Cyanobacteria, are a photoautotrophic component of soil biological crusts in arid areas. They have attracted increasing interest worldwide due to their potential applications in agriculture biofertilization, rehabilitation of soil environments, biotechnology, natural products and medicine. However, biocrust cyanobacteria are not well investigated in North African countries where drylands are dominant. This study aims to explore the soil cyanobacterial diversity, to isolate interesting strains and to investigate the effect of soil properties and land use on their distribution in the Marrakesh area (Morocco). The sampling of biocrusts and measurement of soil physicochemical characteristics were done at five sampling sites during two campaigns. The morphological characterization of cyanobacterial strains was done by direct microscopy and soil culture inoculums in nutrient media. A total of 26 taxa were identified. Oscillatoriales constituted the most diversified order (84.62%), followed by Chroococcales (11.54%) and Nostocales (3.84%). Three species are reported for the first time in Morocco. Six strains were isolated in soil culture in nutrient media. The results showed that the distribution of cyanobacteria was mainly influenced by humidity, soil texture, land use and vegetation cover. This survey provides a first inventory and data ecology of the soil cyanobacterial assemblages in the Moroccan mountainous region needed for understanding their potential in biotechnological restoration and in agricultural biofertilization.
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