Within the project “Conserving wild plants and habitats for people in the South and East Mediterranean (IPA-Med)”, the IUCN – Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation provides support for a new and complete review of the book “Trees and shrubs of North Africa” published in 2001.

This important work is coordinated by the Spanish botanist Jesús Charco and actually involves more than 35 botanists from 6 Mediterranean countries.

Balanites aegyptiaca – Wadi Gimal, Egypt © J. Charco

The first edition of this book answered to a real need for accessing information about trees and shrubs of North Africa in particular and Mediterranean countries in general. With more than 550 species included, more than 1000 pictures, a distribution map for each species, it has been included in the education program of several Spanish universities and can be found in libraries of European and African universities.

The book “Trees and shrubs of North Africa” (2001) includes only autochthonous species, in order to revaluate the importance of their conservation and recovery, pointing out important topics such as stopping biodiversity loss, erosion and the desertification that the region suffers. It is not just a “flora book”; it really describes widely every species, becoming not only a  great source to identify native trees and shrubs, but also aiming to be used as a tool for working on reforestation, degraded areas restoration, and even gardening with autochthonous species.

The interest that the book led after its publication was shown by a rapid depletion of the available stock and, 15 years after its publication, the book is still highly requested. Consequently, IUCN has a great interest in supporting the edition of a new extended and updated version, available not only as a paper book but also as a digital book available on the internet, with free access for students, teachers, technical personal and scientists from around the world.

Hyphaene thebaica – Wadi Gimal, Egypt © J. Charco

The book will be published in French, English and Spanish. The first edition presented geography from the Mediterranean to the Sahel and from the Atlantic Ocean to the Libyan Desert. This second edition will additionally include Egypt and North of Sudan. Consequently, all North Africa will be covered up to the Red sea.

This updated and expanded version will include a full review of distribution maps and information about each species as well as the additional new chapters and many new species. This book will probably exceed 800 pages.

The publication of the book is foreseen for the beginning of year 2018.