help to better restore and manage the steppe at T. atlanticus in the future.