Ecological Study on some Grasses Growing Naturally in the Deltaic Mediterranean Coast of Egypt

Mashaly, Ibrahim; Ayaad, Sekina M; El-Shamy, Maha M; Elsoudy, Esraa A

doi:10.21608/cat.2019.49168

Ecological Study on some Grasses Growing Naturally in the Deltaic Mediterranean Coast of Egypt

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt

² Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Mansoura University, Mansoura

³ Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Mansoura, Egypt

10.21608/cat.2019.49168

Abstract

The present study aims to investigate the floristic composition and vegetation analysis of the flora
associated with some grasses growing naturally on the sand formations in the Deltaic Mediterranean coast
of Egypt. The total number of the recorded plant species was 79 species (44 annuals and 35 perennials)
belonging to 70 genera and 26 families. The life –form spectra of the recorded species comprised 44
therophytes, 13 cryptophytes, eight hemicryptophytes, seven chamaephytes and phanerphytes for each.
Chorologically, the Saharo-Sindian element was represented by relatively high number of species (34),
followed by Irano-Turanian (32 species), then Euro-Siberian (10 species) and Sudano-Zambezian (9
species). Based on the importance alue of each species, the classification of the recorded species in 36
sampled stands led to recognition of four vegetation groups (A-D). The characteristics dominant and
codominant species of vegetation groups were Elymus farcatus and Calligonum polygonoides (A),
Hordeum murinum (B), Stipagrostis lanata and Echinops spinosus (C) and Lycium schweinfurthii and
Echinops spinosus (D). DCA diagram showed overlapping between the identified groups. CCA-biplot
exhibited that sulfates, calcium, potassium, magnesium and calcium carbonate were the most effective
soil variables controlling the abundance of identified vegetation groups.

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