Abstract
South Sinai includes Egypt’s highest mountains that resemble an ecological island surrounded by desert. The present study aims to analyse the vegetation physiognomy along the altitudinal and environmental gradients in the main wadi beds in South Sinai mountainous region. This includes determining the natural, native-weed and alien vegetation in representative stands in this region, analysing their vegetation in terms of species composition, abundance and life forms and determining the national and global distribution of the associated species. This investigation also aims to describe the prevailing plant communities and assess the role of environmental conditions that affect the vegetation in this region. Thus, thirty-two stands were chosen during March–June 2018 to reflect the prevailing altitude and environmental gradients. Total species was 316 (229 genera and 61 families): 186 species were perennials (58.9%), while 130 were annuals (41.1%). In addition, 152 species were native weeds (48.1% of total species), 31 were aliens (9.8%), along with 133 natural species (42.1%). Eight species were recorded as endemic to Egypt: Anarrhinum pubescens, Euphorbia sanctae-catharinae, Hypericum sinaicum, Origanum syriacum subsp. sinaicum, Phlomis aurea, Primula boveana, Rosa arabica and Solanum sinaicum. In addition, 10 species were recorded as near-endemics to Egypt and other adjacent countries: Allium desertorum, Asclepias sinaica, Centaurea scoparia, Fagonia mollis var. hispida, Hyoscyamus boveanus, Iphiona mucronata, Micromeria sinaica, Pterocephalus sanctus, Salvia deserti and Stachys aegyptiaca. In the present study, 33 species are threatened and categorized as follows: 8 endangered, 8 vulnerable and one indeterminate, while the rest were evaluated by the authors as rares. The rich plant diversity of this region is due to its extensive mountainous massif, which supports many microhabitats. The high elevations in this region hinder the dispersal process of propagules, a situation which often tends to increase endemic and near-endemic species. The current results were discussed and compared with some related previous studies.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abd El-Ghani M, Abo El-Kheir M, Abdel-Dayem M, Abd El-Hamid M (2011) Vegetation analysis and soil characteristics of five common desert climbing plants in Egypt. Turkish Journal of Botany 35: 561–580. https://doi.org/10.3906/bot-1008-17
Abd El-Ghani MM, Fahmy AG (1998) Composition of and changes in the spontaneous flora of Feiran Oasis, S Sinai, Egypt, in the last 60 years. Willdenowia 28: 123–134. https://doi.org/10.3372/wi.28.2811
Abd El-Wahab RH, Zaghloul MS, Kamel WM, Moustafa AA (2008) Diversity and distribution of medicinal plants in North Sinai, Egypt. African Journal of Environmental Science and Technology 2: 157–171.
Allen S (1989) Chemical Analysis of Ecological Materials. London: Blackwell Scientific Publications. p 368.
Alqamy HM (2002) Developing and assessing a population monitoring program for Dorcas gazelle (Gazella dorcas) using distance sampling in Southern Sinai, Egypt. M.Sc. Thesis, University of St. Andrews, Scotland.
Ayers RS, Westcot DW (1985) Water Quality for Agriculture. FAO Irrigation and Drainage Paper 29, Rome: FAO. p 97.
Ayyad MA, Fakhry AM, Moustafa AA (2000) Plant biodiversity in the Saint Catherine area of the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt. Biodiversity and Conservation 9: 265–281. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008973906522
Batanouny KH (1985) Botanical exploration of Sinai. Qatar University Science Bulletin 5: 187–211.
Boulos L (1999–2005) Flora of Egypt: Volumes 1–4. Cairo: Al-Hadara Publishing.
Boulos L (2009) Flora of Egypt. Checklist. Al Hadara Publishing, Cairo, Egypt. p 410.
Busing RT, White PS, MacKende MD (1992) Gradient analysis of old spruce-fir forest of the great Smokey mountains circa 1935. Canadian Journal of Botany 71: 951–958. https://doi.org/10.1139/b93-107
Caujapé-Castells J, Tye A, Crawford D, et al. (2010) Conservation of oceanic island floras: Present and future global challenges. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 12: 107–129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ppees.2009.10.001
Chisholm R, Fung T, Chimalakonda D, O’Dwyer J (2016) Maintenance of biodiversity on islands. The Royal Society Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2016.0102
Colwell RK, Lees DC (2000) The mid-domain effect: Geometric constraints on the geography of species richness. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 15: 70–76. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0169-5347(99)01767-X
Davis KW, Bates JD, Miller RF (2007) Environmental and vegetation relationships of the Artemisia tridentata spp. wyomingensis alliance. Journal of Arid Environments 70: 478–494. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2007.01.010
Dewis J, Freitas F (1970) Physical and Chemical Methods of Soil and Water Analysis. FAO Soils Bulletin 10, Rome: FAO. p 275.
El-Bana MI, Nijs I, Khedr AA (2002) Responses of shrubs and under-shrubs to protection against grazing in two islands of Lake Bardawil, Mediterranean coast of Egypt. Egyptian Journal of Desert Research 52: 235–250.
El-Beheiry M, Hosni H, Sharaf El-Din A, et al. (2020) Updating the checklist of the alien flora in Egypt. Taeckholmia 40: 41–56. https://doi.org/10.21608/taec.2020.21300.1011
El-Hadidi MN, Fayed A (1994/1995) Material for excursion flora of Egypt (EFE). Taeckholmia 15: 1–233.
El-Hadidi MN, Hosni HA (2000) Flora Aegyptiaca: Volume 1, Part 1. Cairo: The Palm Press. p 187.
El-Khalafy MM (2018) Red List of the Endemic and Near-Endemic Plant Species in Egypt. M.Sc. Thesis, Faculty of Science, Tanta University.
El-Saied A, Khafagi O, Metwally M, Shehata A (2018) Phytosociological studies on the western sector of Saint Katherine Protectorate, South Sinai, Egypt. International Journal of Innovative Science, Engineering & Technology 5: 26–40.
Feinbrun-Dothan N (1978,1986) Flora Palaestina. Volumes III and IV. Jerusalem: Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities.
Gee GW, Bauder JW (1986) Particle Size Analysis, Part 1: Physical and Mineralogical Methods. Madison: American Society of Agronomy-Soil Science Society of America. pp 383–411. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssabookser5.1.2ed.c15
Gentili R, Bacchetta G, Fenu G, et al. (2015) From cold to warm-stage refugia for boreo-alpine plants in southern European and Mediterranean mountains: the last chance to survive or an opportunity for speciation? Biodiversity 16: 247–261. https://doi.org/10.1080/14888386.2015.1116407
Gibali MA (2000) Plant Life in Northern Sinai Ecological and Floristic Studies. Ph.D. Thesis, Cairo University, Cairo.
Hatab EE (2009) Ecological Studies on the Acacia Species and Ecosystem Restoration in the Saint Katherine Protectorate, South Sinai, Egypt. Ph.D. Thesis, Al-Azhar University, Cairo.
Hatim MZ, Shaltout KH, Schaminée JH, et al. (2016) VegEgypt ecoinformatics: Contribution to Sinai flora and vegetation. Rendiconti Lincei 27: 383–399. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12210-015-0493-3
Hill MO (1979a) TWINSPAN: A FORTRAN Program For Arranging Multivariate Data in an Ordered Two-Way Table by Classification of the Individuals and Attributes. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University. p 90.
Hill MO (1979b) DECORANA: A FORTRAN Program for Detrended Correspondence Analysis and Reciprocal Averaging. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University. p 52.
Hosni H, Hosny A, Shamso E, Hamdy R (2013) Endemic and near-endemic taxa in the flora of Egypt. Egyptian Journal of Botany 53: 357–383.
Ibraheem M (2012) Natural Protectorates in Egypt: Related Laws, Legislations and Conventions. Cairo: Printshop of Akhbar Alyoum. (In Arabic)
IUCN (1998) IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants. (Walter K and Gillett J eds.). IUCN, Gland, Switzerland & Cambridge, The World Conservation Union. p 862.
Kassas Mk, Girgis W (1965) Habitats and plant communities in Egyptian desert. VI- The units of desert ecosystem. Journal of Ecology 53: 715–728. https://doi.org/10.2307/2257630
Kessler M (2002) The elevational gradient of Andean plant endemism: Varying influences of taxon-specific traits and topography at different taxonomic levels. Journal of Biogeography 29: 1159–1165. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2699.2002.00773.x
Khafagi O, El-Saied A, Metwally M, Hegazy R (2018) Flora and plant communities of the eastern sector of Saint Katherine Protectorate, South Sinai, Egypt. International Journal of Innovative Science, Engineering & Technology 5: 66–79.
Mosallam HA (2007) Assessment of target species in Saint Katherine Protectorate, Sinai, Egypt. Journal of Applied Sciences Research 3: 456–469.
Moustafa AA (1990) Environmental Gradients and Species Distribution on Sinai Mountains. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Suez Canal, Ismailia. p 115.
Moustafa AA, Zaghloul MS (1996) Environment and vegetation in the montane Saint Catherine area, south Sinai, Egypt. Journal of Arid Environments 34: 331–349. https://doi.org/10.1006/jare.1996.0114
Mueller-Dombois D, Ellenberg H (1974) Aims and Methods of Vegetation Ecology. New York: Wiley.
Norfolk O (2015) The Impact of Bedouin Agricultural Gardens on Biodiversity in South Sinai, Egypt. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Nottingham, Nottingham. p 177.
Norfolk O, Eichhorn M, Gilbert F (2013) Traditional agricultural gardens conserve wild plants and functional richness in arid South Sinai. Basic and Applied Ecology 14: 659–669. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.baae.2013.10.004
Omar KA (2014) Ecological and climatic attribute analysis for Egyptian Hypericum sinaicum. American Journal of Life Sciences 2: 369–381.
Omar KA (2017) Anarrhinum pubescens, Bufonia multiceps, Phlomis aurea and Rosa arabica. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017.
Raunkiaer C (1937) Plant Life Forms. Oxford: Clarendon. p 104.
Shaltout K, Ahmed D, Diab M, El-Khalafy M (2019b) Reassessment of the near-endemic taxa in the Egyptian Flora. Taeckholmia 38: 61–83. https://doi.org/10.21608/taec.2018.11903
Shaltout KH, Ahmed DA, Shabana HA (2015) Population structure and dynamics of the endemic species Phlomis aurea Decne in different habitats in southern Sinai Peninsula, Egypt. Global Ecology and Conservation 4: 505–515. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2015.10.002
Shaltout KH, Ahmed DA, Shabana HA (2016a) Distribution of the associated species with Phlomis aurea Decne along an elevation gradient in Southern Sinai, Egypt. Ecologia Mediterranea 42: 65–77.
Shaltout KH, El-Hamdi KH, El-Masry SA, Eid EM (2019a) Bedouin farms in the Saint Katherine mountainous area (South Sinai, Egypt). Journal of Mountain Science 16: 2232–2242. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-019-5600-y
Shaltout KH, Farahat EA, Shalapy AI (2016b) Effect of a desert planted forest on the understory plant diversity: Implication to conservation. Rendiconti Lincei 27: 711–719. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12210-016-0553-3
Shaltout, KH, El-Sheikh MA (2002) Vegetation of the urban habitats in the Nile Delta region, Egypt. Urban Ecosystems 6: 205–221. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1026105612771
Sheded MG, Shaltout KH (1998) New weed species have recently invaded the Red Sea coast of Egypt. Egyptian-Swedish Symposium Commemorating Vivi Täckholm’s 100th Birthday. Cairo: Cairo University.
SPSS (2006) SPSS Base 15.0 User’s Guide. Chicago: SPSS Inc. p 610.
Täckholm V (1974) Student’s Flora of Egypt. Cairo: Cairo University Press. p 888.
Thomas C, Cameron A, Green R, et al. (2004) Extinction risk from climate change. Nature 427: 145–148. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature02121
Wickens GE (1977) Some of the phytogeographical problems associated with Egypt. Publications of Cairo University Herbarium 7–8: 223–230.
Wilke BM (2005) Determination of chemical and physical soil properties. In: Margesin R, Schinner F (eds.), Manual for Soil Analysis — Monitoring and Assessing Soil Bioremediation. Heidelberg: Springer — Verlag. pp 47–95. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-28904-6
Zaghloul MS (1997) Ecological Studies on Some Endemic Plant Species in South Sinai, Egypt. M.Sc. Thesis, University of Suez Canal, Ismailia. p 279.
Zalat S, Gilbert F (2008) Gardens in a Sacred Landscape: Bedouin Heritage and Natural History in the High Mountains of Sinai. Cairo: American University in Cairo Press. p 194.
Zohary M (1966, 1987) Flora Palaestina. Volumes I and II. Jerusalem: Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities.
Acknowledgements
The first author wishes to thank Ms. Heba Bedair, Demonstrator of Plant Ecology, Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Egypt for her assistance in data processing. This work was supported by the Deanship of Scientific Research at King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia under Grant number R.G.P. 1/73/40.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Electronic supplementary material
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Shaltout, K.H., Al-Sodany, Y.M., Eid, E.M. et al. Vegetation diversity along the altitudinal and environmental gradients in the main wadi beds in the mountainous region of South Sinai, Egypt. J. Mt. Sci. 17, 2447–2458 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-020-6153-9
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-020-6153-9