The Vegetation of Egypt

Abstract

T h i s book represents a unique blend of the geological, geographical, climatic, and ecological features of Egypt's topography and its natural vegetation. Students, researchers and other professionals who are interested in the fields of plant ecology, agronomy, and other branches of the plant sciences could benefit greatly from the richness of the information contained in the 424 pages of this book. It deals in detail with the biogeography and climatology of both the arid and the Mediterranean regions of Egypt and thus could serve, as well, as a major and invaluable source of information for those interested in these fields. It is indeed a true addition to the collections in science libraries.

Ecophysiological responses of Calligonum polygonoides and Artemisia judaicaplants to severe desert aridity

“…In arid regions where soluble salts of sodium (such as Na 2 CO 3 ) may accumulate, an alkaline pH is usually attained. These results were consistent with the general characteristics of soils of arid regions and their relationship with climate and vegetation as described by many authors (Zahran and Willis, 2009).…”

Early- and middle-Holocene wood exploitation in the Fayum basin, Egypt

“…Given the strong likelihood of higher rainfall in the early Holocene, an increased density and diversity of woody taxa in the Fayum is likely. Acacia is especially likely to have been more common, as it is in wood charcoal assemblages in areas of northwestern Egypt that are today hyperarid and devoid of woody plants (Cottini and Castelletti, 2014;Neumann, 1989a: 103;Zahran and Willis, 2009).…”

“…In total, 11 well-preserved fragments excavated from Kom W in 2009 are consistent with the observed wood morphology of Haloxylon salicornicum (now reclassified as Hammada salicornica (Moq.) Iljin, also equated with Hammada elegans by Zahran and Willis, 2009). In the full dataset presented as Supplemental Material 2 (available online), we term these 'Haloxylon salicornicum-type'.…”

“…The two fragments of A. nilotica charcoal represent a species with a broad range of environmental tolerances. While many acacias are desert adapted (Neumann, 1989b;Zahran and Willis, 2009), A. nilotica is found along watercourses (Boulos, 1999), although it is also a component of desert shrubland communities around oases (Zahran and Willis, 2009: 87). The tree is common in the Fayum as a widely planted shade tree.…”

“…Haloxylon grows today throughout the Western Desert, including hyperarid regions of the Fayum basin, and is often the only plant visible in the desert landscape ( Figure 3). The distribution of Haloxylon in the wetter landscape of the early and middle Holocene is uncertain, but it is a xerophyte, as are many other chenopodiaceous shrubs, so it would only have been obtainable in drier areas within the Fayum region (Zahran and Willis, 2009). It is an inviting source of fuel in the desert, despite being low and prickly, as large parts of the plant are dead, and this dry wood burns well.…”