Al-Taisan Wafa'a A
Department of Biology, College of Science, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, 31441, Saudi Arabia.
Heliyon. 2022 Jul 19;8(7):e09996. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e09996. eCollection 2022 Jul.
Islands are broadly recognized as hotspots of ecology, biological and geophysical diversity with unique plant species. The present study aimed to address the floristic composition in the Az Zakhnuniyah Island along the Arabian Gulf of Saudi Arabia. A total of 21 quadrats, of 100 m each were sampled, and both relative density and cover were determined. Classification (Agglomerative Hierarchical Clustering {AHC} and ordination [Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA) and Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA)] were applied to identify vegetation clusters and their correlation to the underlying soil factors. Fifty plant species belonging to 21 families were recorded. Amaranthaceae (22.9%), Poaceae (12.5%), Asteraceae and Zygophyllaceae (8.33% each) were the largest represented families. Therophytes and chamaephytes were the most represented life-forms, indicating saline-desert vegetation. Most of the surveyed plant species are used for medicinal purposes and grazing. AHC and DCA allowed identifying three vegetation clusters within three distinct habitats: cluster (A): - in wet salt-marsh habitat, cluster (B): - in sabkha, and cluster (C): - in sand dune habitat within the island. The CCA results imply strong relationships between floristic composition and salinity measures (CaCO, electric conductivity, Mg, Na, K, Cl and SO) and soil texture. The current vegetation pattern in Zakhnuniyah Island reflects a salinity gradient with variations in soil texture. Knowledge of the floristic composition and its correlation to the environmental factors within islands should guide future conservation strategy and management efforts.
岛屿被广泛认为是生态、生物和地球物理多样性的热点地区，拥有独特的植物物种。本研究旨在探讨沙特阿拉伯阿拉伯湾沿岸的扎克努尼亚岛的植物区系组成。共采集了21个100米见方的样方，并测定了相对密度和盖度。采用分类法（凝聚层次聚类法{AHC}）和排序法（去趋势对应分析{DCA}和典范对应分析{CCA}）来识别植被群落及其与潜在土壤因子的相关性。记录了属于21个科的50种植物。苋科（22.9%）、禾本科（12.5%）、菊科和蒺藜科（各占8.33%）是占比最大的科。一年生植物和矮灌木是占比最多的生活型，表明是盐碱荒漠植被。大多数被调查的植物物种都用于药用和放牧。AHC和DCA方法识别出该岛三个不同生境中的三个植被群落：群落（A）：在湿润盐沼生境中；群落（B）：在盐土荒漠中；群落（C）：在沙丘生境中。CCA结果表明植物区系组成与盐度指标（碳酸钙、电导率、镁、钠、钾、氯和硫酸根）以及土壤质地之间存在密切关系。扎克努尼亚岛目前的植被格局反映了盐度梯度以及土壤质地的变化。了解岛屿内的植物区系组成及其与环境因子的相关性，应为未来的保护策略和管理工作提供指导。
