The State of the natural middle under the human pressure in the west of Algeria

This contribution aims to show some aspects of human pressure which threatens the natural middle of the region of Maghnia. A semi-arid bioclimate and a strong human pressure that prefer vegetation which is dominated by thorny xerophytes that constitute degraded matorrals rather than forest formations. That is what our floristic analysis showed. The pedological approach demonstrates that the state of vegetation, the nature of the soil and topographical conditions can influence the risk of erosion. Both the agricultural vocation of our study area, its proximity from the urban centers, and the impact of the construction of Hammam Boughrara dam lead us to assert that we are facing a process of pronounced degradation.