Environment and vegetation in the montane Saint Catherine area, south Sinai, Egypt

Ecological status of the Mediterranean Juniperus phoenicea L. Relicts in the desert mountains of North Sinai, Egypt

“…In the present study, chamaephytes and therophytes had the highest contribution to the flora associated with J. phoenicea. This trend is in accordance with the life-form spectra of the montane Saint Catherine area of south Sinai (Moustafa and Zaghloul, 1996), and those in the Asir Mountains of southwestern Saudi Arabia (Hegazy et al, 1998). Phanerophytes such as J. phoenicea, Lycium shawii, Rubia tenuifolia and Sesbania sesban do mainly occur in the crevices and at the foot of smoothfaced rock outcrops of Gabal El-Halal and at the runnel catchments of Gabal El-Maghara and Gabal Yelleq, where they receive more water.…”

“…The Irano-Turanian elements constituted 5.2% for each of the monoregionals and pluriregionals and 15.8% of the biregionals. These geoelements were well represented in the high mountains of south Sinai (Moustafa and Zaghloul, 1996) and in the gorges of the North Sinai anticlines (Abd El-Wahab et al, 2008). The juniper stands of the three mountains showed different plant compositions reflecting the differences in elevation, lithology and water availability.…”

“…The four groups are separated from each other by differentiated occurrences of eleven perennial associates: C. montanus, Z. dumosum, D. tortuosa, E. aphylla, G. decander, S. aegyptiaca, M. nitens, A. herba-alba, A. halimus and R. hirtella. These vegetation groups have many species in common with the mountains of South Sinai (Moustafa and Klopatek, 1995;Moustafa and Zaghloul, 1996), the North Sinai region (Abd El-Wahab et al, 2008;Danin, 1978;Gazar et al, 2000), and the sandstone outcrops at the western escarpment of the Jordan (Danin, 1999).…”

Desert vegetation and vegetation-environment relationships in Kirthar National Park, Sindh, Pakistan

“…On rocky substrates the distribution of vegetation may be related to rock and crevice microtopography (e.g. Olsvig-Whittaker et al, 1983;Moustafa and Zaghloul, 1996) with little vegetation clumping evident, and erosional (or solutional) drainage lines where linear patterns may again emerge, reflecting riparian habitats.…”

Vegetation types of mountain tops in Damaraland, Namibia

“…This points towards elevation overriding the influence of size of habitat. Elevation has also been highlighted as an important factor determining vegetation patterns in arid mountain habitats elsewhere, such as the Sinai desert (Moustafa and Zaghloul 1996) and Oman (Ghanzanfar 1991). Indeed height above the surrounding influenced some of the groupings in this study, as the mountain tops comprising group 5 are lower mountains not exceeding 160 m elevation, and two high mesas could not easily be grouped with others ( Figure 2).…”