The Maâmora Forest, the world’s largest contiguous cork oak (Quercus suber) ecosystem, plays a crucial role in protecting Morocco’s Atlantic coastal region from desertification. However, rapid population growth, urban expansion, and overgrazing have significantly degraded this forest, reducing cork oak coverage from 60.71% in 1989 to 44.42% in 2022. Despite prior studies on land-use changes, the direct correlation between demographic expansion and forest degradation remains insufficiently explored. This study employs Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to analyze the spatial relationship between population density and forest decline in the western Maâmora region. Using satellite imagery and spatial interpolation techniques, we investigate how urban sprawl, rural settlement growth, and anthropogenic pressures accelerate deforestation, alter soil composition, and threaten the forest’s regenerative capacity. The findings reveal a strong association between high population densities and intensified forest degradation, particularly near urban centers like Kenitra and Sidi Bouknadel. Our results demonstrate that unsustainable land use, coupled with the fragile sandy soils of Maâmora, exacerbates soil erosion and desertification risks. The study underscores the urgent need for sustainable land management strategies to mitigate further environmental degradation and preserve the ecological integrity of this vital forest ecosystem.