Potentiality of native range plants under different habitats from El-Arish to El-Kantara district (North-Eastern Coast of Egypt)‎

Abstract EN

The effects of climatic and edaphic factors on potentiality of native range plants of seven sites (S1 non-saline depression, S2 and S3 inland plateau, S4 and S5-saline depression, S6 and S7-coastal and sand dunes) were investigated for spring and summer seasons during two years (2001 and 2002) from El-Arish to El-Kantara district in the North-Eastern Coast of Egypt.

During this study the vegetation struc-ture was evaluated on 25 chart quadrates (5m2 each) together with soil physical and chemical analysis.

The plants were identified and clas-sified according to their palatability as palatable (p) and unpalatable (up) and for duration as perennial (Pr) and annual (An).

The results showed that 26 plant species in four habitats belong to 14 families.

The highest contribution was represented by plant species belonging to family Chenopodiaceae followed by Asteraceae (Compositae) and Poaceae (Graminae) (6, 4, 4,), respectively.

The highest values of den-sity (plant / m2), abundance percentage in site 1, site 2, 3 and site 7, were Artemisia monosperma, Zygophyllum album, Mesembry-anthemum nodiflorum, Atractyles gummifera, Ammophila arenaria, Atriplex halimus and Avena sativa and were shown during spring and summer seasons by four different sites.

Saline depression habitats (site No.

4) had the highest value for coverage percentage, fresh and dry yield (kg / m2) in spring season while (site No.

1) had the highest dry yield in summer season.

Superiority dominance of all measure-ments was represented by Artemisia monosperma, during summer season and Zygophyllum album in the spring season.