Vegetation analysis of six riverian islands in hyper-arid environments at Qena Governorate (Upper Egypt)

Abstract

The present study aims at analysing the vegetation of six riverian islands at Qena Governorate, Upper Egypt. 160 taxa of angiosperms and one pteridophyte species were recorded in six sedimentary islands located throughout the Nile stream at Qena Governorate, Upper Egypt. Of these, Hibiscus diversifolius (Malvaceae) recorded as a new record to the flora of Egypt. Therophytes represent 51.6% of the life form spectrum. Pantropical, Palaeotropical and Cosmopolitan elements (31.1%, 18.6% and 21.7%, respectively) were the dominant floristical categories among the total number of species. Vegetation analysis using TWINSPAN technique classified the 103 stands surveyed in the studied islands into ten vegetation clusters were obtained and categorised into 4 distinct groups according to soil moisture and chemical characteristics (TDS, EC, sodium and phosphate concentrations) appeared to be important attributes in characterising the vegetation clusters.