Vegetation analysis and soil characteristics of five common desert climbing plants in Egypt

Abstract

This study aimed to characterise Egyptian desert vine flora and compare it with that of deserts in other continents, such as Australia and North America. Specifically, 5 common climbing desert plants (Citrullus colocynthis, Cocculus pendulus, Cucumis prophetarum, Pergularia tomentosa, and Periploca angustifolia) were selected for this study. The floristic composition, vegetation heterogeneity, and chorological affinities of the associated species of the studied climbing plants were quantitatively analysed. In general, Leguminosae, Convolvulaceae, Cucurbitaceae, and Asclepiadaceae are the most species-rich families of the climbing plants in Egypt. The comparison of all desert climbing plants in Egypt to those found in the deserts of other continents (specifically, the Australian, Sonoran, and Chihuahuan deserts) revealed the same dominant plant families. The chorological analysis of the associated flora indicated the abundance of the Saharo-Arabian chorotype within the major growth forms. Classification of the vegetation associated with the 5 climbing plants yielded 4 vegetation groups, each linked to 1 or more of the studied climbing plants. Both DCA and CCA were used to assess the soil-vegetation relationships; results indicated that gravel, coarse sand, Na+, SO4-2, Cl-, and NO3- were the most important factors for the distribution of the vegetation patterns of the studied desert vines.