Ahmed Fouad
Associate Professor of Genetics
Botany and Microbiology Department Faculty of Science Cairo University (email)
Botany and Microbiology Department Faculty of Science Cairo University (email)
IN the Mediterranean Basin, oolitic sand dunes extend along the northeastern coast of Africa between the Gulf of Gabes (Tunisia) and the Nile Delta (Egypt), attenuating coastal vulnerability to storms and saltwater intrusion and protecting inland infrastructure. Psammophytes are typical and distinctive plants for dune habitats; they are the primary drivers for dune growth and stabilization by trapping sand particles in their shoot and root systems. The Anthropocene fingerprint may create an environment favorable for nonpsammophyte invasion and subsequent alteration in sand dune habitat structure and functions. The authentication of sand dune-inhabiting species should be a priority for conservation or restoration measures concerning sand dune habitats. This study is the first rbcL-based DNA barcoding documentation of 20 plant species inhabiting the vulnerable Egyptian oolitic sand dune habitats in Burg El Arab area, west of Alexandria. Results highlighted the applicability of the rbcL locus sequence for species authentication and recognition of the examined plant taxa sharing the same habitat. The phylogenetic analysis of rbcL barcode polymorphism revealed current taxonomic relationships among the assigned species. Results added valuable information to the authentication of sand dune plants, providing the first rbcL barcodes for species growing in oolitic sand dune habitats in Egypt, six of which were submitted for the first time to GenBank.
0375-9237