Ecological Study on some Grasses Growing Naturally in the Deltaic Mediterranean Coast of Egypt

Abstract

The present study aims to investigate the floristic composition and vegetation analysis of the floraassociated with some grasses growing naturally on the sand formations in the Deltaic Mediterranean coastof Egypt. The total number of the recorded plant species was 79 species (44 annuals and 35 perennials)belonging to 70 genera and 26 families. The life –form spectra of the recorded species comprised 44therophytes, 13 cryptophytes, eight hemicryptophytes, seven chamaephytes and phanerphytes for each.Chorologically, the Saharo-Sindian element was represented by relatively high number of species (34),followed by Irano-Turanian (32 species), then Euro-Siberian (10 species) and Sudano-Zambezian (9species). Based on the importance alue of each species, the classification of the recorded species in 36sampled stands led to recognition of four vegetation groups (A-D). The characteristics dominant andcodominant species of vegetation groups were Elymus farcatus and Calligonum polygonoides (A),Hordeum murinum (B), Stipagrostis lanata and Echinops spinosus (C) and Lycium schweinfurthii andEchinops spinosus (D). DCA diagram showed overlapping between the identified groups. CCA-biplotexhibited that sulfates, calcium, potassium, magnesium and calcium carbonate were the most effectivesoil variables controlling the abundance of identified vegetation groups.