Natural mass growth ofZygnema stellinumin El-Hykstep new city soil, Egypt

Abstract

At first, a natural widespread mass growth of Zygnema stellinum was recorded in El-Hikstep new city (Egypt). The mechanical, physical and chemical characters of the wet soil in El-Hikstep new city where filaments of Zygnema were collected; the natural city soil where there is no growth and soil from ditches after the death of the filamentous growth were studied and analysed. The current study revealed that pH, E.C., MgSO4 and NaCl, available P and N were the most controlling factors those enhance the green algal mats growth of Zygnema stellinum in this site. The physico-chemical analysis of soil sample after the death of Zygnema was characterised by a reduction in the values of pH, E.C., change in soil texture from sand in city soil to loamy-sand for two other soil samples. These were associated with increase in the values of organic matter, organic carbon, phosphorus, nitrogen and Fe comparing with physico-chemical analysis of the city soil sample. These may emphasise that the growth and death of green algal mats of Zygnema in soil probably have reclaimative properties in soil. Meanwhile, cultivation test revealed successfully growth of Zygnema stellinum in city soil extract medium followed by the city soil extract nutritive media. Whereas the growth of Zygnema stellinum in Beijerinck and Allen media doesn’t well.