On the Ecology of the Deltaic Mediterranean Coastal Land, Egypt. III. The Habitat of Salt Marshes of Damietta- Port Said Coastal Region PDF

Keywords

plant, vegetation, Egypt

Abstract

The present study provides estimates of the vegetation structure and its plant communities in the coastal salt marshes between Damietta and Port Said, to determine the factor or factors controlling the species distribution and to correlate the vegetational gradients with the edaphic factors. Five major communities constitute the major part of the natural vegetation of the study area and are dominated by five perennials: Zygophyllum aegyptium A. Hosny, Arthroenemum macrostachyum (Moric) Moris and Delmonte. Haloenemum strobilaccum (Pallas) M. Bich., Juncus acutus L. and Juncus rigidus Desf. Therophytes are the most frequent life-form in these communities. The results of this study confirm the presence of a Mediterranean floristic territory in Egypt. Analysis of the correlation between the vegetational gradients and the edaphic factors shows that calcium carbonate, organic carbon, sulfate, bicarbonate and potassium are the main operating edaphic factors in this habitat