Algal Flora of Egyptian Soils 1. The occurrence of Cyanobacteria and Algae in some habitats

Abstract

The culturing of reclaimed soils (from Burg El-Arab and Modiriya El-Tahrir areas) and old soils of Nile Valley (from Dakahlia , Giza and Luxor areas) on Myre's, Chu's No 10 and Beijerinck's artifiial media contributed to the isolation and identification of 78 algal taxa related to 31 genera belonging to Cyanophycophyta (52.6 %), Chlorophycophyta (28.2%), Xanthophycophyta (8.9 %), Bacillariophycophyta (7.7 %) and Euglenophycophyta (2.6 %). No single region contains all taxa recorded in the investigated soils. Although, each soil had its own characteristic algal flora and edaphic factors , they participated mostly in the production of Chlamydomonas komma Skuja, followed by Amorphonostoc punctiforme (Kutz.) Elenk., Stratonostoc linckia f. spongiaeforme (Ag.) Kutz, Calothrix elenkinii Kossinsk., Hantzschia amphioxys f. capitata O. Mull., Chlorocloster raphidioides Patch., Chlorella vulgaris Beij. and Scenedesmus bijugatus (Turp.) Kutz. The edaphic properties showed that slightly alkaline to alkaline pH reaction favoured the prevailence of members of Cyanobacteria in the investigated soils. The representation of iron - tolerated taxon Chloridella ferruginea Pasch. between the yellow green algae recorded in Dakahlia emphasized the relativley high level of iron in this soil. The presentwork added 38 new taxa to Egyptian algal flora. However, full descriptions as well as expressive illustrations and / or photos of the new reccords will be the subject of a future publication.