Introduction
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Introduction Egypt has attracted the attention of the explorers of natural history due to its unique position midway between Africa and Asia, with its long coasts of the Mediterranean Sea in the north (c. 970 km) and the Red Sea in the east (c. 1100 km). It is connected to the Mediterranean and sub-Saharan Africa by way of the Nile Valley, and to the tropical Indian Ocean through the Red Sea. It has diverse habitats with micro-climates that host many plant species and communities. Terrestrial and aquatic habitats include desert areas, mountains, plains, slopes, sand formations, salt marshes, wetlands including sea coasts, fresh and marine waters, as well as urban habitats particularly in the Nile region are the major habitat types in Egypt. Egyptian biota face threats by a combination of factors such as: over-collection, unsustainable agriculture practices, urbanization, pollution, land use changes, the spread of invasive species and climate change which often leads to decline and extinction in its biodiversity. This is due to other factors such as increasing population growth, high rates of habitat destruction, modification and deforestation, overexploitation, spread of invasive species, pollution and threats of climate change (Shaltout and Eid 2016). Because of the barren nature of so much of Egypt, plants and animals tend to be high in localized area, while remaining low for the region or country as a whole. This report is one of the requirements for producing the Sixth National Report which will be presented to the 14th Conference of Parties (Convention on Biological Diversity - Cop-14), which will be held in Sharm El-Sheikh (November 2018). It deals the available publications (e.g. theses, books and papers) about the biodiversity elements in Egypt including: Essential References, Flora and Vegetation, Alien Flora, Bryophyta, Agrobiodiversity, Phytoplankton, Bacteria and Viruses, Fungi and Lichens, Zooplnakton, Insects, Arachnida, Fishes, Reptiles Amphibians and Mammals, Alien Fauna, Birds, Marine Biology (botanical, zoological and plankton studies), Paleobiology, Goods and Services (carbon sequestration, bioremediation, biofuel and others), Chemistry and Pharmacology (botanical, zoological and microbiolgical stusdies) and Protected Areas. The publications reported in this bibliography were collected from various sources including: site of the Egyptian Universities Libraries Consortium Portal, accounts of the biodiversity specialists on Researchgate, direct contact with the national experts of the Egyptian biodiversity, libraries of some universities and research centers, EEAA publications on biodiversity and national protectorates, in addition to my own library. The collected publications cover the period from 2000 till 2018, with focusing on those of direct reflection to the biodiversity topics. The publications are classified taxonomically and chronologically provided with concise abstracts. Conclusion and recommendations are added at the end of this report. 1 1- Essential References 1.1-Botanical Studies 2018. El-Khalafy, M. The redlist of endemic and near-endemic species in Egypt. M.Sc. Thesis, Faculty of Science, Tanta University. The present study aims to answer the following questions: 1- what are the recent numbers of endemic and near-endemic species in the Egyptian flora ?, 2-what are the reasons and justifications for addition or exclusion of plants to or from the final list of endemic and near-endemic species?, 3- what are the conservation categories of these species according to IUCN categories?, 4- How we can make their red list?, 5-what is the services and goods of endemic and offered by them, 6- what are the most threats that impacted theses species?. These aims are achieved through prepare a recent and verified checklist for the endemic and near-endemic plant species and their habitats in the Egyptian flora. The list was analyzed in terms of taxonomic diversity, life and sex forms, size structure, flowering activity, dispersal types, economic potentiality, threats and national floristic distribution, and make a red list of these plants according to IUCN categories. The total number of endemic species in the present study was 44, belonging to 36 genera and 20 families. On the other hand, the total number of near- endemic species was 73, belonging to 58 genera and 28 families. For endemic species, 10 main habitats were identified: banks of water bodies, desert plains, depressions and wadis, sandy formations, alluvial and loamy soils, cultivated fields, mountains and hills, rocky surfaces, well surroundings and road sides. The most represented life form was the therophytes, while the most represented stem height was between 25 and 50 cm, and the most represented dispersal types were the ballochores and pogonochores. There was a gradual increase in the frequency of the flowered endemic species form December till May, and then decreased again reaching a minimum from September to December. Thirty-seven species had a distribution in only one phytogeographical region, while the remaining species had a wide distribution in two or more regions. All endemic plants have at least one aspect of economic goods and exposed to at least one type of threats. The most represented good offered by these plants was the medicinal uses, while over-collecting and over-cutting were the most represented threats. For near-endemic plants, 11 main habitats were identified: banks of water bodies, desert plains, depressions and wadis, sandy formations, alluvial and loamy soils, cultivated fields, mountains and hills, rocky surfaces, road sides, calcareous ground, ridges and fallow fields-waste ground. The most represented life form was the therophytes, while the most represented stem height was between 10 and 25 cm and the most represented dispersal types were the ballochores and pogonochores. There was a gradual increase in the frequency of the flowered near-endemics till reaching a maximum value from March to May, and then decreased again reaching a minimum value from August to January. Fifty-two species had a distribution in only one phytogeographical region, while the remaining species had a wide distribution in two or more regions. All near- 2 endemic plants have at least one aspect of economic goods and exposed to at least one type of threats. The most represented good was the medicinal uses, while overcollecting and over-cutting were the most represented threats. Thirty one species of the endemic species are threatened according to IUCN categories (5 critically endangered, 14 endangered and 12 extinct), while 13 species are data deficient. In general, 50 near-endemics were evaluated in the present and previous studies as follows: 27 endangered, 8 rare, 6 critically endangered, 3 vulnerable, 3 data deficient, 1 indeterminate and 2 extinct. 2017. Abd El-Ghani, M., Huerta-Martínez, F., Hongyan, L. and Qureshi, R. Plant Responses to Hyperarid Desert Environments. Springer. This book provides a comprehensive discussion on plant responses in hyperarid regions of Egypt, China, Mexico, and Pakistan. It describes their location, physiographic features, accidental vegetation along two transects, endangered vegetation species, and human impact, variety of plant types (e.g. climbing, succulent, and parasitic). Studies on biotic and abiotic interactions, plant biodiversity, and soil- plant relationships are also covered. Covering a wide range of plant conditions and adaptations, this book analyzes what happens when plants must endure very high temperatures and aridity. Plants have adapted by evolving their physical structure to store and conserve water. Examples are the absence of leaves which reduces transpiration and the growth of extremely long roots, allowing them to acquire moisture at, or near the water table. Plants in hyper-arid habitats have also made behavioral adaptations in order to survive by synchronizing with the seasons of greatest moisture and/or coolest temperatures. For example, desert perennials remain dormant during dry periods of the year, then spring to life when water becomes available. The book includes many color illustrations, and has extensive and up-to- date references for further reading. 2017. ASRT – NRC. Egyptian Encyclopedia of Wild Medicinal Plants: Volume 1 (Acacia - Alternanthera). Academy of Scientific Research and Technology, Printshop of Al-Ahram, Cairo. This is the first volume of the Encyclopedia of Egyptian Wild Medicinal Plants, issued by Academy of Scientific Research and Technology (ASRT) and National Research Center (NRC). The purpose of this Encyclopedia is to provide detailed information on locally important wild medicinal plants of Egypt and to preserve the traditional knowledge on medicinal plant use. However, it is important to emphasize that the word “monograph” is used as a technical term only. These monographs are not intended to be official pharmacopoeia, and its volumes are not intended to replace the official compendia such as pharmacopoeias, formularies or legislative documents (The English Text of the Egyptian Pharmacopoeia, Published by Fouad I University Press, Cairo, 1953). The first volume contains monographs for 23 wild medicinal plants from Acacia to Alternanthera. The monographs are not only considered as valuable 3 scientific references for health authorities, scientists and pharmacists; but also of interest to the general public, as each monograph is provided by an Arabic summaryand at least one beautiful photo. 2016. Ibrahim K, Hosni H and Pterson P. Grasses of Egypt.