Wafaa Amer

Citation:

Hamed, A. B., W. M. Amer, and A. T. Soliman, "Professor of Plant Taxonomy and Flora", Egyptian Journal of Botant, vol. 61, issue 3, pp. 795-808, 2021.

EGYPT is in the arid belt, with a semi-arid Mediterranean coast. Characteristic maritime oolitic sand dunes stretch parallel to the sea from Alexandria westward to Mersa Matruh. This habitat has a highly specialized floristic composition that never grows southward. Recently, the oolitic sand dune habitats have become threatened by urbanization expansion and global climate change, inducing a notable decline in floristic composition and species richness. The present study aimed to assess the flora land vegetation of the oolitic sand dunes along the Mediterranean coast in Egypt. The floristic composition in the surveyed area included a total of 116 psammophyte species (91 genera belonging to 27 families), with annuals comprising 47.4% and perennials comprising 40.5%. Chronological analysis revealed the dominance of the Mediterranean elements, with either mono-, bi- or pluri-regional chorotypes accounting for 64.7% of the total number of species. According to canonical correspondence analysis, the relationship between the prevailing species composition and soil variables revealed that CaCO3 and organic carbon positively affected, whereas sand and clay fractions and chloride ions negatively affected, the species distribution. The deterioration of oolitic habitats due to the construction of resorts and urbanization has led to a severe decline in the vegetation and flora of the area; this expansion must be stopped.