FLORISTIC COMPOSITION AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS OF ABU-ZA’ABAL ARTIFICIAL WETLAND, EGYPT

FLORISTIC COMPOSITION AND ENVIRONMENTAL
CHARACTERISTICS OF ABU-ZA’ABAL ARTIFICIAL
WETLAND, EGYPT
TAREK M. GALAL* AND AHMED A. KHALAFALLAH**
*Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Helwan University.
**Botany Department, Faculty of Girls, Ain-Shams University
[email protected]
Keywords: Floristic composition, wetland, lakes, Abu-Za’abal, Egypt.
ABSTRACT
The aim of the present study is to provide a description of the floristic composition and
life form spectrum of the recorded species in Abu-Za’abal Wetland (four lakes). It aims also
to analyzing the distribution pattern of the plant species and the environmental factors that
affect their distribution. Forty stands were selected to represent the apparent variation in the
vegetation physiognomy and habitats of these lakes. Sixty four species (38 annuals and 26
perennials) belonging to 56 genera and 28 families were recorded in Abu-Za’abale
Wetland. Gramineae (Poaceae) had the highest contribution, followed by Leguminosae
(Fabaceae), Amaranthaceae, Chenopodiaceae and Compositae (Asteraceae). Forty-five
species (31 annuals and 14 perennials) were terrestrial weeds, 7 species (2 annuals and 5
perennials) natural plants, 6 species (one annual and 5 perennials) aquatic weeds, while
other six (5 annuals and one perennial) escaped from cultivations. Life forms of the
recorded species indicated the predominance of therophytes, followed by geophyteshelophytes, phanerophytes, hemicryptophytes, chamaephytes and hydrophytes.
Pluriregional taxa were dominated over biregional, and monoregional ones. The
dendrogram resulting from the agglomerative clustering technique and DCA ordination of
the four lakes based on their floristic, soil and water characteristics indicated that three
clusters were separated: cluster A includes lake IV, B includes lake I and C includes lakes
II and III. Lake I had the highest species diversity, while Lake IV had the lowest.