Challenges towards hypericum sinaicum conservation in south Sinai, Egypt

Abstract EN

Hypericum sinaicum is one of the near endemic plant species in Saint Katherine Protectorate.

Found only in Sinai and Northwest Saudi Arabia, there are many challenges to the conservation of this species.

The aim of this study is to : (1) identify and rank the different threats, and to identify their underlying root causes, as well as the barriers, affecting the conservation of the medicinal plants specially Hypericum sinaicum within the rich areas of SKP, and (2) compare and reassess documented by Assi (2007) in the same area.

237 circles with diameter 10 m were established to cover all environmental gradients with equal distance between each other.

At each point we recorded all factors within the field that may be become Threat to the plant community, to medicinal plants.

Results found that drought, feral donkeys and over collection are the most harmful threats for Hypericum sinaicum in Saint Katherine Protectorate, and most of root causes come from lack of awareness, weak law enforcement, lack of suitable strategies, weak financial support and lack of stakeholders’ cooperation.