International Journal of Agricultural Science and Research (IJASR) ISSN 2250-0057 Vol. 3, Issue 3, Aug 2013, 63-68 © TJPRC Pvt. Ltd. AN EDAPHIC APPROACH OF THE MATORRAL OF THE SOUTHERN SLOPES OF TLEMCEN (WESTERN ALGERIA) BELHACINI FATIMA 1 & BOUAZZA MOHAMMED 2 1 Laboratory of Ecology and Management of the Natural Ecosystems, University of Tlemcen, Tlemcen, Algeria 2 Laboratory of Plantecology, University of Tlemcen, Tlemcen, Algeria ABSTRACT Our study focuses on the southern slope of the Tlemcen region located in Western Algeria. We conducted soil samples, three soils were analyzed at each station, so the total 9 floors. On the fine fraction of the samples we have determined physical characteristics: Texture and structure and chemical characters: total limestone, the organic carbon, organic matter, pH, and color according to the Munsell code. The texture of the higher share of analyzed soil samples is silty-dominated, salinity is very low , pH is slightly alkaline and electrical conductivity is between 1.06 and 1.82 mS/cm, the rate of organic matter is low to very low to the Southwest, however it is weak to very strong in the southeast of the study area KEYWORDS: Soil, Character Physics, Chemical, Algeria Western INTRODUCTION Ozenda 1 defines the soil as a main element of the environment which regulates the distribution of vegetation. It develops according to the nature of the bedrock, topography and climate characteristics. While Duchaufour 2  underlines that soil is a reserve of nutrients and a stable environment for biological activity. The nature and the General properties of a soil are defined by several fundamental characteristics; physical, chemical and biological. If some of these characteristics may be released, approximate way, directly on the ground, any comprehensive soil study requires a set of detailed laboratory analyses. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study area is located in Western Algeria. The middle where it fits is located south of the wilaya of Tlemcen. It is located in the extreme west of the Algeria (searcb °: 1); with an altitude of 850 m and an area of 9.071,69 Km 2 This area is limited:  To the North by the Mediterranean Sea.  To the North-East by the wilaya of Aintemouchent;  To the East by the Sidi Bel-Abbès wilaya;