Abstract
Integration phytosociology combined with traditional measures of diversity is used to describe the patterns of vegetation diversity along the coastal salt marshes of Kuwait. This study assesses the plant communities and the environmental factors that govern species diversity and distribution in the coastal salt marshes using TWINSPAN, DCA, and regression analysis. The results focus on: (1) the environmental gradients observed are very complex; (2) stressful environments support low plant species diversity but high dominance; also, (3) natural factors (substrate and climate) are important at the zonation and diversity of plant community by changing in the habitat formation. Six vegetation groups were identified at level 3 of TWINSPAN. (I)Halocnemum strobilaceum-Juncus arabicus, (II)Halocnemum strobilaceum-Suaeda vermiculata, (III)Nitraria retusa-Zygophyllum qatarense, (IV)Zygophyllum qatarense-Haloxylon salicomicum, (V)Nitraria retusa, (VI)Tamarix aucherana. The community diversity is negatively correlated with soil salinity, moisture, organic matter, fine texture, minerals, and plant cover and positively correlated with sand. Community diversity is consistently affected by the result of active sand deposition and process of hummock formation (Nabkas). These results are discussed in terms of competition adaptation theory.
Riassunto
In questo studio viene usato l’approccio fitosociologico integrato alle tradizionali misure della diversità per un’analisi deipattern di diversità della vegetazione nelle paludi salate della fascia costiera del Kuwait. La distribuzione e la diversità delle comunità vegetali in relazione ai fattori ambientali che le governano vengono analizzate utilizzando la DCA (Detrended Component Analysis) e l’analisi delle regressione. I risultati mettono in evidenza che: 1) i gradienti ambientali osservati sono molto complessi; 2) gli ambienti stressati sono caratterizzati da bassa diversità ed elevata dominanza; 3) i fattori naturali (clima e substrati) sono importanti per la zonazione e la diversità delle comunità. Con l’analisi multivariata effettuata con TWINSPAN, sono stati identificati sei gruppi di vegetazione: (I)Halocnemum strobilaceum-Juncus arabicus, (II)Halocnemum strobilaceum-Suaeda vermiculata, (III)Nitraria retusa-Zygophyllum qatarense, (IV)Zygophyllum qatarense-Haloxylon salicornicum, (V)Nitraria retusa, (VI)Tamarix aucherana. La diversità a livello di comunità risulta correlata negativamente con la copertura delle specie, con umidità, salinità, sostanza organica e tessitura del suolo, positivamente con la sabbia. La diversità delle comunità è fortemente influenzata dai processi di attiva deposizione della sabbia e di formazione delle dune (Nabkas). Questi risultati vengono discussi alla luce della teoria della competizione.
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Pervenuta in forma definitiva all’Accademia il 24 luglio 2006.
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El-Ghareeb, R.M., El-Sheikh, M.A.E. & Testi, A. Diversity of plant communities in coastal salt marshes habitat in Kuwait. Rend. Fis. Acc. Lincei 17, 311–331 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02904769
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02904769