Potential Role of Sabkhas in Egypt: An Overview

Abstract

Salinization and desertifi cation are the major constraints to agriculture development and consequently food production in Egypt. The salt affected soils and salt marshes are located mainly in the Mediterranean and Red Sea coasts and also spotted in some areas in middle, western and eastern parts of the Nile delta. Salt marshes are integral components of the Egyptian coastal and inland ecosystems, serving as important areas of primary production for food, feed, wood, paper, fi ber, etc. They represent an important habitat for production of grazing animals, waterfowl and fi sh. Reeds (i.e. Phragmites and Typha) and rushes (Juncus actus and Juncus rigidus) form an extremely important component of the saline lands in Egypt as they provide habitat for a wide range of living organisms (invertebrates, fi sh, birds, animals, etc). Some other halophytes in the salt marsh could provide great potential resources for agriculture and environment in some parts of saline in Egypt. The diversity of halophytes and other natural recourses in the salt marshes are facing severe threats due to uncontrolled human interference and other environmental factors. In this review, magnitude of salt marsh plants, its economic benefi ts with special reference to their nutritive values, utilization by ruminants and some constraints limit their utilization are discussed.