article · Arid Land Research and Management
An ecological survey of sixteen sample plots across Wadi Fatimah near Mecca, Saudi Arabia, identified one hundred plant species distributed across thirty-four families. Fabaceae and Poaceae formed the dominant botanical families, with chamaephytes and therophytes representing the primary life forms characteristic of desert ecosystems. Altitude emerged as a significant factor influencing species frequency. Researchers identified four major vegetation groups across three environments, namely littoral salt marsh, coastal plain, and inland mountainous terrain. Plant diversity peaked in coastal plain habitats at twenty-three species per plot, whereas littoral salt marshes exhibited the lowest diversity at nine species per plot. Multivariate ordination showed that soil properties strongly govern community separation: magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus influenced inland vegetation, soil texture governed one inland group, sodium and calcium shaped salt marsh communities, and heavy metals correlated with coastal plain vegetation.
Desert habitats are shaped by strict environmental pressures. By identifying the exact soil elements, altitudes, and salinity levels that support specific desert plants, this research clarifies how arid ecosystems are structured. These baseline botanical insights are valuable for understanding ecosystem resilience, monitoring habitat degradation, and managing natural vegetation in fragile arid landscapes facing natural and human-induced stresses.
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The present study aimed to determine floristic composition, the structure of the vegetation, and species distribution at 16 sample plots in Wadi Fatimah, Mecca, Saudi Arabia, highlighting the ecological factors that affect species distribution. The study revealed 100 plant species belonging to 34 families. Fabaceae and Poaceae were the dominant families, and chamaephytes and therophytes were predominant life forms, which demonstrate a typical desert life-form spectrum. Altitude showed a highly significant association with species frequency distribution. The highest species richness value of 23 species per plot was recorded in the coastal plain (Vegetation groups II & III). The lowest species richness value of 9 species per plot was recorded in the littoral salt marsh (Vegetation group I). Chorological analysis exhibited the Saharao-Arabian–Sudano-Zambezian chorotypes, 47% of the studied species were bi-regional. Using TWINSPAN, DCA, and CCA multivariate analysis, four major vegetation groups were classified into three main ecosystems (I) Halopeplis perfoliata, Suaeda fruticosa, Acacia tortilis, and Suaeda fruticosa, representing the littoral salt marsh; (II) Rhazya stricta and Haloxylon salicornicum, characterized by the coastal plain; and (III) Senna italica, Glinus lotoides, and Tribulus macropterus were the leading groups in the inland mountainous country. The CCA ordination showed that the separation of Vegetation group III along the axis was affected by Mg, K, and P concentration, and VG IV was significantly associated with silt, clay, and fine sand content. Furthermore, the Vegetation group I was significantly correlated with Na and Ca concentration, and VG II group was significantly correlated with heavy metal concentrations of elements as Fe, Pb, Zn, Ni, and Cu.
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DOI: 10.1080/15324982.2017.1318188
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