Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Plant species distribution and spatial habitat heterogeneity in the landscape of urbanizing desert ecosystems in Egypt

  • Published:
Urban Ecosystems Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Information on the urban flora and vegetation in the industrial new cities in Egypt are insufficient and far from complete. For this reason, this study was undertaken as the first attempt to fill this gap of knowledge. For two successive years (2004 and 2005), a reconnaissance survey was conducted in four new industrial cities: 6th October, El-Sadat, Burg El-Arab and 10th Ramadan; aiming at: (1) recognizing the floristic composition and vegetation structure of each of the studied cities; (2) identifying the main urban habitats dominating the studied cities; (3) comparing the vegetation of the urban habitats at the boundaries of each city, where desert soil merges gradually with the agricultural land, with that at its centre (purely agricultural land); and (4) analyzing, quantitatively, the vegetation groups (plant communities) that characterize the urban habitats. A total of 189 permanent stands in the four cities were selected to represent the apparent variation in the different habitats. These stands were distributed as follows: 49 in 6th October, 37 in El-Sadat, 45 in Burg El-Arab, and 58 in 10th Ramadan. Altogether, 305 species of the vascular plants constituted the main synanthropic flora and the total number of species varied from 171 in Burg El-Arab, 157 in 10th Ramadan, 144 in Sadat and 132 to 6th October. The largest families that formed the main bulk of the recorded flora were Gramineae, Compositae, Leguminosae, followed by Euphorbiaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Cruciferae, Cyperaceae, Umbelliferae and Solanaceae. Five main urban habitats (from inner city toward outskirts) were distinguished: lawns, home gardens, public gardens, waste lands and desert outskirts. The most species-rich habitat was the waste lands (172 species), while the total number of species varied from 104 in the lawns and 113 home gardens, to 123 in the desert and 133 in the public gardens. Generally, the recorded synanthropic flora within the five main urban habitats can be classified into: (1) cultivated plant species that included ornamentals, hedges, shade plants, fodder plants, vegetables and fruits; (2) canal banks, salinized areas and wetland plants; (3) xerophytic plants of the outskirting desert; and (4) weeds of arable lands. Application of multivariate analyses techniques to 4 floristic data matrices yielded 22 TWINSPAN vegetation groups in the cities, and 26 in the five habitats, clearly separated along the first two axes of DCA.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abd El-Ghani MM (1981) Preliminary studies on the vegetation of Bahariya Oasis, Egypt. Unpublished M. Sc. Thesis, Faculty of Science, Cairo University

  • Abd El-Ghani MM (1985) Comparative study on the vegetation of Bahariya and Frafra Oasis and the Faiyum region. Unpublished Ph. D. Thesis, Faculty of Science, Cairo University

  • Abd El-Ghani MM (1994) Weed plant communities of orchards in Siwa Oasis. Feddes Repert 105(5–6):387–398

    Google Scholar 

  • Abd El-Ghani MM (1998) Weed communities of date-palm orchards in the Feiran Oasis (south Sinai, Egypt). Fragm Flor Geobot 43(2):257–271

    Google Scholar 

  • Abd El-Ghani MM, Amer AM (1990) Studies on weed assemblages in croplands, Egypt. I. Broad bean fields. Egypt J Bot 33(1):15–30

    Google Scholar 

  • Abd El-Ghani MM, El-Bakry AA (1992) Studies on weed assemblages in croplands, Egypt. II. Egyptian clover fields. Bull Fac Agric, Univ Cairo 43(4):1221–1252

    Google Scholar 

  • Abd El-Ghani MM, El-Sawaf N (2004) Diversity and distribution of plant species in the agro-ecosystem of Egypt. Syst Geogr Pl 74:319–336

    Google Scholar 

  • Albuquerque UP, Andrade LHC, Caballero J (2005) Structure and floristics of homegardens in Northeastern Brazil. J Arid Environ 62:491–506

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bastin L, Thomas CD (1999) The distribution of plant species in urban vegetation fragments. Landsc Ecol 14:493–507

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bates GH (1935) The vegetation of footpaths, sidewalks, cart-tracks and gateways. J Ecol 23:470–487

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bornkamm R (1975) Some observations on weed communities in the city of Durham, North Carolina, U.S.A. Naturk Forsch Sudwest Deutschl 34:15–24

    Google Scholar 

  • Bornkamm R, Kehl H (1990) The plant communities of the western desert of Egypt. Phytocoenologia 19(2):149–231

    Google Scholar 

  • Boulos L (1995) Flora of Egypt. Checklist. Al Hadara Publishing, Cairo

    Google Scholar 

  • Boulos L (1999) Flora of Egypt, vol 1 Azollaceae-Oxalidaceae. Al Hadara Publishing, Cairo

    Google Scholar 

  • Boulos L (2000) Flora of Egypt, vol. 2. Geraniaceae-Boraginaceae. Al Hadara Publishing, Cairo

    Google Scholar 

  • Boulos L (2002) Flora of Egypt, vol. 3. Verbinaceae-Compositae. Al Hadara Publishing, Cairo

    Google Scholar 

  • Boulos L (2005) Flora of Egypt, vol. 4. Monocotyledons (Alismataceae-Orchidaceae). Al Hadara Publishing, Cairo

    Google Scholar 

  • Boulos L, El-Hadidi MN (1994) The weed flora of Egypt. Revised edition. The American University in Cairo Press, Cairo

    Google Scholar 

  • Caballero J (1992) Maya homegardens: past, present and future. Etnoecológica 1:35–54

    Google Scholar 

  • Caballero J (1994) Use and management of Sabal palms among the Maya of Yucatán. Ph.D. Thesis. University of California, Berkeley

  • Chojnacki J (1991) Zroznicowanie przestrzenne roslinnosci Warszawy. Wydaw. Univ, Warszawa

    Google Scholar 

  • Cornelis J, Hermy M (2004) Biodiversity relationships in urban and suburban parks in Flanders. Landsc Urban Plann 69:385–401

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dana ED, Vivas S, Mota JF (2002) Urban vegetation of Almería City: a contribution to urban ecology in Spain. Landsc Urban Plann 59:203–216

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Daniel H, Lecamp E (2004) Distribution of three indigenous fern along a rural-urban gradient in the city of Angers, France. Urban For Urban Gree 3:19–27

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Danin A, Weinstein A, Karschon R (1982) The synanthropic flora of new settlements in Northeastern Sinai. I. Composition and origin. Willdenowia 12:57–75

    Google Scholar 

  • Davies W (1938) Vegetation of grass verges and other excessively trodden habitats. J Ecol 26:38–49

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DeCandido R (2004) Recent changes in plant species diversity in urban Pelham Bay Park, 1947–1998. Biol Conservat 120:129–136

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • El Hadidi MN, Kosinová J (1971) Studies on the weed flora of cultivated land in Egypt. 1. Preliminary survey. Mitt Bot Staatsamml Munchen 10:354–367

    Google Scholar 

  • El-Sheikh MA, El-Haawany EF, Shaltout KH (2004) Flora and vegetation of Qanatir public Park, southern Nile Delta, Egypt. J Environ Sci 27(2):137–158

    Google Scholar 

  • Florgård C (2000) Long-term changes in indigenous vegetation preserved in urban areas. Landsc Urban Plann 52:101–116

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gilbert OL (1989) The ecology of Urban habitats. Chapman and Hall, London

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Godefroid S (2001) Temporal analysis of the Brussels flora as indicator for changing environmental quality. Landsc Urban Plann 52:203–224

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Godefroid S, Koedam N (2003a) Distribution pattern of the flora in a peri-urban forest: an effect of the city-forest ecotone. Landsc Urban Plann 65:169–185

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Godefroid S, Koedam N (2003b) Identifying indicator plant species of habitat quality and invasibility as a guide for peri-urban forest management. Biodivers Conserv 12:1699–1713

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goldberg A, Gutte P (1988) Phytosoziologische Charakterisierung städtischer Flachennutzungsstrukturen, dargestellt an einem Transekt durch die Grosstadt Leipzig. In: Zaliberová M (ed) Symposium synanthropic flora and vegetation V, pp.59-66, Veda, Bratislava

  • Good JEG (1977) Urban trees: some problems and proposals. 139th Annual Meeting, British Association for the Advancement of Science

  • Grime JP (1979) Plant strategies and vegetation processes. J. Wiley, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Guirado M, Pino J, Rodà F (2006) Understorey plant species richness and composition in metropolitan forest archipelagos: effects of patch size, adjacent land use and distance to the edge. Global Ecol Biogeogr 15:50–62

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hejnỳ S (1971) Metodologickỳ pňspěvek k vỳzkumu synantropnſ květeny a vegtace velkoměsta (na pňkladuPrahy). Zborn. Predn. Zjazdu Slov. Bot. Spoloc., Tisoveč 1970, 2:545–567. Braislava

  • Hejný S, Kosinova J (1978) Contribution to synanthropic vegetation of Cairo. Publ Cairo Univ Herb 7 & 8:273–386

    Google Scholar 

  • HillI MO, Gauch HG (1980) Detrended correspondence analysis: an improved ordination technique. Vegetatio 42:47–58

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holzapfel C, Schmidt W (1990) Roadside vegetation along transects in the Judean desert. Israel J Bot 39:263–270

    Google Scholar 

  • Horikawa Y, Miyawaki A (1954) Habitat segregation of the weeds as an indicator of soil hardness. Yokohama Nat Univ Sci Rep Sect II 3:49–62

    Google Scholar 

  • Klotz S (1987) Floristische und vegetationskundliche Untersuchungen in Städten der DDR. Düsseldorf Greobot Kolloq 4:61–69

    Google Scholar 

  • Klotz S (1990) Species-area and species-inhabitants relations in European cities. In: Sukopp H, Hejný S, Kowarik I (eds) Urban ecology: plants and plant communities in urban environments. SPB Publishing, The Hague, pp 99–104

    Google Scholar 

  • Kowarik I (1990) Some responses of flora and vegetation to urbanization in Central Europe. In: Sukopp H, Hejný S, Kowarik I (eds) Urban ecology. SPB Acadadimic Publishing, The Hague, pp 45–74

    Google Scholar 

  • Kühn I, Brandl R, Klotz S (2004) The flora of German cities is naturally species rich. Evol Ecol Res 6:749–764

    Google Scholar 

  • Kunick W (1974) Veränderungen von Flora und Vegetation einer Großstadt, dargestellt am Beispiel von Berlin (West). Diss Techn University of Berlin

  • Lamont SR, Eshbaugh WH, Greenber G (1999) Species composition, diversity and use of homegardens among three amazonian villages. Econ Bot 53:312–326

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lososová Z, Simonová D (2008) Changes during the 20th century in species composition of synanthropic vegetation in Moravia (Czech Republic). Preslia 80:291–305

    Google Scholar 

  • Mandák B, Pyšek P, Pyšek A (1993) Distribution pattern of flora and vegetation in a small industrial town: an effect of urban zones. Preslia 65:225–242

    Google Scholar 

  • McCune B, Mefford MJ (1999) PC-ORD for windows. Multivariate analysis of Ecological data. Version 4.14. User’s Guide. MjM Software, Oregon, USA. 237pp

  • McKinney ML (2002) Urbanization, biodiversity and conservation. Bioscience 52:883–890

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Millat-e-Mustafa MD, Hall JB, Teklehaimanotz Z (1996) Structure and floristics of Bangladesh homegardens. Agroforest Syst 33:263–280

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mucina L (1990) Urban vegetation research in European COMECON-countries and Yugoslavia: a review. In: Sukopp H, Hejný S, Kowarik I (eds) Urban ecology. SPB Acadadimic Publishing, The Hague, pp 23–43

    Google Scholar 

  • Pyšek A (1978) Ruderální vegetace Velke Plznì. Ms., 290pp. (Kand. dis. práce; depon. in: Knih. BÚčSAV Pruhonice)

  • Pyšek P (1989) On the richness of Central European urban flora. Preslia 61:329–334

    Google Scholar 

  • Pyšek P (1993) Factors affecting the diversity of flora and vegetation in central European settlements. Vegetatio 106:89–100

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pyšek P (1998) Alien and native species in Central European urban flora: a quantitative comparison. J Biogeogr 25:155–163

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pyšek A, Pyšek P (1988) Standörtliche Differenzierung der flora der Westböhmischen Dörfer. Folia Mus Rer Natur Bohem Occid, Plzeň, ser Bot 28:1–52

    Google Scholar 

  • Pyšek P, Pyšek A (1991) Vergleich der dörflichen und städtischen Ruderalflora, dargestellt am Beispiel Westböhmens. Tuexenia 11:121–134

    Google Scholar 

  • Pyšek P, Sádlo J, Mandák B, Jarošík V (2003) Czech alien flora and a historical pattern of its formation: what came first to Central Europe? Oecologia 135:122–130

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pyšek P, Chocholouškova Z, Pyšek A, Jarošik V, Chytrý M, Tichý L (2004) Trends in species diversity and composition of urban vegetation over three decades. J Veg Sci 15:781–788

    Google Scholar 

  • Richardson DM, Pysek P, Rejmánek M, Barbour MG, Panetta FD, West CJ (2000) Naturalization and invasion of alien plants: concepts and definitions. Diversity Distrib 6:93–107

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rico-Gray V, Garicia-Franco JG, Chemas A, Puch A, Sima P (1990) Species composition, similarity and structure of Maya homegardens in Tixpeual and Tixcactuyul, Yucatán, México. Econ Bot 44:470–487

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shaltout KH, El-Fahar R (1991) Diversity and phenology of weed communities in the Nile Delta region. J Veg Sci 2:385–390

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shaltout KH, El-Ghareeb R (1992) Diversity of the salt marsh plant communities in the western Mediterranean region of Egypt. J Univ Kuwait Sci 19:75–84

    Google Scholar 

  • Shaltout KH, El-Sheikh MA (2002) Vegetation of the urban habitats in the Nile Delta region, Egypt. Urban Ecosyst 6:205–221

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shaltout KH, Sharaf El-Din A (1988) Habitat types and plant communities along a transect in the Nile Delta region. Feddes Repert 99:153–162

    Google Scholar 

  • Shaltout KH, Sharaf El-Din A, El-Sheikh MA (1994) Species richness and phenology of vegetation along irrigation canals and drains in the Nile Delta, Egypt. Vegetatio 112:35–43

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Soewarwoto O, Soewarwoto I, Soekartadiredja EM, Ramlan A (1985) The javanese home garden an integrated agro-ecosystem. Food Nutr Bull 7:44–47

    Google Scholar 

  • Stenhouse RN (2004) Fragmentation and internal disturbance of native vegetation reserves in the Perth metropolitan area Western Australia. Landsc Urban Plann 68:389–401

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sukopp H (2002) On the early history of urban ecology in Europe. Preslia 74:373–393

    Google Scholar 

  • Sukopp H (2004) Human-caused impact on preserved vegetation. Landsc Urban Plann 68:347–355

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sukopp H, Werner P (1983) Urban environment and vegetation. In: Holzner W, Werger MJA, Ikusima I (eds) Man’s impact on vegetation. Dr.W. Junk Publishers, The Hague, pp 247–260

    Google Scholar 

  • Sundik-Wójcikowska B (1987) Dynamik der Warschauer Flora in den letzten 150 Jahren. Gleditschia 15:7–23

    Google Scholar 

  • Täckholm V (1974) Students’ Flora of Egypt, 2nd edn. Cairo University Press, Cairo

    Google Scholar 

  • Ter Braak CJF (1987) Ordination. In: Jongman RHG, Ter Braak CJF, van Tongeren DFR (eds) Analysis in Community and landscape Ecology. Pudoc. Wageningen, The Netherlands, pp 91–173

    Google Scholar 

  • Thompson K, Austin KC, Smith RM, Warren PhH, Angold PG, Gaston KJ (2003) Urban domestic gardens (I). Putting small-scale plant diversity in context. J Veg Sci 14:71–78

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tüxen R (1950) Grundriss einer Systematik der nitrophilen Unkrautgesellschaften in der Eurosibirischen Region, Europas. Mitt Flor Soz Arbeitsgem NF 2:94–175

    Google Scholar 

  • Whitney GG (1985) A quantitative analysis of the flora and plant communities of a representative Midwestern U.S. town. Urban Ecol 9:143–160

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whittaker RH (1967) Gradient analysis of vegetation. Biol Rev 42:207–264

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wittig R (1991) Ökologie der Großstadtflora. Fischer, Stuttgart

    Google Scholar 

  • Wittig R (2002) Siedlungsvegetation. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart

    Google Scholar 

  • Zerbe S, Maurer U, Schmitz S, Sukopp H (2003) Biodiversity in Berlin and its potential for nature conservation. Landsc Urban Plann 62:139–148

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zerbe S, Maurer U, Peschel T, Schmitz S, Sukopp H (2004) Diversity of flora and vegetation in European cities as a potential for natural conservation in urban–industrial areas–with examples from Berlin and Potsdam (Germany). In: Shaw et al. (eds) Proceeding 4th International Urban Wildlife Symposium

  • Ziarnek M (2007) Human impact on plant communities in urban area assessed with hemeroby grades. Pol J Ecol 55(1):161–167

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank two anonymous reviewers for their keen revision and helpful comments and suggestions on a first draft of this paper. The first author (M.M. Abd El-Ghani) wishes to express his deep gratitude to the authorities of Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung (Germany) for their support during his stay in Berlin. My colleagues at the Institute of Ecology, Technical University in Berlin are greatly acknowledged.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza, 12613, Egypt

    Monier Abd El-Ghani, Nadia El-Sawaf & Hamdiya Turky

  2. Institute of Ecology, Technical University Berlin, Rothenburgstr. 12, 12165, Berlin, Germany

    Reinhard Bornkamm

Authors
  1. Monier Abd El-Ghani
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Reinhard Bornkamm
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Nadia El-Sawaf
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Hamdiya Turky
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Monier Abd El-Ghani.

Appendix

Appendix

Table 6 Floristic composition of the five main habitats in the studies cities
Full size table

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

El-Ghani, M.A., Bornkamm, R., El-Sawaf, N. et al. Plant species distribution and spatial habitat heterogeneity in the landscape of urbanizing desert ecosystems in Egypt. Urban Ecosyst 14, 585–616 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-011-0188-1

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-011-0188-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation