St Katherine Protectorate Research Articles

Native Rhizospheric and Endophytic Fungi as Sustainable Sources of Plant Growth Promoting Traits to Improve Wheat Growth under Low Nitrogen Input.

Wheat crops require effective nitrogen fertilization to produce high yields. Only half of chemical N2 fertilizers are absorbed into plants while the rest remains in the soil, causing environmental problems. Fungi could maximize nitrogen absorption, and from an environmental and biodiversity point of view, there is an urgent necessity for bioprospecting native fungi associated with wild plants growing in harsh environments, e.g., St. Katherine Protectorate (SKP) in the arid Sinai. Recovered taxa, either endophytic and/or rhizospheric, were screened for their plant growth-promoting (PGP) traits. Eighteen fungal isolates (15 rhizospheric and 3 endophytic) belonging to anamorphic ascomycetes were recovered from 9 different wild plants, and their PGP traits (indole-3-acetic acid [IAA] production, phosphate solubilization, siderophore production, and hydrolytic enzyme production) were measured. Rhizospheric isolate NGB-WS14 (Chaetosphaeronema achilleae) produced high levels of IAA (119.1 μg mL−1) in the presence of tryptophan, while NGB-WS 8 (Acrophialophora levis) produced high IAA levels (42.4 μg mL−1) in the absence of tryptophan. The highest phosphate-solubilizing activity (181.9 μg mL−1) was recorded by NGB-WFS2 (Penicillium chrysogenum). Endophytic isolate NGB-WFE16 (Fusarium petersiae) exhibited a high percentage level of Siderophore Unit (96.5% SU). All isolates showed variability in the secretion of extracellular hydrolytic enzymes. Remarkably, all isolates had antagonistic activity (55.6% to 87.3% suppression of pathogen growth) against the pathogenic taxon Alternaria alternata (SCUF00001378) in the dual-assay results. Out of the 18 isolates, 4 rhizospheric and 1 endophytic isolate showed significant increases in shoot dry weight and shoot nitrogen and chlorophyll content of wheat plants subjected to low inputs of chemical nitrogen (N) fertilizers (50% reduction) compared with the non-inoculated control in a pot experiment. Potent taxa were subjected to sequencing for molecular confirmation of phenotypic identification. The retrieved ITS sequences in this study have been deposited in GenBank under accession numbers from LC642736 to LC642740. This study considered the first report of endophytic fungi of Cheilanthes vellea, a wild plant with PGPF which improves wheat growth. These results recommend using PGPF as inoculants to alleviate low nitrogen fertilization.

Filling the Egyptian pollinator knowledge-gap: checklist of flower-visiting insects in South Sinai, with new records for Egypt

Flower visitor surveys were conducted across the St Katherine Protectorate of South Sinai, Egypt, between April-July 2012 and 2013. We present a checklist of 112 species of flower visitors belonging to the orders Coleoptera, Diptera, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera. The Hymenoptera were the most diverse group of flower visitors, consisting of 69 species from eight families: Apidae (14), Colletidae (8), Crabronidae (10), Halictidae (13), Megachilidae (19), Scoliidae (1), Sphecidae (2) and Vespidae (2). We recorded nine species that were endemic to the region and thirteen that were new to the Egyptian fauna, including one new to science, Hylaeus oliviae Dathe, 2015. The study provides a valuable initial checklist of pollinators within the St Katherine Protectorate, but the description of novel species and the high proportion of new records for Egypt suggest that species numbers are likely to be underestimated. We highlight the need for future research into Egyptian pollinator fauna, particularly within the St Katherine Protectorate where endemic bees are still being described.

Elevation patterns of plant diversity and recent altitudinal range shifts in Sinai's high‐mountain flora

AbstractQuestionsIs there evidence of recent altitudinal range shifts in a hyper‐arid Middle Eastern desert mountain flora? How do the directions of shift for upper and lower altitudinal range limits of plants vary?LocationHyper‐arid mountain desert, St Katherine Protectorate, South Sinai, Egypt.MethodWe tested for shifts in both upper and lower altitudinal range limits by comparing a 1970s data set of recorded species’ limits with recent surveys using altitudinal transects across 36 sites. Altitudinal limits between 63 paired upper‐limit and 22 paired lower‐limit values from the 1970s and 2014 were compared using paired t‐tests; binomial tests were used to indicate the dominant direction of change. The upper and lower limits of 22 species were considered together to allow assessment of overall altitudinal range size changes. In order to avoid the potential effect of yearly environmental fluctuations on the distributions of annual species, subsets of upper and lower limit shifts were taken for perennials, and for trees and shrubs.ResultsOur results show significant overall up‐slope shifts in mean upper altitudinal limits and significant overall down‐slope shifts in mean lower altitudinal limits. A majority of assessed species expanded their altitudinal ranges, but the responses of individual species varied.ConclusionsSince perennial herbs/graminoids, as well as trees and shrubs, show strong patterns of change, we suggest there has been a long‐term shift in altitudinal range in South Sinai's mountain flora. More research effort needs to be focussed on the drivers of range shift responses in arid regions.

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.

Dragonflies and damselflies of the St Katherine Protectorate

The indigenous Bedouin tribes of South Sinai (Egypt) irrigate small gardens for agricultural purposes and this has been shown to boost the biodiversity of plants, birds and insects, including dragonflies (Odonata). The gardens offer water-related resources normally in short supply in arid regions. There is very little information available on the dragonflies and damselflies of the Sinai. We assess the importance of Bedouin gardens to Odonata by recording them in the gardens and in unmanaged habitat in the St Katherine Protectorate. The gardens are widely utilised by Odonata: ten species were recorded in total, all observed in the gardens at least once.

Nowhere left to go: the Sinai Hairstreak Satyrium jebelia

High-mountain endemics with very restricted ranges are likely to have a high risk of extinction under the various scenarios of global warming. Endemic to the high mountains of the St Katherine Protectorate in South Sinai (Egypt), the Sinai Hairstreak Satyrium jebelia is just such a species. For the first time, its population size was estimated and its distribution and that of its larval food plant (Rhamnus dispermus) were mapped. The total world population in 2012 was estimated to be 1,010 individuals, perhaps divided into six smaller sub-populations of varying size. Its moderate dispersal ability and the relatively close proximity of the sub-populations may indicate metapopulation structure, but more data are needed. Aspects of host-plant and habitat quality were significant predictors of the presence of Sinai Hairstreaks on individual trees. No immediate threats are evident except global warming: if current climate-change predictions for Egypt are correct, the quality of habitat and plant diversity will decrease in the St Katherine Protectorate, with obvious long-term conservation implications.

Spatiotemporal variation in the endangered Thymus decussatus in a hyper-arid environment

Aims: Arid environments are resource limited, with scarcity of water the key limiting factor, but hyper-arid environments are rarely studied. We test for spatial and temporal variation in ecologically important characteristics to deduce plant adaptations to the extreme climate. Methods: The endangered Sinai Thyme (Thymus decussatus) exists as a set of patches on mountaintops within the St Katherine Protectorate, South Sinai, a hyper-arid environment with rare events of good rains (every 10–15 years). Important Findings: From spatial and temporal patterns of plant mortality, size, condition and flowering among 10 patches on the Mt Sinai massif, we deduce that the incidence and amount of flowering responds relatively quickly (1–2 years) to rainfall fluctuations, but plant growth respond only very slowly. Small individuals are most at risk of death during drought, and a high proportion of plants were dead at the end of 8 years of very low or no rainfall. No recruitment of seedlings was observed even in years of good rainfall. Droughts are expected to become increasingly frequent due to climate change; this may have important consequences for Sinai Thyme and also its associated herbivores, such as the Critically Endangered Sinai Baton Blue (Pseudophilotes sinaicus) whose larval stage feeds exclusively upon the flowers of this plant.

The effects of grazing on the endangered Sinai Thyme (Thymus decussatus) in a hyper-arid environment

Herbivores play a key role in determining plant community composition. Historically grazing has been deemed detrimental for plants, but recent theoretical and empirical studies suggest that grazing may in fact be beneficial. Grazing is more likely to improve primary productivity in areas with a grazing history, where the plants are adapted to tolerate grazing, and also in arid environments because water stress and grazing select for comparable plant traits. Sinai Thyme (Thymus decussatus) in the arid St Katherine Protectorate of South Sinai has high apparent mortality rates and poor condition, both of which have detrimental consequences for its associated herbivores, particularly the Critically Endangered Sinai Baton Blue (Pseudophilotes sinaicus) whose larval stage feeds exclusively upon this plant. One recent conservation action banned grazing but there has been no obvious improvement in the thyme with continued high mortality, and local Bedu claim that grazing is in fact advantageous for plant health. We carried out a factorial experiment that manipulated simulated grazing, fertilizing and watering of thyme. This showed no evidence of any negative response to grazing or that watering or fertilizing had any effect either, presumably their impact is smaller than the current inter-annual variability caused by climatic fluctuations.

Monitoring of the endemic Sinai Baton Blue butterfly Pseudophilotes sinaicus in the St Katherine Protectorate, South Sinai.

Results of the monitoring of the Sinai Baton Blue butterfly in its stronghold of Farsh Shoeib on Gebel Safsafa in the St Katherine Protectorate between 2004-9 is analysed to compare them with the detailed study of Mike James in 2002-3. The butterfly appears to have a three-year population cycle, with its population crashing regularly to very low levels. The conservation implications are discussed.

The Contribution of Indigenous Knowledge to an Environmental Education Programme: A Study in St Katherine Protectorate, South Sinai, Egypt

The Contribution of Indigenous Knowledge to an Environmental Education Programme: A Study in St Katherine Protectorate, South Sinai, Egypt

A redescription of Protospirura muricola Gedoelst, 1916 (Nematoda: Spiruridae), a parasite of murid rodents

The spirurid nematode Protospirura muricola Gedoelst, 1916 is redescribed from Acomys dimidiatus (Desmarest) from the St Katherine Protectorate, Sinai, Egypt. Egyptian material closely resembled specimens of P. muricola from African mammals re-examined in this study, as well as conforming to published reports of this species. P. muricola with two denticles on each lateral lobe of the pseudolabia and six pairs of postanal papillae is closest to P. pseudomuris Yokohata & Abe, 1989, but can be readily distinguished in having the right spicule shorter than the left. The significance of the characteristics of the head and mouth, and of the male spicules, in characterising Protospirura Seurat, 1914 is evaluated. P. muricola, an African parasite of rodents, appears to have spread globally with synanthropic rat final hosts and possibly with the cosmopolitan dermapteran intermediate host Leucophaea maderae (Fabr.).

Genetic variability in the population of the endemic bee Anthophora pauperata in St Katherine Protectorate

The genetic diversity and spatial genetic population structure of the solitary bee Anthophora pauperata Walker 1871, a species endemic to St Katherine Protectorate, were studied by RAPD markers in seven wadis in the St Katherine Protectorate, South Sinai, Egypt. High levels of genetic diversity were found, mostly within rather than among wadis, but there were highly significant genetic differences among sites, unrelated to geographic distances between them. Reasons for these patterns may lie in the territoriality and mating behaviour of these bees. Keywords : genetic differentiation, gene flow, RAPD Egyptian Journal of Biology Vol. 10 2008: pp. 77-86

Monitoring birds, reptiles and butterflies in the St Katherine Protectorate, Egypt

Fifty-two bird species were recorded during transect and point count surveys of wadis in the St Katherine Protectorate in the mountainous southern region of the Sinai, Egypt. Two species are new to Egypt: Rock Nuthatch (Sitta neumeyer) and Rock Sparrow (Petronia petronia). There were several other notable species: migrants such as Arabian Warbler (Sylvia leucomelaena) and Upcher’s warbler (Hippolais languida); and residents such as Verreaux’s Eagle (Aquila verreauxi), Hume’s Tawny Owl (Strix butleri) and Striated Scops Owl (Otus brucei). Estimates of bird density and descriptions of each wadi are given. Species diversity of wadis within the Ring dyke geological feature bounding the central mountain plateau was not significantly different from wadis outside. Species composition and numbers of individuals varied according to the distribution of water sources, natural trees and Bedouin gardens especially in fruit. These features appear to be particularly important as staging posts for migrants. Numbers of some birds increased around tourist areas. Observations of seven species of reptile and ten species of butterfly including endemics are also presented. Recorded numbers of all groups depended heavily on the time of day.

Flora of St Katherine Protectorate: key to families and genera

An illustrated key to families and genera of the flora of the St Katherine Protectorate is provided to facilitate the identification of the unique flora of the area, based on five years of collecting mainly in the mountains and wadis surrounding the town of St Katherine. The key includes 43 families and 141 genera, the families represented by the largest numbers of genera in the Protectorate are: Compositae (15 genera), Gramineae (11), Labiatae (11), Leguminosae (10) and Boraginaceae (9).

Variation of seed protein of Alkanna orientalis subpopulations in relation to geographical isolation in St Katherine Protectorate, Sinai, Egypt

Alkanna orientalis was surveyed from four wadi systems (El-Arbaein, El-Tofaha, El-Dir and Abu Seila), and two open flat sites (beginning of wadi El-Sheikh and El-Rasis) in the St. Katherine Protectorate to look at the variation within and among individuals in these sites using total seed storage proteins. A total of 55 clearly distinguishable polymorphic bands were observed from 78 individual plants collected from these six sites. Some bands were found to be common to all subpopulations, but each subpopulation was characterized by its own band(s). Shannon's diversity index was calculated for each subpopulation showing that subpopulations contain different levels of diversity with an overall average of H s = 2.97. The level of variation was very low within populations as compared with the very high difference detected among them. The six subpopulations were found to contain different levels of protein diversity (as measured by Shannon's index of diversity): wadi El-Tofaha, Abu Seila, El-Arbaein and El-Dir contained the lowest diversity, while El-Rasis and El-Sheikh subpopulations contained the greatest diversity. Geographically, the first four sites are closed wadi systems (narrow wadi beds bounded by high mountains) and hence probably having very restricted gene flow with each other, while the last two sites (El-Rasis and El-Sheikh) are open flat areas expected to be subjected to occasional gene flow via seed transport from the other four wadis. KEY WORDS: Boraginaceae, protein pattern, diversity index, dendrogram, arid environment Egyptian Journal of Botany Vol.5 2003: 27-34