Sinai Mountains Research Articles

Genetic diversity and volatile oil components variation in Achillea fragrantissima wild accessions and their regenerated genotypes

BackgroundWild medicinal plants are suffering natural environmental stresses and habitat destruction. The genetic diversity evaluation of wild accessions and their in vitro raised genotypes using molecular markers, as well as the estimation of substances of pharmaceutical value in wild plants and their regenerated genotypes are convenient approaches to test the genetic fidelity of regenerated plants as a source of substances of pharmaceutical value. In this study, the genetic diversity of 12 accessions of the medicinal plant Achillea fragrantissima, representing five sites in the mountains of South Sinai, Egypt, were estimated by the inter simple sequence repeats (ISSR) fingerprinting and their volatile oil components were identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. The same accessions were regenerated in vitro and the genetic diversity and volatile oil components of propagated genotypes were determined and compared to their wild parents. ResultsClustering and principal component analyses indicated that the wild accessions and their regenerated genotypes were genetically differentiated, but the regenerated plants are relatively more diverse compared to their wild parents. However, genetic variation between wild accessions is inherited to their in vitro propagated genotypes indicating genotypic differentiation of the examined accessions. The number of volatile oil compounds in the wild A. fragrantissima accessions was 31 compounds while in the in vitro propagated plants only 24 compounds were detected. Four major compounds are common to both wild and regenerated plants; these are artemisia ketone, alpha-thujone, dodecane, and piperitone. ConclusionsGenome profiling and essential oil components analysis showed variations in A. fragrantissima accessions from different populations. Genetic differences between wild and regenerated genotypes were analyzed and validated with the final conclusion that in vitro conditions elicited higher genetic variation that is associated with reduced amount and diversity in the essential oil components.

Estimating bird densities in montane deserts: A methodological comparison in South Sinai, Egypt

Montane desert birds are particularly vulnerable to population declines driven by global climate change that is accelerated at higher elevations. Providing reliable and accurate information about their populations is essential for effective conservation management plans. However, few studies have compared the effectiveness of different survey methods for birds in high altitude arid environments, particularly in the Middle East. Here, we compare the reliability and precision of two sampling methods to estimate densities for two resident bird species in Egypt's Sinai mountains, the white-crowned wheatear (Oenanthe leucopyga) and desert lark (Ammomanes deserti). We conducted surveys for both species in vegetated and unvegetated desert using fixed-width strip transects and line transects using the distance sampling approach, and employed several statistical approaches to compare density estimates. While both methods provided reliable density estimates given sufficient detections of target species, strip transects exhibited more flexibility overall for estimating cryptic and rare species, which comprise a large proportion of this and other montane desert bird communities. Strip transects also entail lower effort and costs, an important consideration given research funding constraints. We therefore recommend strip transects over distance sampling for estimating bird densities in this and other arid montane regions.

Genetic diversity and population structure of the medicinal plant Achillea fragrantissima (Forssk.) Sch. Bip. in the mountains of South Sinai, Egypt

The genetic diversity of 50 plant accessions of Achillea fragrantissima, in eight populations in the mountainous area of south Sinai, Egypt was studied using variation in inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSR) fingerprinting with reference to variation in some morphological quantitative traits and soil physical texture. Two clustering methods were used to illustrate intra and inter-population genetic variation of the 50 examined plants. The plants of the same population were clustered together indicating close genetic affinity of plants in the same site. On the other hand plants in populations growing at high elevations, in rocky gravelly soils, were differentiated from populations at lower elevations and gravely sandy soils. Scatter plot constructed by Principal coordinates analysis (PCA) differentiated the populations. These results are supported by assessing population structure, which allocated the individuals to their population. The Nei's genetic diversity analysis showed total genetic diversity (HT) of 0.2623 among the populations, genetic diversity within populations (HS) of 0.1370, and overall estimated genetic diversity (GST) of 0.4779, indicating that 47.79% of the genetic diversity was distributed among populations. Low gene flow (NM = 0.5463) was recorded indicating a limited gene exchange between populations. The results indicate the existence of three local gene pools for A. fragrantissima plants growing in the mountainous area of south Sinai but gene flow in the study area is limited due to its mountainous topography. The data reported here provide important baseline information for conservation and collection strategies for this species. Selected populations may be sampled for ex-situation protection to retain as much genetic diversity as possible.

Microhabitats Affect Population Size and Plant Vigor of Three Critically Endangered Endemic Plants in Southern Sinai Mountains, Egypt

Endemic species on mountains often have narrow altitudinal ranges and are more threatened at the higher altitudes, especially with climate changes. However, plants could use special microhabitats at the mountain tops as proper places for surviving the climate change (i.e., refugia). We assessed population attributes of three critically endangered endemic species (Primula boveana Decne ex Duby, Rosa arabica Crep., and Silene leucophylla Boiss.) in two growing seasons (2006/2007 and 2013/2014), differing in the received rainfalls in microhabitats at the high mountains of southern Sinai. Both P. boveana and S. leucophylla had very small population size, but significantly increased in the 2013/2014 growing season which received above average rainfalls. The population of R. arabica is the smallest (around 40 individuals) and did not increase, even after the increase in rainfalls. Whereas P. boveana is present in fewer sites and grew in small number of specific microhabitats, both S. leucophylla and R. arabica were recorded in most studied sites and habitat types. Unlike R. arabica, both P. boveana and S. leucophylla were recorded in caves and steep slopes and on the top of the mountains. This indicates that these sheltered mist microhabitats are the best for future conservation of these species after climate change.

Conservation Strategy for protecting Crataegus x sinaica against climate change and anthropologic activities in South Sinai Mountains, Egypt

Conservation Strategy for protecting Crataegus x sinaica against climate change and anthropologic activities in South Sinai Mountains, Egypt

Conservation Strategy for protecting Crataegus x sinaica against climate change and anthropologic activities in South Sinai Mountains, Egypt

The genus name Crataegus, is derivative from a Greek word kratos meaning hardness of wood. Crataegus relates to family Rosaceae; it contains about 280 species of deciduous spiny shrubs and small trees where most of these species are grown as ornamentals and hedging plants, they are broadly distributed in Northern temperate zones of Asia, Europe and America. In Egypt, it is confined to mountainous South Sinai; it grows on the high elevated wadis in Saint Catherine area. Many Crataegus species have been traditional used in folk medicine since ancient time for the cure of heart problems such as hypertension, angina, arrhythmia, and congestive heart failure. Researches of Crataegus species usually concentrate on the identification and quantification of flavonoids and anthocyanin, which have been shown to have pharmacological activity. But there is a continuous reduction in habitat quality for this species through time. This reduction observed in Crataegus sinica is likely caused by climate changes in the past few decades and human activities (over cutting for fuel and food, unmanaged collection for scientific researches, uncontrolled tourism and establish of bedouin settlements). We aim to highlights these challenge threatening Crataegus population and suggest conservation plans to protect this species from extinction and finally make further studies about this important threatened species.

Genetic and phylogenetic analysis of the ticks from the Sinai Massif, Egypt, and their possible role in the transmission of Babesia behnkei

Following the description of Babesia behnkei in the region of St. Katherine, Sinai, the present study was undertaken to determine the role of local tick species as vectors of piroplasms. First we assessed the local fauna of ticks, especially species occurring on rodents, camels and encountered in the environment, and then we compared genotypes of ticks from isolated wadis. Finally, we assessed the role of local tick species as potential vectors of Babesia spp. During our expedition to the Sinai Massif in a 4-week period in August–September 2012, 393 ticks were collected, including 235 adult questing ticks collected from the environment (ground level in the wadis) and 158 engorging ticks from camels and rodents. Amplification and sequencing of a 600 bp fragment of the conservative 18S rDNA and a 440 bp fragment of the more variable mitochondrial (mt) 16S rDNA were carried out to enable the identification of 54 ticks and to assess the genetic variability of ticks collected from two distant isolated wadis. The camel tick Hyalomma dromedarii constituted the majority (80–90%) of adult ticks collected from three wadis in the Sinai Mountains near St. Katherine. Among juvenile ticks collected from rodents, three genotypes were identified: H. dromedarii; Hyalomma sp. showing low homology with H. dromedarii, H. lusitanicum or H. aegyptium; and Rhipicephalus sp. A new genotype of Hyalomma was identified in an isolated montane valley, W. Gebal. Babesia/Theileria DNA was not detected in any of the ticks, which is likely due to the low infection rate in the limited number of ticks that were examined.

Genetic Diversity and Inbreeding Level of Cotoneaster orbicularis Schltdl. in The Sinai Mountains Revealed by Microsatellite Markers and Flow Cytometry

COTONEASTER orbicularis Schltdl, native to Egypt and the eastern part of the Arab peninsula, is an endangered species and the surviving individuals are dispersed in the mountains of South Sinai, Egypt. Several threats, including habitat aridification and the impact of human interference have caused a noticeable reduction in population size and number. Analyzing the genetic diversity and mating system of C. orbicularis is crucial for its conservation and management. In this study, six polymorphic microsatellite markers, formerly developed as species-specific markers, were used to assess the genetic variability and extent of inbreeding in the C. orbicularis populations. Flow cytometry of seeds was used to establish genome size. Low total heterozygosity (HT = 0.464) for all loci and populations, high differentiation between populations (FST = 0.634, RST = 0.889), and high levels of inbreeding (F = 0.906) were found. Most of the embryos possessed about 1.9 pg/2C DNA; however, embryos with 3.8 pg/2C DNA also occurred. The results provide markers that can be used in the management of conservation, including habitat recovery and ex-situ conservation, in order to prevent extinction.

Biologists in deserts

e-ISSN: 1948-6596 https://escholarship.org/uc/fb doi:10.21425/F59235476 Book Review Biologists in deserts Plant Ecology in the Middle East, by Ahmad Hegazy & Jonathan Lovett-Doust, 2016 Oxford University Press, 368 pp. ISBN: 9780199660810 The Biology of Deserts, 2nd edition, by David Ward, 2016 Oxford University Press, 400 pp. ISBN: 9780198732754 What is the great emotional draw of desert envi- ronments? I first encountered the biology of de- serts (or “desserts”, as our undergraduates are wont to write) in 1986. An Egyptian PhD student's scholarship mandated a trip to Egypt at the start of the project to plan the fieldwork. Thus it was that I got to spend ten days travelling about in the South Sinai mountains in the company of a set of young Egyptian students, my introduction to the scientific study of deserts in the shadow of Mt Sinai and the Monastery of St Catherine. It was a magical experience, and I returned raving about how beautiful it was. When my wife came with me a few years later, she was also instantly conver- ted, and we have spent our academic lives in- volved with the ‘howling wilderness’ and its won- derful people. On my return in 1986 I tried to get hold of a textbook on desert biology, and could only find the very old and out-of-date volume 'Biology of Deserts' edited by Cloudsley-Thompson (1954). There was a clear gap in the market. Today we are much better served, and these two recent volu- mes demonstrate it in spades. The first edition of David Ward’s Biology of De- serts was published in 2009 to some acclaim. It is a volume in the Biology of Habitats series of OUP, aimed at igniting the interest of young researchers rather than being a source of reference for spe- cialists. The 2nd edition has more emphasis on land-use changes caused by humans. The book's great strength lies in the way that the author's extensive experience, especially with both Middle Eastern and South African desert systems, under- lies and informs the understanding being commu- nicated. He has set out deliberately to take an evolutionary approach and to integrate Frontiers of Biogeography 2017, 9.2, e35476 knowledge from across all the desert systems of the world. The material is organised as a modern ecology textbook, from individual organisms to ecosystems, with chapters on the abiotic environ- ment, adaptations of both plants and then ani- mals to those abiotic conditions, before moving to considering species interactions in various forms, and ending with desert ecosystems, human im- pacts and the conservation of deserts. The combi- nation of the more traditional description of some of the amazing adaptations of desert organisms with modern ecology's emphasis on species inter- actions, both direct and indirect, is especially effective. The book certainly succeeds in its aim of stimulating interest in desert systems at a fairly straightforward level: I wish it had existed in 1986! However, the literature of today is slightly less well represented than perhaps it might have been. Ward might have included more of a prescription of what needs to be done, rather like the books on aphid ecology that Tony Dixon wrote in retirement -- short, deceptively simple, yet compelling guides to what theory we still lack. In Dixon's wonderful phrase, we need theory to reveal patterns and processes so that we need no longer to record the fall of every apple” (Dixon 2000). Like a reviewer of the first edition, I think an opportunity was missed, for example, to consider processes as functions of aridity gradients. I only found one such plot in the book, the species richness (of ro- dents) versus mean rainfall. It would be very inter- esting to put together all such plots in the litera- ture on 'arid' lands. I have been struck so many times when reading such papers that the arid end of the 'aridity' gradient often starts at values far higher than are ever recorded in Egypt. But then, Egypt is the most arid country in the world! © the authors, CC-BY license

Description ofCandidatusBartonella fadhilae n. sp. andCandidatusBartonella sanaae n. sp. (Bartonellaceae) fromDipodillus dasyurusandSekeetamys calurus(Gerbillinae)from the Sinai Massif (Egypt)

Bartonella spp. are parasites of mammalian erythrocytes and endothelial cells, transmitted by blood-feeding arthropod ectoparasites. Different species of rodents may constitute the main hosts of Bartonella, including several zoonotic species of Bartonella. The aim of this study was to identify and compare Bartonella species and genotypes isolated from rodent hosts from the South Sinai, Egypt. Prevalence of Bartonella infection was assessed in rodents (837 Acomys dimidiatus, 73 Acomys russatus, 111 Dipodillus dasyurus, and 65 Sekeetamys calurus) trapped in 2000, 2004, 2008, and 2012 in four dry montane wadis around St. Katherine town in the Sinai Mountains. Total DNA was extracted from blood samples, and PCR amplification and sequencing of the Bartonella-specific 860-bp gene fragment of rpoB and the 810-bp gene fragment of gltA were used for molecular and phylogenetic analyses. The overall prevalence of Bartonella in rodents was 7.2%. Prevalence differed between host species, being 30.6%, 10.8%, 9.6%, and 3.6% in D. dasyurus, S. calurus, A. russatus, and A. dimidiatus, respectively. The phylogenetic analyses of six samples of Bartonella (five from D. dasyurus and one from S. calurus) based on a fragment of the rpoB gene, revealed the existence of two distinct genetic groups (with 95–96% reciprocal sequence identity), clustering with several unidentified isolates obtained earlier from the same rodent species, and distant from species that have already been described (90–92% of sequence identity to the closest match from the GenBank reference database). Thus, molecular and phylogenetic analyses led to the description of two species: Candidatus Bartonella fadhilae n. sp. and Candidatus Bartonella sanaae n. sp. The identification of their vectors and the medical significance of these species need further investigation.

Surveying and preserving Moringa peregrina germplasm in Egypt

Moringa peregrina is well known as an oil and medicinal plant in Egypt since 3000 years B.C. Many authors reported that M. peregrina is native throughout the Red Sea (east and west, including south Sinai in Egypt). However, there is still a lack of knowledge regarding the wild range of M. peregrina, its growth habit, local name and ordinary uses by Bedouins, local tribes and ethnic groups. This investigation aimed to survey and preserve the wild M. germplasm among Red Sea and south Sinai mountains. Many surveying trips were carried out in 2014 and 2015, and many survey trips are still on-going. Usually, M. peregrina is located at 300-400 m altitude. It grows wild on vertical cliffs into vertical mountain side, showing individual small tree shapes. Sometimes it looks like a shrub if its main stem was broken near to the crown area. A huge M. peregrina tree was also found in south Sinai region. Moringa leaflets become narrower from seedling to adult, likely an adaptation to cope with drought by reducing transpiration and saving water. According to local tribes living in Halayib and Shalatien region (22-24N latitude, 34-37E longitude), M. peregrina flowers once a year during April and its pods mature during fall (August-October). However, M. peregrina trees in south Sinai (28-29N latitude, 33.80-34.50E longitude) have been seen flowering during deep winter (January) and carrying many flowers and premature pods at the same time. Also, M. peregrina trees in Shalatien region are smaller and weaker than those found in south Sinai region. That may be due to lack of rain in the Halayib and Shalatien region during the last four years in comparison with south Sinai region. Among Ababda and Bashaira tribes “Halayib and Shalatien region population”, the M. peregrina tree is called “maya” and its seed is known as the expensive seed. They use it as a medicine for many pains and diseases, for water purification and seed oil is used with perfumes and has many other uses. On the other hand, south Sinai Bedouins call the M. peregrina tree “alban” and use leaf powder for wound curing. They also use seed powder for water purification. M. peregrina seed oil is used as sun-blocker and anti-aging agent. M. peregrina preservation, re-habitation and commercial cultivation might take place in the near future.

Purple haze: Combined geochemical and Pb-Sr isotope constraints on colourants in Celtic glass

The composition of 2977 Late Prehistoric glass objects was investigated to derive information on the nature of the colourants used. 2673 Late Iron Age Celtic (La Tène) bracelet fragments from the Netherlands and Austria and 51 Early Iron Age beads from the Netherlands were analysed. Hand-held XRF analyses demonstrated that all glass objects were of the soda-silica-lime type, which has a presumed origin in the Eastern Mediterranean. Copper was used as colourant, in the form of copper filings, in most of the Early Iron Age glass beads to give recycled glass a blue-green colour.The vast majority (98%) of the translucent Iron Age glass, was coloured using cobalt (blue), manganese (purple; colourless), antimony (colourless) and iron (green). Manganese, however, was added to all glass, contributing additional amounts of elements like copper, cobalt and iron. Opaque decorations were produced using antimony, or a combination of tin and lead.REE analyses on a selection of representative objects indicate that the manganese ores in translucent glass are of hydrogenetic-diagenetic (Early Iron Age) or hydrothermally influenced diagenetic (Late Iron Age) types. Strontium isotope ratios show mixing between a calcite-related seawater source (0.709) and manganese ores with isotope ratios of ∼0.70766. Lead isotope ratios are dominated by colourant-derived Pb. The isotope ratios of the manganese used to produce translucent glass and lead used for opaque glass decorations fall in the same range. The most likely general provenance of both lies on Lavrion or the Western Cycladic Islands, although an origin in the central Taurus or the Sinai mountains cannot be excluded. The conclusion is that manganese ore used for colourants contributes significantly to the REE concentration in the glass, including Nd, as well as to Sr and Pb. This needs to be taken into account when using concentrations or isotope ratios of these elements for provenancing other raw materials like sand and calcium carbonate. This appears to be the case for all antique soda-lime-silica glass.

A pilot study to survey the carnivore community in the hyper-arid environment of South Sinai mountains

Carnivores are one of the taxa most affected by habitat fragmentation and human persecution; as a result, most carnivore species are declining; for this reason monitoring changes in carnivore population is paramount to plan effective conservation programs. Despite being one of the most threatened habitat, arid environment are often neglected and the carnivore species living in this environment are generally poorly studied.We conducted a pilot study to survey the carnivore guild in the St Katherine Protectorate, the largest Egyptian national park and a hotspot for biodiversity and conservation in an arid environments. Three species were detected using both camera trapping and morphological identification of scats: Red fox, Striped hyena and Arabian wolf, while through genetic analysis we were able to confirm the presence of Blandford fox as well. Arabian wolf appeared to be the most elusive and rarer species and should be a conservation priority.We also provide guidelines for a monitoring program: we estimated that a survey period of 8–10 weeks would be enough to detect foxes and hyenas with a 95% probability, but it would take at least 26 weeks to detect the presence of wolves. This is the first comprehensive carnivore survey in South Sinai and provides an important baseline for future studies in this unique hyper-arid environment at the conjunction between the African and Eurasian continents.

Babesia behnkei sp. nov., a novel Babesia species infecting isolated populations of Wagner's gerbil, Dipodillus dasyurus, from the Sinai Mountains, Egypt.

BackgroundAlthough a number of new species of Babesia/Theileria have been described recently, there are still relatively few reports of species from Africa. In this study based on the evaluation of morphology and phylogenetic relationships, we describe a novel species from Wagner’s gerbil, Babesia behnkei n. sp.MethodsRodents (n = 1021) were sampled in four montane valleys (wadies) in 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012 in the Sinai Mountains, Egypt. The overall prevalence of Babesia spp. was highest in the Wagner’s gerbil (Dipodillus dasyurus; 38.7%) in comparison to the prevalence in the spiny mice species, Acomys dimidiatus and A. russatus. Morphological investigations were conducted for the comparison of trophozoites of the novel species of Babesia with the B. microti King’s 67 reference strain. Thirty-two isolates derived from D. dasyurus over a 9 year period (2004-2012) from two wadies (29 isolates from Wadi Gebel and 3 from Wadi El-Arbaein) were investigated by microscopic, molecular and phylogenetic analysis. A near-full-length sequence of the 18S rRNA gene and the second internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) region were amplified, sequenced and used for the construction of phylogenetic trees.ResultsA novel species of Babesia was identified in two isolated populations of D. dasyurus. Phylogenetic analysis of 18S rDNA and ITS2 sequences revealed that B. behnkei n. sp. is most closely related to B. lengau from cheetahs from South Africa and to Nearctic species found only in North America (the pathogenic B. duncani and B. conradae) and that it is more distant to the cosmopolitan rodent parasite B. microti. Trophozoites of B. behnkei were smaller and less polymorphic than trophozoites of B. microti.ConclusionBabesia behnkei n. sp. is a novel species of the ‘Duncani group’ maintained in isolated populations of Dipodillus dasyurus occurring in the Sinai Mountains of Egypt.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-014-0572-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Allozymic and Morphologic Differentiation between three Ballota Species (Labiatae) growing in Southern Sinai, Egypt

Ballota undulate (rare), B. Saxatilis (endangered), and B. Kaiseri (extremely endangered and endemic) are three of Mediterranean origin species grow in southern Sinai Mountains. They are very close morphologically and have been confused and mixed in their natural habitats. The present study aimed to provide genetical and morphological differentiation among the three Ballotas peceis using allozyme, PCA, and discriminant analyses for plants growing in a common environment. Electroporetic analysis of enzymes coded by 21 gene loci demonstrated that there is a high degree of genetic similarity among the three Ballota species suggesting that speciation apparently has occurred in this genus with little divergence at genes coding for allozymes. Twelve quantitative and nine qualitative characters were selected for the study of phenotypic similarity and morphological variation in a sample of 147 plants, served as OUT’s. The analyses could differentiate between B. undulata as one group and B. kaiseri and B. saxatilis as another group, but could not separate B. saxatilis from B. kaiseri. The incomplete isolation of B. undulata, B. kaiseri, and B. saxatilis, in combination with their high genetic identities and their very similar morphology, raise the question as to whether they should be retained as separate species.

Babesia behnkei sp. nov., a novel Babesia species infecting isolated populations of Wagner¿s gerbil, Dipodillus dasyurus, from the Sinai Mountains, Egypt

Although a number of new species of Babesia/Theileria have been described recently, there are still relatively few reports of species from Africa. In this study based on the evaluation of morphology and phylogenetic relationships, we describe a novel species from Wagner’s gerbil, Babesia behnkei n. sp. Rodents (n = 1021) were sampled in four montane valleys (wadies) in 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012 in the Sinai Mountains, Egypt. The overall prevalence of Babesia spp. was highest in the Wagner’s gerbil (Dipodillus dasyurus; 38.7%) in comparison to the prevalence in the spiny mice species, Acomys dimidiatus and A. russatus. Morphological investigations were conducted for the comparison of trophozoites of the novel species of Babesia with the B. microti King’s 67 reference strain. Thirty-two isolates derived from D. dasyurus over a 9 year period (2004-2012) from two wadies (29 isolates from Wadi Gebel and 3 from Wadi El-Arbaein) were investigated by microscopic, molecular and phylogenetic analysis. A near-full-length sequence of the 18S rRNA gene and the second internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) region were amplified, sequenced and used for the construction of phylogenetic trees. A novel species of Babesia was identified in two isolated populations of D. dasyurus. Phylogenetic analysis of 18S rDNA and ITS2 sequences revealed that B. behnkei n. sp. is most closely related to B. lengau from cheetahs from South Africa and to Nearctic species found only in North America (the pathogenic B. duncani and B. conradae) and that it is more distant to the cosmopolitan rodent parasite B. microti. Trophozoites of B. behnkei were smaller and less polymorphic than trophozoites of B. microti. Babesia behnkei n. sp. is a novel species of the ‘Duncani group’ maintained in isolated populations of Dipodillus dasyurus occurring in the Sinai Mountains of Egypt.

Low genetic diversity and high levels of inbreeding in the Sinai primrose (Primula boveana), a species on the brink of extinction

The Sinai primrose (Primula boveana) is one of the most endangered plant species worldwide, with less than 200 wild individuals surviving in the Sinai mountains of Egypt. There has been a decline in both the number and size of its populations in recent times, possibly caused by threats that include habitat aridification and the impact of human activities. Studying the standing genetic variation and extent of inbreeding of P. boveana is necessary for the design of appropriate conservation strategies for this species. In the present work, we used a set of seven, recently developed, polymorphic microsatellite markers to characterize the genetic variation and levels of inbreeding of the extant populations of P. boveana. We found low levels of genetic variation (H T = 0.470), high differentiation between populations (F ST = 0.737, R ST = 0.935), and very elevated levels of inbreeding (F = 0.862) due to recurrent selfing. These results may be the reflection of low levels of genetic variation and high levels of inbreeding over a long evolutionary period, suggesting that the current genetic pool of the species may enable P. boveana to persist in a habitat where water availability and pollinator services are restricted. Nevertheless, in sight of its rapidly dwindling abundance, it seems prudent to adopt swift measures, including habitat restoration and ex-situ conservation, to prevent the impending extinction of this emblematic species.

FRESHWATER MOLLUSCS OF THE SINAI PENINSULA

ABSTRACT In a revision of the freshwater species of molluscs in the Sinai Peninsula it was found that five species inhabit the entire area. Two of these: Melanoides tuberculatus O.F. Muller and Hydrobia musaensis (Frauenfeld) are, as a rule, restricted to the coastal brackish springs. Physa subopaca Lamarck is mostly limited to the foothills and low mountains of southern Sinai. Valvata saulcyi Bourguignat occupies the highest mountains of the peninsula and Melanopsis praemorsum Linne is confined to a single spring located at the northeastern corner of the peninsula ('Ein el Qudeirat = Qadesh Barnea). The scattered distribution of Melanoides in extremely isolated water bodies in the desert of Sinai suggests an ancient arrival of this species to the area. Melanopsis arrived much later (late Miocene or Pliocene) when passages further to the south were already blocked by the developing southern palaearctic desert belt. Physa and Valvata may have been dispersed through the air by insects and birds. Hydrobia mu...

Flash Flood Risk Assessment Using Morphological Parameters in Sinai Peninsula

Flash floods are considered to be one of the worst weather-related natural disasters. They are sudden and highly unpredictable following brief spells of heavy rain. Egypt is subjected to flash floods, especially the eastern desert and Sinai Peninsula where floods from the mountains of Red Sea and Sinai are causing heavy damage to man-made features. This manuscript presents the methodology adopted to generate a weighted risk map for main watersheds located in Sinai according to main morphological parameters. Using digital elevation model (DEM) implemented into a Geographic Information System (GIS) the Sinai watersheds were delineated and morphological parameters calculated. The parameters where then used in a multi criteria analysis process to calculate a morphological risk factor. The resulted risk maps of this study can help initiating appropriate measures to mitigate the probable hazards in the area with prioritization.

Eolian and fluvial sedimentation in the southwestern Sinai Mountains, Egypt: a record of flash floods during the late Pleistocene

Wadis emerging from the southwestern Sinai Mountains (Egypt) westwards to the Gulf of Suez are filled by >40 m thick late Pleistocene sediments, which have been subsequently incised to bedrock after the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Sedimentation and erosion resulted from changes in the basin's hydrological conditions caused by climate variations. Sediment characteristics indicate distinct processes ranging from high to low energy flow regimes. Airborne material is important as a sediment source. The fills are associated with alluvial fans at wadi mouths at the mountain fronts. Each alluvial fan is associated and physically correlated with the respective sediment fill in its contributing wadi. The alluvial fans have steep gradients and are only a few kilometers long or wide. The alluvial fans converge as they emerge from the adjacent valleys. According to optically stimulated luminescence dating, the initial sediment has an age of ∼45 ka and the sedimentation ends ∼19 ka, i.e., happened mainly during marine isotope stage (MIS) 3 and early MIS 2 formation and initial incision sometime during LGM. As the delivery of sediments in such a hyper-arid environment is by extreme floods, this study indicates an interval of intense fluvial activity, probably related to increased frequency of extreme floods in Southern Sinai. This potentially indicates a paleoclimatic change in this hyper-arid environment.