Role of Shrubby Species in Combating Desertification and Enhancing Floral Diversity in the Sandy Deserts of the DDCR

Aims

Assessing the impact of Nebkhas or Phytogenic Mounds on floral diversity; separate the effect of mounds from that of the shrubs. This will be accomplished by comparing plant community attributes under a certain shrubby species with and without mounds; assessing the effect of shrub type and mound size on floral diversity.

Goals

• Assessing the facilitation of shrubby species to other small shrubs and annuals plants.
• Evaluation of the effects of mounds' size on diversity and composition of associated flora.
• Separate the impact of mounds from that of shrub on diversity and composition of associated flora.
• Assessment the role of mounds in improving soil physical and chemical characters under the host shrubs.

Methodology

• Carrying out a field survey on different microhabitats of the DDCR sand dunes.
• Locating plots of 20m x 20m in size in each microhabitat.
• A quadrate will be located around each individual of the specified dominant shrubby species.
• Within each quadrate, the following plant community attributes will be recorded:
  • A list for all the available species.
  • Species density
  • Species frequency
  • Species cover (for perennials)
  • Importance values (summation of relative frequency, relative density and relative cover) will be calculated for perennials
  • Species richness, Shannon-Weiner and Simpson diversity will be calculated for the plant community of each plot.

Expected Output

• Getting a clear knowledge about the impact of different shrubs mounds on the associated vegetations.
• Differentiating between the shrubs which inhibit the growth of the vegetation and the other shrubs which facilitate the associated species.
• Initiating the recovery plan for the shrubs which has the facilitation effect; in return it will restore the natural vegetation in DDCR.
• Publishing the result in a peer reviewing international journal.

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