Phytogeographical Analysis of the Vegetation of Eleven Wadis in Gebel Elba, Egypt

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Al-Gohary,I.H.,2008. Phytogeographical analysis of the vegetation of eleven wadis in gebel Elba, Egypt. Int. J. Agri. Biol., 10: 1616:paperTo cite this

Phytogeographical Analysis of the Vegetation of Eleven Wadis in

Gebel Elba, EgyptIMAN H.AL-GOHARY1

Plant Taxonomy Unit Desert Research Centre, Al Mataria, Cairo, Egypt1Corresponding authors e-mail: [email protected]

ABSTRACT

Multivariate analysis of floristic composition at the species level was performed on eleven wadis in Gebel Elba, S.E. Egypt. Atotal of 377 species, in 74 families and their distribution relationships in 35 floristic elements were subjected to numericalanalysis using the un-weighted pair- group average linkage method (UPGMA). The main elements of phytochory, in speciesnumbers, are: Saharo-Sindian 29.5%; Somalia- Masai 17.2%; Sahel 12.1% (mono-, bi-, tri- & pluri-regional). The Saharo-Sindian element of phytochory includes: 25.7%. Saharo-Arabian (SS2); 17.4% Nubo-Sindian (SS3) and 16.2% Sahara regionalsubzone (SS1). Boreal element (Mediterranean, West Asia, Euras) is represented by only 9.9% of the taxa.

Key Words: Chorology; Gebel Elba; Phytogeographical analysis; UPGMA

INTRODUCTION

Schnell (1970-71) reviewed the development ofphytogeography since Linnaeus (1737, 1745). Ahti et al.(1968) suggested that the majority of phytogeographicalstudies can be classified as belonging to one of threecategories: bioclimatic, edaphictopographic or floristic. Thecurrent tendency is towards a more multi-disciplinedapproach to plant distribution on a global scale by Ahti et al.(1968), Clayton and Hepper (1974), Croizat (1962), Lonard(1988), Walter (19641968), White (1965, 1976, 1983) andZohary (1973).

White (1965) proposed a sketch map of Africanchorology and distinguished between six or eventually sevenregions. Of these regions, the Mediterranean and the Saharo-Sindian regions are represented in Egypt. The same author in1983 proposed a chorological classification of Africa into 18phytochoria comprising 9 Regional Centres of Endemism,separated by six Regional Transitional Zones and threeMosaics. Three of these phytochoria, viz. Sahel regionaltransition zone, Sahara regional zone and Mediterranean-Sahara regional transition zone are represented in Egypt.

White's system was extended by Lonard (1988, 1989)to cover S.W. Asia. White and Lonard (1991) adopted onemap of the African phytochoria and those extending to S.W.

Asia with slight modification of some phytochoria.El-Hadidi and Hosni (1996) showed that Egypt is the

meeting point of floristic elements belonging to fourphytogeographical regions: the African Sudano-Zembesian;the Asiatic Irano-Turanian; the Afro-Asiatic Saharo- Sindianand the Euro-Afro-Asiatic Mediterranean.

There have been few phytogeographical studies of theflora of Egypt e.g., the work of El-Hadidi and Fayed (1994,1995), El-Hadidi and Hosni (1996), El-Hadidi et al. (1996),

Khedr (1999) and El-Hadidi (2000).Therefore, the present investigation of the flora of

eleven wadis in Gebel Elba (Map 1) based on field workthroughout the region in February 2000-2002 as well asstudy and revision of the collections of CAI, CAIM, CAIHabbreviations according to Holmgren et al. (1990), fromGebel Elba.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this work the phytogeographical deductions of 377species examined from within the surveyed wadis of Gebel

Elba were accuracy identified according the latter works ofBoulus (1999-2005) and El-Hadidi (2000). Availableinformation on their overall distribution was obtained fromthe floras of Egypt, African and neighboring regions as wellas specimens from other regions of Africa, Asia and Europekept in CAI, CAIM and CAIH.

The phytogeographical treatment of the present study isin accordance with the recent map put by White and Lonard(1991), White (1993) and Friis (1998).

The phytogeographical analysis of 377 speciesrecorded in eleven survyed wadis of Gebel Elba and theirdistribution relationships in 35 primary areas have beendemonstrated as dendrogram by using un-weighted pair-group average linkage method (UPGMA) as a sorting

strategy (Kovach, 1987). The dendrogram produced as aresult of cluster analysis represent a hierarchicalclassification at numerically defined levels convenientlyrepresented on the ordinate by similarity coefficient scalemultiplied by 100 to give percentage values.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The phytogeographical analysis of the flora of 11 wadisof Gebel Elba is given in Table I. The distribution of some
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Map 1. Showing the studied wadis of Gebel Elba district

1. W. Di-ib 5. W. Acow 9. W. Merkwan2. W. Bashowia 6. W. Kansisrob 10. W. Shellal3. W. Aidieb 7. W. Tetuila 11. W. Hedriba4. W. Yahamib 8. W. Sarimatai

29.5% taxa lies in the Saharo-Sindian (Afro-Indian) element(SS), 17.2% in SomaliaMasai (SM) and 12.1% Sahel (Sa).

Taxa of each of these three phytochoria were mono-, bi-, tri-and pluri-regional. The analysis also reveals the presence of astrong (25.7%) affinity of Elba flora with SS2 followed by(17.4%) affinity with SS3; 245 and 166 species, respectively.

The Sahara regional subzone (SS1) is represented by 155species (16.2%). Popov and Zeller (1963) noted that southernArabia (SS3) and SomaliaMasai (SM) have the samecharacteristic genera as Commiphora, Boswellia, cactiformEuphorbia and Dracaena and Sahelian species such asAcacia tortilisandSalvadora persica.

Map 2. The percentages of migration routes of the speciesfrom the main phytochoria to Gebel Elba

The percentage of distribution patterns of the Elbamontane element was obtained from an examination of thedistribution map of the floristic elements (Map 2). Thedistribution of 377 taxa was divided into the 35 primary areas(Fig. 1) resulting from the UPGMA analysis on the basis ofsimilarities in their species composition and shown in Fig. 2.Four centres of origin can be identified in (Figs. 1 & 2): (i)

Saharo-Sindian, (ii) Tropical East Africa, (iii) Sahelianregion and (iv) Eurasia (Boreal). The Saharo- Sindian centreis clearly distinguished, with 281 taxa restricted to theprimary areas as defined in Fig. 2. This phytochoria linkedwith Deccan region (D) at 38% similarity and with Guineo-Congo region (GC) at 28% similarity level. The commonplant species distributed in these phytochoria, are: Maytenussenegalensis Grewia tenax, Indigofera hochstetteri andPulicaria undulata. Zohary (1962) and Davis and Hedge(1971) reported that the Saharo-Sindian flora has been

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Fig. 1. Histogram showing the percentage of the species of 35 floristic elements contributed to the flora of Gebel Elba territory;for key to elements names and abbreviations see legend to Table I

0.00

2.00

4.00

6.00

8.00

10.00

12.00

14.00

16.00

18.00

20.00

GC Z

Su

Sd

SM

KN A Z

I

KH

E/Sa

Sa

SS

SS1

SS2

SS1

,2

SS2

,3SA

E/Md

Md

Ma IT

IT1

,2IT1

IT2

Eth

.

S/Afr

. D

W/As

.

ent.

As

.

Eu

.

Au

.

En

d.

Cos

Pan

Pa

l

%o

fspecies

Fig. 2. Cluster analysis of the 35 primary phytogeographical areas occurring in Africa and S.W. Asia based on the degree ofsimilarity in their species composition and using UPGMA program

Similarity

derived from Mediterranean, Sudanian and to a lesser extent,Irano-Turanian stock. Quzel(1965) considered the region tobe partially in Holarctic and Palaeotropic kingdoms.

In recognizing SM as a regional centre of endemism, anun-expectedly high number of taxa (166 species or 17.2%)was found in common with SS2 and E/Sa (Fig. 2). LeHourou (2001) showed that the equatorward increasingimportance of the tropical element that becomes dominant inthe Southern Sahara and almost exclusive in Sahel. Wickens(1977) stated that Sahelian extension is similar to the SMwith a number of important species in common, e.g., Acacia

nubica, A. senegal, A. seyal., etc.The Sahelo-Sudanian (i.e., Paleotropical), Sa and Sushowing linkage together at 25% similarity level and thecommon taxa distributed in these two phytochoria are:Boscia angustifolia, Bidens schimperi, J usticia ladanoides,Umbilicus botryoides, Salsola imbricata subsp. gaetula,Solanumforsskaolii and S. incanum. The deserts of SouthAfrica are also linked in a cluster represented by Z and KH at42% similarity level and KN with ZI at low similarity level18%. These four phytochoria originated from Tropical Africa

(Wickens, 1977) and included taxa with or more widespreaddistribution of SM and SS, e.g., Lanata viburnoides,Ipomoea sinensis subsp. blepharosepala, Salvadora persicaandSporobolus spicatus.

The Boreal element (Mediterranean- West Asia -Euras) present two distinct subgroups obtained from thedendrogram; each with extreme internal similarities.European region (Eu) and Irano-Turanian (IT) are stronglylinked at similarity level of 55% i.e., the same speciesdistributed in these two phytochoria e.g., Lotus glaber,Malva parviflora, Galiummollugo, Chrozophora tinctoria,

Geranium molle and Misopates orontium. These twophytochoria with linkage Cent. As, SS1, Md, W/As and IT 1,2,the cluster showing degradation in low similarity until it jointwith the other sub- group of IT2, SS1,2, Eth, E/Md and IT 1.Nevertheless, Ethiopian montane elements is generallydefined since its component taxa are generally widelydistributed throughout the floristic elements of this sub-group (Table I).

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Table I. Continue

Chorology Total species Chorology Total species %

32 8.5SMSM 1 SM+Sa+SS 12,3

SM+Sa+SS +DSM+ZI+E/Sa+SS 1 22 2,3SM+Sa+SS6 4SM+E/SaSM+Sa+SS+IT6 1SM+E/Sa+SA 1,2

1 1SM+Sa+SS+DSM+E/Sa+SA+KN1 1SM+Sa+SASM+E/Sa+SA+Ma1 2SM+SSSM+E/Sa+SS1 1,22 1SM+E/Sa+SS SM+SS +S/Afr.1,2 1,218 1SM+E/Sa+SS +ITSM+SS2 1,2 2

SM+E/Sa+SS SM+SS1 42,3 2SM+E/Sa+KN+SS +D SM+SS

Wickens (1977) stated that Ethiopian element can beidentified a northerly extension along the Red Sea hills andthe Yemen into the eastern Mediterranean, with one species,Polygala abyssinicaextending to the Himalayas and it can beconsidered a western Mediterranean extension consisting ofAndrachne aspera, Argyrolobium arabicum, Scrophulariaarguta and Bromus pectinatus. These four species are alsorepresented on Gebel Elba. The Himalayan genetic elementrecognized by Hedberg (1965) and represented on GebelElba by Otostegia fruticosa not by Polygala abyssinica. Onother hand, Wickens (1977) showed that the Red Sea Hills

and the Nuba Mountains were probably better afforested.The former almost certainly acted as a migration routebetween the Mediterranean and Ethiopia. The evidence forthis stems from the distribution pattern of many Afro-montane taxa of Boreal affinity.

The number of collected plant species in the surveyedeleven wadis is 377 species of 427 taxa of the flora of thisdistrict (El-Hadidi, 2000). The phytogeographical analysis ofthese collected species and their distribution relationship tothe Mediterranean, Saharo- Sindian, West and Central Asia,tropical and subtropical Africa reveals the SS2, SS3, SM and

2,3

SM+E/Sa+SS2,3+DSM+E/Sa+SS2,3+D+AuSM+E/Sa+SS2+S/Afr.SM+E/Sa+SS2+Ma+DSM+E/Sa+SSSM+SaSM+Sa+SS1SM+Sa+SS1,2SM+Sa+SS1,2+Eth.SM+Sa+SS2

21111221111

2+D 1SM+SS 12,3SM+SS +Ma+D 12,3SM+SS +Md+Au 12,3SM+SS 7SM+SS+E/Md 1SM+SS+E/M d+IT 12

3SM+SS+Md2SM+SS+IT2

SM+SS+D 4SM+Ma 1

93Su

Su+SM 2 Su+SM+SS 1Su+SM+E/Sa+D 1 Su+SM+SS+DSu+SM+Sa 1 Su+Sa+SS1Su+SM+Sa+S/Afr. 1 Su+Sa+SSSu+E/Sa+SA+Eth. 1 Su+Sa+SS+DSu+E/Sa+SA+S/Afr. 1Su+SM+SS1Su+SM+SS2Su+SM+SS2,3

111

Su+SS2,3.Su+SS2,3+DSu+SS+Md+D+Au

2111111

24.7

19 5.0GCGC+Z+Su+SM+KHGC+Z+Su+E/SaGC+Z+SM+E/Sa+SS2GC+Z+SM+SA+MaGC+SuGC+Su+SM+SS2,3+DGC+Su+Sa +SS2,3GC+Sd+SM+SS2,3GC+Sd+SM+SS+DGC+SMGC+SM+E/SaGC+SM+E/Sa +SS2+S/Afr..GC+SM+E/Sa+SS2+D.GC+SM+E/Sa+SS2,3+Cent.AsGC+SM+E/Sa+SS+DGC+SM+E/Sa+SA+S/Afr.GC+SM+E/Sa+S/AFr.GC+SM+Sa+SS2,3+D

11111111

1312121111

GC+SM+SS2GC+SM+SS2+DGC+SM+SS2,3GC+SM+SS2,3+DGC+SM+SSGC+SM+SS+Md+IT1GC+SM+SS+IT1,2+Cent.AsGC+SM+SS+Cent.As

GC +SM+SS+S/Afr.+DGC+SM+SS+DGC+SM+SS+KNGC+SM+SAGC+SM+SA+S/Afr.GC+SM+SA+AuGC+E/SaGC+Sa+MdGC+SSGC+SS+D

21123111

1411111111

ZZ+Su+SM+Sa+SS1,2 Z+Sd+SM+ZI+SS2

11

Z+SM+KH+SS2ZI+Sa+SS

4711

12.5

Total 27 7.2 4377

1.1100

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Keys

Key to ChorologyKey to Location

SSEndemicEnd. Sahara- Sindian regional zone1. Wadi Di-ibSSCosmopolitanCos. Sahara regional subzone2. Wadi Bashowia 1

PantropicalPan. Arabian regional subzoneNubo- sindian local center of endemism

3. Wadi Aidieb SS2PalaeotropicalPal.4. Wadi Yahamib SS3Guineo-Congolian regional centreGC. South Arabian5. Wadi Acow SAof endomism Mediterranean Sahara regional transitional zone6. Wadi Kansisrob MdZambeziamregional centre of endemismZ. Malagasy regional center of endemism7. Wadi Tetuila MaSudanian regional centre of endemismSu Irano- Turanian regional centre of endemism8. Wadi Sarimatai ITSudanian domainSd Western Irano Turanian regional subcenter9. Wadi Merkwan IT1Somalia-Masai Regional centre of endemismSM Southern Irano- Turanian Regional subcentre10. Wadi Shellal IT2Karoo- Namib regional centre of endemismKN Deccan region11. Wadi Hedriba DAfromontane archipelago-like regional centreA Australian regionAuof endemism European regionEuEthiopian montaneEth. Centeral Asia region (meridional zone)Cent.AsZanzibar Inhambane regional mosaicZI EasternPrefix E /Kalahari- Highveld regional transition zoneKH WesternPrefix W/Sahel regional transition zoneSa SouthernPrefix S/

Sa are well the most species represented in Elba area. TheBoreal (Mediterranean & W/Asia) element itself does notrepresent more than 9.9% species. Both elements SS2(25.7%) and SS3 (17.4%) followed by SM (17.2%) and Sa(12.1%) are the main constituents of this district vegetation.

It is not, therefore a homogenous genetic unit but merely anecological aggregation of species of different kinships andorigins. The ratio of species to genera is low in the flora ofElba and there are few endemic. This is interpreted the floraof Gebel Elba was derived not developed. It can be,therefore, concluded that the Elba flora was derived and notdeveloped. El- Hadidi (2000) showed that the species of Saand SS3 are well represented in Elba district and he addedthat species of tropical and Sudanian elements predominatethe vegetation of this territory. Le Hourou (2001) reportedthat the equator-ward was increasingly importance of thetropical element that becomes dominant in the SouthernSahara and almost exclusive in the Sahel.

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(Received 01 August 2007; Accepted 24 September 2007)

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Phytogeographical Analysis of the Vegetation of Eleven Wadis in Gebel Elba, Egypt

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