Floristic patterns and ecological drivers of sand dune ecosystem along the Mediterranean coast of Egypt

Structural and Chemical Adaptations of Artemisia monosperma Delile and Limbarda crithmoides (L.) Dumort. in Response to Arid Coastal Environments along the Mediterranean Coast of Egypt

“…In this study, the coastal soil supporting the studied plants ( A. monosperma and L. crithmoides ) was characterized by its alkaline range, sandy to sandy-loamy texture, low moisture content, low water holding capacity, low fertility and high salinity. These results agreed with studies that reported that the Mediterranean regions have different types of soils and featured by a low organic matter content, slightly acidic to alkaline pH and medium to low fertility [ 3 , 5 ]. The deficiency of organic matter (fertility) may be attributed to the low content of micro-organisms in arid soils which lead to a reduction in the soil water-holding capacity [ 31 ].…”

“…Egypt’s Mediterranean coastal land is a part of the dry arid climatic areas and is threatened by natural and anthropogenic factors [ 4 , 5 ]. The most significant abiotic stress agents that affect plant communities in the coastal and arid habitat are climatic-induced processes of erosion and deposition, temperature, drought, salinity, substrate instability and nutrient deficiency [ 3 , 6 ].…”

“…The most significant abiotic stress agents that affect plant communities in the coastal and arid habitat are climatic-induced processes of erosion and deposition, temperature, drought, salinity, substrate instability and nutrient deficiency [ 3 , 6 ]. Biotic stress is induced not only by human impacts but also by other living organisms such as herbivores, weeds (allelopathy and competition) and parasites [ 5 , 7 ]. Consequently, plant species of these habitats acquired different adaptation or avoidance strategies against stressful abiotic and biotic agents.…”

The Importance of Including Soil Properties When Disentangling the Drivers of Species Richness: The Case of the Alpine Genus Saxifraga L. in China

“…However, in contrast to the well-acknowledged significance of habitat heterogeneity, the striking effects of soil on the high species richness mostly focused on restricted areas or at a local scale (Kutiel and Danin, 1987;Harrison and Rajakaruna, 2011;Escudero et al, 2015;Abdelaal et al, 2019;Kontopanou and Panitsa, 2020). Most studies suggested that soil can take effect on plant species richness at the local scale because of the direct impact on water and nutrient supplies (Huston, 1980;Kammer et al, 2013;Dingaan et al, 2017).…”

Intraspecific Variations in Functional and Molecular Traits of Near-Endemic Onopordum alexandrinum Boiss. in Natural and Anthropogenic Habitats along the Western Mediterranean Coast of Egypt: Implications for Conservation

“…Onopordum alexandrinum Boiss. (Asteraceae) is a plant near-endemic to Egypt and neighboring countries [ 32 , 33 , 34 ], where its habitats are designated as priority sites for conservation along the south and east Mediterranean regions [ 35 ]. In Egypt, the size of O. alexandrinum populations has been dramatically reduced and become highly fragmented by natural and anthropogenic factors such as climate change and habitat destruction.…”