Woodland Plant Growth in the Fung Area of the Sudan I. A Survey of Plant Communities PDF

Keywords

Trees, botany, Sudan

Abstract

The composition of tree communities in the Fung-Area was assessed and sub-divisions into Riverine Associations and Clay Plain Associations were recognized. The former, with Zizphus spina-christi dominating , inhabit light soils with high water table and undulating terrain. The later are further subdivided into: (i) Acacia Seyal - A. senegal - Balanites aegyptiaca associations in habitats where no cultivation is practised, (ii) Acacia campylancantha - A. seyal- A. fistula and A. senegal in intensively cultivated areas, (iii) Acacia mellifera associations in depressions and catchment areas, (iv) Acacia nubica associations in over-grazed areas near villages and at the feet of rocky hills, and (v) Combretum hartmannianum associations the probably relics of the original vegetation, present in areas least influenced by man. It is concluded that the present distribution of tree species in the Fung area is largely the result of historical biotic influences rather than stemming from environmental effects.