Composition and Changes in the Spontaneous Flora of the Wadi El Rayan Ramsar Site, Fayoum, Egypt, in the Last 20 Years

Home , Juncus rigidus, Nitraria retusa, Polypogon, Polypogon monspeliensis, Spergularia marina, Sporobolus spicatus

Limnol.Composition Rev. (2020) and 20,changes 3: 109-121 in the spontaneous flora of the Wadi El Rayan Ramsar site, Fayoum, Egypt... 109 DOI 10.2478/limre-2020-0012

Composition and changes in the spontaneous flora of the Wadi El Rayan Ramsar site, Fayoum, Egypt, in the last 20 years

Abdelwahab A. Afefe

Nature Conservation Sector, Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA), Misr Helwan El-Zyrae 30, Maadi, Cairo, Egypt, e-mail: [email protected]

Abstract: Wadi El Rayan is located in Egypt in the Sahara ecoregion the Palearctic ecozone (the world’s largest hot desert). The total area of Wadi El Rayan is 1759km². The aim of this work was to study the ecosystems, compare species composition, species richness and species diversity of the study sites in the Wadi El Rayan protected area and the distributions of plants in the different landform. The field observations found that there is a low diversity and number of plant species around the lakes, in particular a decline in vegetation cover in accordance with a dramatic decrease in the water level in the lakes compared to earlier studies. The reduction of water levels due to decreased water supply is considered the main threat facing ecosystems and biodiversity in the lake area which requires a continuous survey of flora and measures to be implemented to conserve the natural vegetation in the area. Based on investigations of the spontaneous flora of Wadi El Rayan in 2018, 18 taxa of vascular plants were recorded. This inventory was compared with published records of investigations made in 1998, 2002 and 2014. A total of 18 vascular plant species belonging to 14 families were recorded in the wetland and desert ecosystems around the lakes of Wadi El Rayan. The vegetation mainly consists of sparsely distributed xerophytic and halophytic plants except in the wetland ecosystem around the lakes where it is characterized by some hydrophytic and halophytic plants. The family with the highest number of species was Poaceae followed by Zygophyllaceae. The results showed that a higher number of species was recorded from the Lower Lake (13 species) than the Upper Lake (10 species) and (5 species) for the connecting channel. The most frequently recorded species were Phragmites australis, Tamarix nilotica, Juncus rigidus and Alhagi graecorum: the first two species were the most successful species as they grow in a variety of ecosystems and habitats. Key words: vegetation, desert, Ramsar, protected area, plant life, wetland

Introduction on the amount of precipitation in a given year. The flora of the Western Desert has been a subject of The flora of Egypt is well documented in study by numerous authors, often in the context of many reference books such as Täckholm (1974), the entire flora of the country (Tackholm 1974). The Boulos (1995, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2005). It com- present-day plant life in the Western Desert is poor prises some 2121 species and 153 infraspecific epi- both in diversity and plant cover (Boulos 1975). In thets (subspecies, variety, forms) of native and nat- 2011, Wadi El Rayan was recognized by the Inter- uralized vascular plants (Boulos 1995); in addition national Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) there are 158 species of mosses and hepatics (El- as one of 20 Important Plant Areas (IPAs) in Egypt Saadawi and Shabbara 2007). This important and (Radford et al. 2011) and in 2012 nominated by characteristic type of natural plant life covers about Egypt as a Wetland area of the Ramsar Convention 95% of the total area of Egypt and is mainly in the (EEAA 2012). The Wadi El Rayan Protected Area form of xerophytic shrubs and sub-shrubs. Monod is located 140 km southwest of Cairo in the Fay- (1954) recognized two types of desert vegetation, oum Governorate in the Western Desert of Egypt. namely contracted and diffuse. Both types refer to Its total area is 1759 km² and it is classified by the permanent vegetation that can be accompanied Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA) as by ephemeral (or annual) plant growth depending a managed Protected Area for the conservation of 110 Abdelwahab A. Afefe wild species and the sustainable utilization of natu- Methods ral resources (Johnson 1995). Although the Western Desert is characterized, in general, by poor plant The present study was carried out in 2018. A diversity and cover (Boulos 1975), Wadi El Rayan is general survey and quadrate technique were used rich in fauna and flora diversity (Osborn and Helmy to study the vegetation along the shores of Wadi 1980; Saleh 1987; Saleh et al. 1988a) and has El Rayan lakes (Fig. 1). A total of 10 line transects unique geological and geomorphological features in the surrounding area of the lakes (including the (Said 1962). The area is hyper-arid with low pre- Upper and Lower Lake and the connecting chan- cipitation (mean annual precipitation of 10.1 mm nel) were identified ensuring a reasonable degree of irregular rainfall) and hot summers (temperature of physiographic and physiognomic homogeneity is as low as 1.2°C in winter and as high as 48.4°C of habitat and vegetation, and the list of species in summer) (Ayyad and Ghabbour 1986; Saleh et. and their count was recorded to determine the flo- al. 1988b). The Wadi El Rayan depression has been ral diversity. used as a water reservoir for storing excess agri- The identification of plant species was car- cultural drainage water above the capacity of Lake ried out according to Täckholm (1974). The disper- Qarun. Two man-made lakes joined by a connect- sal types of the recorded species were assessed ing channel were constructed at two different levels and identified according to Dansereau and Lems (Zahran 1970). Over time, the Wadi El Rayan lakes (1957); El-Sheikh (1996) and Al-Sodany (1998). The have created a variety of habitats in their surround- plant species and individuals can be grouped into ings , although the adverse consequences of their different life-form classes based on structural and creation on the ecology of the area cannot be ig- functional similarities (Muller-Dombois and Ellen- nored (Saleh 1987; Saleh et al. 1988a; b). The area berg 1974). The life-forms have close relationships has become increasingly inhabited by people from with environmental factors (Muller-Dombois and adjacent villages and consequently, rapid economic Ellenberg 1974) and can be viewed as strategies development was established (IUCN 1998). Climat- for obtaining resources (Crosswhite and Crosswhite ically, the Western Desert of Egypt belongs to the 1984; Cody 1986). Raunkiaer (1934) proposed a subtropical arid deserts zone (Walter and Breckle life-form classification system based on the man- 1984). The annual average precipitation rate is 10.1 ner in which plants protect their perennating buds mm, with the highest rainfall in December (40% of during unfavorable seasons. According to this clas- the annual rain) and lowest in August (0%). The av- sification system, the plant species can be grouped erage ambient relative humidity is 51%. The direc- into five classes: phanerophytes, chamaephytes, tion of the wind is, for most of the year, from the hemicryptophytes, cryptophytes and therophytes. North, varying North-West or North-East (Ayyad This sequence corresponds to increased protection and Ghabbour 1986). of the perennating buds (Rechinger 1963-2005). The aim of the present work was to study the For vegetation classification, TWINSPAN (Hill 1979) ecosystems, compare species composition, species was applied and the analysis was based on the im- richness, and species diversity of the study sites in portance values (IV) of the species. Species richness the Wadi El Rayan protected area, and distributions was calculated according to Barbour et al. (1987). of plants in the different landforms. The field obser- The national and global distribution of the recorded vations found that there is a low diversity and num- species were determined from Täckholm (1956 and ber of plant species around the lakes, in particular, 1974), Zohary (1966; 1972) and Wickens (1976). a decline in vegetation cover in the lakes of Wadi El Moreover, based on the key studies by Mashaly Rayan in accordance with the dramatic decrease in (1987), El-Sheikh (1989, 1996) and Mousa (1998) the water level in the lakes of Wadi El Rayan com- in the Nile Delta of Egypt, 13 major habitats were pared to earlier studies, which requires a continu- identified at the national level for recorded species. ous survey of flora and active measures to be taken to the conserve it. Composition and changes in the spontaneous flora of the Wadi El Rayan Ramsar site, Fayoum, Egypt... 111

Fig. 1. The map of the study site locations surrounding the lakes of Wadi El Rayan. The numerals 1-10 show the position of transects used in analysis of plant species composition

Results and Discussion Dicotyledoneae

1. Alhagi graecorum Boiss, Leguminosae (Fa- Species richness and diversity baceae) 2. Arthrocnemum macrostachyum (Moric.)k. A total of 18 species (14 families) were re- koch, Chenopodiaceae corded in this study in Wadi El-Rayan Protected 3. Calligonum polygonoides subsp.comosum Area. The species arranged according to the Engler (L’ Hér.)Soskov, Polygonaceae system (Täckholm 1974) are as follows: 4. Spergularia marina (L.) Bessler, Caryo- phyllaceae Monocotyledoneae 5. Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh., Myrta- ceae 1. Cyperus laevigatus L., Cyperaceae 6. Nitraria retusa (Forssk) Asch, Nitrariaceae 2. Imperata cylindrica (L.) Raeusch., Gramine- 7. Pluchea dioscoridis (L.) DC., Compositae ae (Poaceae) (Asteraceae) 3. Juncus rigidus Desf., Juncaceae 8. Tamarix nilotica (Ehrenb.) Bunge, Tamari- L., Juncaceae 4. Juncus acutus caceae 5. Phoenix dactylifera L., Palmae (Arecaceae) 9. Zygophyllum album L.f., Zygophyllaceae 6. Phragmites australis (Cav.)Trin. ex Steud., 10. Zygophyllum coccineum L., Zygophyllace- Gramineae (Poaceae) ae 7. Polypogon monspeliensis (L.) Desf., Gramineae (Poaceae) 8. Typha domingensis (Pers.) Poir. ex Steud., Typhaceae The Lower Lake showed the highest numbers of families as 11 were recorded, while the Upper Lake showed the lowest numbers of families with 10. The highest number of representatives were 112 Abdelwahab A. Afefe found for the following dispersal types of the spe- and transect 9 (Northeast of Upper Lake) showed cies recorded: Sarcochore (6 species), Pogonochore high species richness while transect 3 (Southeast of (5 species). On the other hand, Pyrenochore (2 spe- Lower Lake) revealed the lowest species richness, cies), Sporochore (2 species), Microsclerochor (1 as presented in Table 3. species), Pterochore (1 species) and Ballochore (1 A cluster analysis of species composition was species) were less represented (Table 1). The plant made for each of the 10 line transects. Based on the species and individuals were grouped into different results of the TWINSPAN analysis, the vegetation life-form classes based on structural and functional can be categorized into six vegetation groups (Fig. similarities (Muller-Dombois and Ellenberg, 1974). 2), named after their leading dominant species: The life-form spectrum of the study is dominated by Phragmites australis, Tamarix nilotica, Juncus rigidus, phanerophytes (6 species), followed by geophytes/ Juncus acutus, Alhagi graecorum, Zygophyllum album helophytes (5 species), chamaephytes (3 species), and Nitraria retusa. hemicryptophytes (2 species), therophytes (1 species), and helophytes (1 species) (Tables 1 and 2). Species national and global phytogeographical distribution In order to extract a complete picture of the plant species conditions, we must have a clear un- Distribution of the recorded species are derstanding of the environmental factors which af- shown in relation to the 13 habitats identified in fect the whole community. Seventeen species were the Nile Wadi and Delta in Egypt: sand dunes; sand recorded in total within the 10 studied transects, flats; salt marshes; railways; highways; waste land; including 50 study plots. Species number gives an abandoned field; field of orchards; field of summer indication of the diversity of any community. A vari- crops; field of winter crops; canals; drains; lakes. ation in species diversity among different locations Species are arranged descendingly according to was detected in this study, confirming the results their presence, actual presence and relative num- recorded by Amin (1998), Abdou (2002), and Afefe ber. Most of the recorded plant species have a wide et al. (2016). In this study transect 1 (Northeast of geographical distribution in Egypt. The frequen- Lower Lake), transect 4 (Southwest of Lower Lake) cies of the recorded species at different Egyptian phytogeographical regions show some skewness;

Table 1. The dispersal types of plant species recorded in the study area

Plant species Dispersal type Sex form Life form Alhagi graecorum Ballochore Bisexual Hemicryptophyte Arthrocnemum macrostachyum Sarcochore Bisexual Chamaephyte Calligonum polygonoides subsp. comosum Microsclerochore Bisexual Phanerophyte Spergularia marina Pterochore Bisexual Hemicryptophyte Cyperus laevigatus Sporochore Bisexual Geophyte/Helophyte Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh Sarcochore Bisexual Phanerophyte Imperata cylindrica Pogonochore Bisexual Geophyte/Helophyte Juncus rigidus Pyrenochore Bisexual Geophyte/Helophyte Nitraria retusa Sarcochore Bisexual Phanerophyte Phoenix dactylifera Sarcochore Dioecious Phanerophyte Phragmites australis Sporochore Bisexual Geophyte/Helophyte Pluchea dioscoridis Pogonochore Polygamous Phanerophyte Polypogon monospliensis Pogonochore Bisexual Therophyte Tamarix nilotica Pogonochore Bisexual Phanerophyte Typha domingensis Pogonochore Monoecious Helophyte Zygophyllum album Sarcochore Bisexual Chamaephyte Zygophyllum coccineum Sarcochore Bisexual Chamaephyte Juncus acutus Pyrenochore Bisexual Geophyte/Helophyte Composition and changes in the spontaneous flora of the Wadi El Rayan Ramsar site, Fayoum, Egypt... 113

Table 2. Sex form spectra of the recorded species in relation to their life form

Unisexual Life form Total species Bisexual Polygamous Monoecious Dioecious Hemicryptophytes 2 0 0 2 0 Chamaephytes 3 0 0 3 0 Phanerophytes 6 0 1 4 1 Therophytes 1 0 0 1 0 Geophytes Helophytes 5 0 0 5 0 Helophytes 1 1 0 0 0

Table 3. Number of species at each study location and transects

Location Transect No. Species richness Northeast of Lower Lake 1 9 Canal 2 5 Southeast of Lower Lake 3 1 Southwest of Lower Lake 4 6 El Modwara (Northwest of Lower Lake) 5 2 Southwest of Upper Lake 6 6 Northwest of Upper Lake 7 5 Southeast of Upper Lake 8 3 Northeast of Upper Lake 9 6 North of Upper Lake 10 4

Fig. 2. TWINSPAN dendrogram of the 18 species: IMC – Imperata cylindrical, POM – Polypogon monospeliensis, CYL – Cyperus laevigatus, SPM – Spergularia marina, PLD – Pluchea dioscoridis, ALG – Alhagi graecorum, JUR – Juncus rigidus, TYD – Typha domingensis, EUC – Eucalyptus camaldulensis, JUA – Juncus acutus, ARM – Arthrocnemum macrostachyum, ZYC – Zygophyllum coccineum, PHA – Phragmites australis, TAN – Tamarix nilotica, CAP – Calligonum polygonoides subsp. comosum, NIR – Nitraria retusa, PHD – Phoenix dactylifera, ZYA – Zygophyllum album 114 Abdelwahab A. Afefe as shown in Table 4: highest frequency at the Nile corded were valuable. The environmental and eco- and oases, and desert region (16 species each), fol- nomic importance constituted the main value of re- lowed by the Mediterranean and Sinai regions (15 corded species; for instance for animal grazing, me- species each), Red Sea region (14 species), with the dicinal use, human food, fuel source, timber source minimum value recorded in the Gebel Elba region (Al-Eiswi and Takruri 1989; Belal and Springuel (7 species). 1996; Ayyad 1998). Most of the recorded plant Most of the recorded species belong to the species have environmental importance options; pluri-regional global floristic region (9 species = for instance as ruderal weed, bank retainer, sand 47%) followed by the bi-regional (7 species = 41%), binder, weed controller, sand controller, shader, and the Monoregionl (2 species = 12%). However, wind breaks, segetal weed, soil conservation and the phytogeographical distribution of the plant spe- water purificator (Zahran and Willis 2003); the re- cies shows that the majority of recorded species be- sults are shown in Table 6. long to the Saharo-Arabian region (Table 5). The classification of ecosystems around the lakes of Wadi El Rayan, according to the ecosystem Environmental and economic importance of the species classification of Dinerstein et al. (1995), can be described as presented in Table 7. In the present study, most of the species re-

Table 4. The national phytogeographical distribution of the recorded species

Nile region Oases Mediter. Desert Species Red sea Gebel Elba Sinai Abund. Total Nd Nv Nf Ow Mw Me De Di Dw Phragmites australis cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc – cc 11 44 Tamarix nilotica cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc 12 48 Juncus rigidus cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc 12 48 Alhagi graecorum cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc – cc 11 44 Imperata cylindrica cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc – cc 11 44 Polypogon monspeliensis cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc – c 11 44 Cyperus laevigatus cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc 12 48 Spergularia marina cc cc cc – cc cc – – – – – – 5 20 Pluchea dioscoridis cc cc cc cc cc cc cc – – – – – 7 28 Calligonum polygonoides cc – – cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc 10 40 Arthrocnemum c – – c c c – c – c – c 7 21 macrostachyum Nitraria retusa cc cc – cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc 11 44 Phoenix dactylifera cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc 12 48 Zygophyllum album cc – – cc cc cc cc cc cc cc – cc 9 36 Zygophyllum coccineum – – – cc – – cc r cc cc – cc 6 22 Typha domingensis cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc cc – cc 11 44 Eucalyptus camaldulensis cc cc cc – – – – – – – – – 3 12 Juncus acutus c c c c c c c c – – – – 8 24 Species number 17 14 13 17 16 16 15 15 13 14 6 14 × × National phytogeographical regions are abbreviated as follows: Nd – Nile Delta; Nv – Nile Valley; Nf – Nile Faiyum; Ow – Oases of the western desert; Mw – Western Mediterranean region; Me – Eastern Mediterranean region; De – Eastern desert; Di – Isthmic desert; Dw – Western desert. Species abundance is coded as follows: cc – very common, c – common, r – rare. The abundance codes are ranked as: cc = 4, c = 3 and r = 2. Maximum abundance = 12×4=48. Composition and changes in the spontaneous flora of the Wadi El Rayan Ramsar site, Fayoum, Egypt... 115

Table 5. Chorological analysis of the recorded species

Floristic regions No. of species

Pluri-regional Mediterranean + Irano-Turanian + Saharo-Arabian 2 Mediterranean+Irano-Turanian + Saharo-Arabian + Palaeotropical + Neotropical 2 Cosmopolitan 1 Mediterranean + Irano-Turanian + Euro-Siberian 2 Mediterranean + Irano-Turanian + Palaeotropical 1 Mediterranean + Irano-Turanian + Australian 1 Bi-regional Saharo-Arabian + Sudano-Zambezian 3 Mediterranean + Saharo-Arabian 2 Saharo-Arabian + Irano-Turanian 2 Mono-regional Irano-Turanian 1 Saharo-Arabian 1

The classification analyses of the ecosystem • Q: Permanent saline/brackish/alkaline types conducted during the study suggest that lakes; the vegetation around the lakes of Wadi El Rayan • Sp: Permanent saline/brackish/alkaline can be divided into two main ecosystems, each of marshes/pools; which has its characteristic environmental features • Y: Freshwater springs, oases. which affect the vegetation therein. These are: wet- After reviews of the major habitats of the land ecosystem and desert ecosystem, which can wetland ecosystem in WRPA, we found that the be described as follows: area includes three habitat types: (i) bogs, marshes, swamps, fens, peatlands. (generally over 8 ha); (ii) Wetland ecosystem permanent saline, brackish or alkaline lakes; (iii) permanent saline, brackish or alkaline marshes/ Wetland is a general term used to describe pools. In the study area, wetlands and Sabkha are areas which are neither fully terrestrial nor fully represented by the Wadi El-Rayan lakes and con- aquatic. Inland wetlands correspond to the wetland necting channel in addition to waterfalls (Abdou types recognized by the IUCN habitat classification 2002). The wetlands in the study area are currently scheme. However, the Ramsar Convention takes a represented by Phragmites australis, Tamarix niloti- broad approach in determining the wetlands which ca, Juncus rigidus, Juncus acutus, Typha domingensis, come under its aegis. Under the text of the Conven- Cyperus laevigatus, Spergularia marina, Polypogon tion (Article 1.1), wetlands are defined as: areas of monspeliensis, Pluchea dioscoridis and Imperata cy- marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or lindrical. Pure populations dominated by Phragmites artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that australis were recorded around the Upper Lake and is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including northeast of the Lower Lake. areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six meters (Davis and Blasco Desert ecosystem 1997). According to the Ramsar Classification Sys- tem for Wetland Type (EEAA 2012), the wetland According to the IUCN habitats classification ecosystem in Wadi El Rayan includes three main scheme the desert consists of: arid landscapes with habitats listed as follows: sparse plant cover, except in depressions where water accumulates. The sandy, stony or rocky sub- 116 Abdelwahab A. Afefe

Table 6. Environmental and Economic importance of different plant species

Plant species Economic use Environmental importance Alhagi graecorum GR+ME+HF+FU+OT Ruderal weed, bank retainer, sand binder Arthrocnemum macrostachyum GR+FU Bank retainer, weed controller, sand controller Calligonum polygonoides FU+TI Ruderal weed, sand binder Spergularia marina GR – Cyperus laevigatus GR Ruderal weed, weed controller Eucalyptus camaldulensis TI Shader, wind breaks Ruderal weed, soil conservation, bank retainers, Imperata cylindrica GR+ME+OT weed controller Juncus rigidus GR+ME+OT Ruderal weed Nitraria retusa GR+ OT Wind breaks Phoenix dactylifera GR+ME+HF+FU+TI+OT Shader, wind breaks Phragmites australis GR+ME+HF+FU+OT Ruderal weed, bank retainers, weed controller Pluchea dioscoridis ME+OT Ruderal weed Polypogon monospliensis GR Segetal weed Tamarix nilotica GR+ME+FU+TI+OT Ruderal weed, shader, wind breaks Typha domingensis GR+ME+HF+OT Ruderal weed, water purificator Zygophyllum album GR+OT sand controller Juncus acutus GR+ME+OT Ruderal weed, dune and hummock formers Zygophyllum coccineum GR – Economic uses are abbreviated as follows: GR – grazing, ME: medicinal, HF – human food, FU – fuel, TI – timber and OT – other uses

Table 7. The ecosystem classification of Wadi El Rayan

Major Ecosystem type Major Habitat Type Bioregion Ecoregion Wetlands Lakes Desert, Desert Plateau, Desert Valleys, Xeric formation Great Sahara Egyptian Western Desert Dune Formation strate contributes more to the appearance of the and in various forms, such as desert areas, edges landscape than does the vegetation (IUCN 2020). of wetlands, and parts of the salt marshes. Chap- Within the study area such desert ecosystem as man (1960) reported that Tamarix communities are sand sheets, sand dunes, desert areas edges of restricted to well-drained soils. Additionally, Phrag- wetlands were represented around both the Upper mites australis is very common in the study area; and Lower Lake. This ecosystem is represented cur- it is usually dominant in wetlands. According to rently by Tamarix nilotica, Alhagi graecorum, Calli- Meyerson et al. (2000), the formation of a Phrag- gonum polygonoides subsp. comosum, Nitraria retusa, mites monoculture causes changes in wetland floral Zygophyllum album, Zygophyllum coccineum, Arthroc- diversity, alters edaphic conditions, increases verti- nemum macrostachyum, Phoenix dactylifera, Imperata cal accretion of marsh substrates, modifies nutrient cylindrical and Eucalyptus camaldulensis. cycling, and affects plant and animal populations. However, Phragmites australis and Tamarix A comparison was made between the present nilotica are the most abundant species in the study composition of flora around the Wadi El Rayan lakes area. Tamarix nilotica is a widely distributed tree and previous inventories. The literature reported, in WRPA. Its community is the most elaborately on average, higher species richness in the area of organized in a variety of ecosystems and habitats Wadi El Rayan than that recorded in this study (13 Composition and changes in the spontaneous flora of the Wadi El Rayan Ramsar site, Fayoum, Egypt... 117 species: Saleh et al. 1984; 37 species: Abdou 2002; system at the shoreline of the lakes which consists 17 species: Afefe 2014) Less species were encoun- of some of hydrophytic and halophytic plants. Al- tered in our recent findings compared to those of though poor in species, the vegetation composition Amin (1998), Abdou (2002), and Afefe (2014); the of the desert and wetlands ecosystems in Wadi El results are shown in Table 8. Rayan was composed of 18 plant species belong- The desert of Wadi El Rayan consists of arid ing to 14 families which were recorded around the vegetation (xerophytic and halophytic plants) with two lakes of Wadi El Rayan. Tamarix nilotica, Phrag- sparse plant cover, except in the wetlands eco- mites australis, Alhagi graecorum and Juncus rigidus Table 8. The present composition of flora around Wadi El Rayan Lakes and comparison with previous inventories in 1998, in the 2002 and in 2014: recorded (+); not recorded (–)

Plant species Amin (1998) Abdou (2002) Afefe (2014) Present study Alhagi graecorum + + + + Arthrocnemum macrostachyum – + + + Calligonum polygonoides subsp. comosum + + + + Chenopodium marale – – + – Cyperus laevigatus + + + + Eucalyptus camaldulensis – + + + Imberata cylindrica – + + + Juncu rigidus – + + + Nitraria retusa + + + + Phoenix dactylifera – + + + Phragmites australis + + + + Pluchea dioscoridis – + + + Polypogon monospliensis – + + + Tamarix nilotica + + + + Typha domingensis – + + + Zygophyllum album + + + + Zygophyllum coccineum + + + + Desmostachya bipinnata + + – – Cornulaca monacantha – + – – Juncus acutus – + – + Spergularia marina – + – + Sporobolus spicatus – + – – Stipagrostis ciliata – + – – Sonchus maritimus – + – – Scirpus maritimus – + – – Salsola imbricata subsp. gaetula – + – – Rumex dentatus – + – – Ranunculus sceleratus – + – – Launaea nudicaulis – + – – Melilotus indicus – + – – Cressa cretica + + – – Cynanchum acutum – + – – Cynodon dactylon – + – – Desmostachya bipinnata – + – – Haloxylon salicornicum – + – – 118 Abdelwahab A. Afefe are the ubiquitous species; indicating their wide and salt marshes). range of ecological amplitude. The results of the Amin (1998) demonstrated how different present study are in accordance with those of Beef- plant species in Wadi El Rayan are able to adapt to tink (1977) and Zahran (1982) who found that the environmental stresses (extreme drought and salin- life-form chamaephytes and geophytes are able to ity conditions), via: (i) having a shredded green cor- withstand transect waterlogging, high salinity levels tex (Zygophyllum album and Zygophyllum coccineum); and a wide range of temperature variability. More- (ii) defoliation (Nitraria retusa); (iii) salt removal by over, a high percentage of hemicryptophytes and secretion (Tamarix nilotica); (iv) the ability to phyto- therophytes in sandy dune habitats can be related genic mounds controlled mainly by the life-form of to their ability to resist drought, sand accumulation the species (Calligonum polygonoides, Nitraria retu- and grazing (Danin and Orshan 1990; Danin 1996). sa, Zygophyllum album, Zygophyllum coccineum and The national phytogeographical distribution Tamarix nilotica). Simpson (1932) reported that Ty- of the plant species has shown that most plant spe- pha domingensis is more sensitive to salt than Phrag- cies in the study area have a wide geographical dis- mites australis as the latter grows well in the Lake tribution in Egypt. The maximum frequencies for the Mariut area, while the former is present only where species have a distribution in the Nile region, oases the Lake receives fresh water from the Mahmudiya region and desert region. While the global distribu- Canal. Alhagi graecorum is a widely distributed spe- tion of the plant species shows that the majority of cies (Kassas 1952) and is considered as a ground- the recorded species belong to the Saharo-Arabian water-indicating plant (Girgis 1972). However, the region. Abd El-Ghani and Amer (2003) mentioned dominant species Phragmites australis was the most that the plants of the Saharo-Arabian species are adaptive and suitable plant species for the quality of good indicators for desert environmental condi- the water in Wadi El Rayan (EEAA 2003). tions, while Mediterranean species transect for a A high variability of recorded plant growth more mesic environment. forms was noticed; including shrubs with photosyn- The current results are in accordance with thetic stems (e.g. Calligonum polygonoides), succu- those of Amin (1998) and Abbas et. al. (2016) who lent xerohalophytic semi-shrubs (e.g. Zygophyllum identified three major ecosystems in the Wadi El- album), virgate and thorny trees and shrubs (e.g. Ni- Rayan area: desert, lake and spring ecosystems, al- traria retusa). The results of the present study are in though the spring ecosystem was not recognized in accordance with those of Beeftink (1977) and Zah- the area of the current study. Each of these ecosys- ran (1982) who noted that chamaephytes and geo- tems has its own habitat features that support the phytes are able to withstand water logging, high growth of variant plant communities, mainly hydro- salinity levels and a wide range of temperature vari- phytes, reed swamps, halophytes, and xerophytes. ability. Moreover, a high percentage of hemicryp- In the present study, the wetlands were rep- tophytes and therophytes in sandy dune habitats resented by the following species: Phragmites aus- can be related to their ability to resist drought, sand tralis, Tamarix nilotica, Juncus rigidus, Juncus acutus, accumulation and grazing (Danin and Orshan 1990; Typha domingensis, Cyperus laevigatus, Spergularia Danin 1996). marina, Polypogon monspeliensis, Pluchea dioscori- Afefe et al. (2016) reported that the current dis, Eucalyptus camaldulensis and Imperata cylindri- pressures of human activities on natural vegetation ca, while, in the desert ecosystem Tamarix nilotica, include overgrazing, irresponsible tourism, land en- Alhagi graecorum, Calligonum polygonoides subsp. croachment, water pollution, water over-use, fire, comosum, Nitraria retusa, Zygophyllum album, Zygo- and habitat change and destruction. The reduction phyllum coccineum, Arthrocnemum macrostachyum of water levels due to decreased water incoming is and Phoenix dactylifera were recorded. The study considered the main threat facing ecosystems and area is dominated by two species: Phragmites aus- biodiversity in the lake area. We found that the pe- tralis and Tamarix nilotica. The latter is the most rimeter of the lower lake has decreased from 48.6 widely distributed plant in Wadi El Rayan and can km² in 2007 to 34.09km² in 2013 (a loss of 29.8% be considered as the most successful species in the of the total lake area), due to a decreased water study area as it grows in a variety of ecosystems level. and habitats (e.g. desert areas, edges of wetlands However, we agree with Afefe et al. (2016) Composition and changes in the spontaneous flora of the Wadi El Rayan Ramsar site, Fayoum, Egypt... 119 that most of the plant species that were recorded measures to be implemented to counter the dam- in the study area are of a perennial nature. The field aging human impacts that lead to the loss of certain observations found that there is low diversity and a plant populations and hence the to the modification number of plant species around the lakes. Vegeta- of complex plant communities. tion cover in the southeast of the Lower Lake was found to be receding concomitant with the dramat- References ic decrease in the water level in the lakes of Wadi El Rayan compared to a few years ago, thus decisive Abbas M.S., Afefe A.A., Hatab E. E., Gaber E.I., 2016, action is required to conserve the flora in the area. Vegetation soil relationships in Wadi El-Rayan protec- The underlying causes of vegetation loss in the ted area, Western Desert, Egypt, Jordan J. Bio. Sci. 9(2): 97–107. study area were found to be the lack of awareness, Abd El-Ghani M., Amer W.M., 2003, Soil–vegetation re- weak law enforcement, lack of suitable strategies, lationships in a coastal desert plain of southern Sinai, weak financial support, and lack of stakeholders’ Egypt, J. Arid Environ. 55(4): 607–628. cooperation. 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