Demography of Juniperus phoenicea L. and Juniperus procera Hochst. ex Endl. populations at Sarrawat Mountains, Southwest of Saudi Arabia

Al-Sodany Yassin Mohamed,Al-Yasi Hatim Matooq,Shaltout Salma Kamal 한국생태학회 2024 Journal of Ecology and Environment Vol.48 No.1

Background: The present study aims to identify the pattern and size of Juniperus species (Juniperus phoenicea and J. procera) in the natural forests in terms of tree dimension, size structure and density, discussing the existing both species in Sarrawat Mountains for suggesting the preservation, conservation, and sustainable development. For achieving this, the height and mean crown diameter of each individual was measured based on 2–4 diameter measurements per ind. (506 ind. for J. phoenicea and 322 ind. for J. procera). Results: The size index of both species was classified into 7 classes: the first (< 100 cm) and the second (100–200 cm) classes were chosen to represent the juvenile stage. The total mean of the J. phoenicea population increased with the increase of altitude, while the whole population decreased after altitude of 2,000 m. The total mean of the J. procera population increased with the increase of altitude till altitude of 2,000–2,100 m. Conclusions: The present study indicated that both of species grow at low altitudes, they only grow at altitude above 1,700 m above sea level. The present study indicated that the study area has the two Juniperus spp. (J. phoenicea and J. procera) associated together all over the area. The results were discussed and compared with other related studies.

Epidemiology of Breast Cancer among Females in Basrah

Habib, Omran S,Hameed, Lamis A,Ajeel, Narjis A,Al-Hawaz, Mazin H,Al-Faddagh, Zaki A,Nasr, Ghalib N,Al-Sodani, Ali H,Khalaf, Asaad A,Hasson, Hasson M,Abdul-Samad, Aida A Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2016 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.17 No.no.sup3

Breast cancer is the most frequent cancer in females. Its incidence is higher in developed countries than in developing ones partly due to variation in risk exposure and partly due to better detection methods. Scattered evidence in Basrah, Iraq, suggests that breast cancer has been increasing at a significant pace in recent years. This study aimed to measure the current level of risk of breast cancer among females in Basrah and to describe the time trend over almost a decade of years. Data on breast cancer cases from all sources of cancer registration in Basrah governorate were compiled for the years 2005-2012. The data for each year were first checked separately for duplicate reporting of cases among various sources. Then the eight files were pooled together and checked again for any duplicate cases among years of registration. The final set of data contained 2,284 cases of breast cancer (2,213 female cases and 71 male cases). All patients were inhabitants of Basrah governorate at the time of diagnosis. Figures on the Basrah population were obtained from various sources including the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Planning and Developmental Collaboration and local household surveys. It was possible to have total population estimates for each year and by age and sex. The data were imported into SPSS (version 17) software. Age specific and year specific incidence rates were calculated. The age standardized incidence rate was also calculated using world population as the standard population to be 34.9 per 100,000 females. Age-wise, no case was reported among children aged less than 15 years and the incidence increased with advancing age reaching a peak of 123.8/100,000 females at the age range of 50-54 years. The time trend of the crude incidence rate showed only modest increased risk with passage of years and no age shift could be documented in this study. Breast cancer in females in Basrah is a significant health problem. The current incidence rate (crude, 23.7/100,000, age-standardized, 34.9/100,000) is high and justifies intensive efforts to improve early detection of cases, provide better treatment amenities and introduce long term preventive measures. Using the age standardized incidence rate as reported in this paper, it is possible to put the risk in Basrah within a regional and international context.

Plant diversity of the pads of electric towers along the deltaic Mediterranean coast of Egypt

Shaltout Kamal,Beshara Hani,Al-Sodany Yassin,El-Din Ahmed Sharaf,El-Fahar Ragab 한국생태학회 2023 Journal of Ecology and Environment Vol.47 No.3

Background: Comparing with the several types of infrastructures, linear infrastructures are known to facilitate the spread of undesirable species in ecosystems. Recently, some new man-made habitats (e.g., gravel pads of the high-voltage towers, solid wastes and sewage habitats) were established along the Deltaic Mediterranean coast of Egypt as a result of the construction of the E-W coastal international highway. The current study evaluates the floristic composition associated with the pads of high-voltage towers that had been constructed for stabilizing the power line towers in the North Nile Delta. Plant cover was measured for 22 randomly stand. Results: Eighty-four species were recorded, of which 35 are perennials (41.6%), 2 biennials (2.3%) and 47 annuals (56.0%) belonging to 23 families. The largest families were Asteraceae (16 species), Poaceae (15 species), Chenopodiaceae (12 species), and Fabaceae (7 species). Ten aliens (10.7%) out of the 84 species were recorded. Therophytes have the highest percentage (58%), followed by hemicryptophytes (14%), chamaephytes (11%). Six vegetation groups were recognized in the study area after the application of two way indicator species analysis (TWINSPAN), Arthrocnemum macrostachyum, Phragmites australis, and Mesembryanthemum nodiflorum have the highest presence percentage. Both of Salsola cyclophylla and Solanum villosum were recorded for the first time in North Nile Delta. Natural habitat had the highest α-diversity, but the lowest β-diversity (4.9, 15.4), while gravel pads had the reverse (2.7, 30.8). Some species which are native to the desert habitats (e.g., Rumex pictus, Salsola kali, and Carthamus tenuis) were able to invade the North Nile Delta. Conclusions: Habitat of gravel pads is an expressing form about the intense of disturbance in Deltaic Mediterranean coast of Egypt. More of efforts should be carried out to avoid more human disturbances that creating as ruderal habitats which open the gate to invasive species in the flora of North Nile Delta.

Microalgal diversity in response to differential heavy metals-contaminated wastewater levels at North Nile Delta, Egypt

Elmousel Maha Youssef Kamal,El-Mohsnawy Eithar,Al-Sodany Yassin Mohamed,Eltanahy Eladl Galal,Abbas Mohamed Ali,Ali Awatif Saad 한국생태학회 2023 Journal of Ecology and Environment Vol.47 No.3

Background: The most hazardous wastewater sources in the northern part of the Middle Nile Delta, Egypt; receiving a massive amount of agricultural, industrial, and sewage drainage are Kitchener drain which is one of the tallest drainage systems, and Burullus Lake which represents the 2nd largest Egyptian coastal lake. Results: The current work is to determine the abundance and frequency of cyanophytes, chlorophytes, and bacillariophytes and the correlation between them and environmental abiotic components. Among sixty nine microalgal species, 19 species are belong Cyanophyta, 26 belong Chlorophyta and 24 belong Bacillariophyta. Genus Scenedesmus (Chlorophyta) was the most abundant in the study area (13 species), followed by Genus Oscillatoria (9 species) and Genus Navicula (7 species). Nostoc muscorum and Chlorella vulgaris were the most common and recorded in all sites (100% of the locations) under study. The application of the two-way indicator species analysis (TWINSPAN) and detrended correspondence analysis revealed agglomerating of 4 groups (communities) at 4th level of classification and reasonable segregation between these groups. Zinc, cadmium and lead were showed the highest levels (0.26 ± 0.03, 0.26 ± 0.06, and 0.17 ± 0.01 ppm, respectively). Conclusions: The correlation analysis between water and community variables indicated a high negative correlation of total algae richness with nickel (r = –0.936, p < 0.01). Cyanophyta and Bacillariophyta were correlated negatively (r = –0.842, p < 0.01). However, Chlorophyta showed a negative richness with each of Ni and Pb (r = –0.965, –0.873, respectively) on one hand and a high positive correlation was revealed (r = 0.964) with all environmental variables on the other hand.

Plant diversity of the pads of electric towers along the deltaic Mediterranean coast of Egypt

Kamal Shaltout,Hani Beshara,Yassin Al-Sodany,Ahmed Sharaf, El-Din,Ragab El-Fahar The Ecological Society of Korea 2023 Journal of Ecology and Environment Vol.47 No.1

Background: Comparing with the several types of infrastructures, linear infrastructures are known to facilitate the spread of undesirable species in ecosystems. Recently, some new man-made habitats (e.g., gravel pads of the high-voltage towers, solid wastes and sewage habitats) were established along the Deltaic Mediterranean coast of Egypt as a result of the construction of the E-W coastal international highway. The current study evaluates the floristic composition associated with the pads of high-voltage towers that had been constructed for stabilizing the power line towers in the North Nile Delta. Plant cover was measured for 22 randomly stand. Results: Eighty-four species were recorded, of which 35 are perennials (41.6%), 2 biennials (2.3%) and 47 annuals (56.0%) belonging to 23 families. The largest families were Asteraceae (16 species), Poaceae (15 species), Chenopodiaceae (12 species), and Fabaceae (7 species). Ten aliens (10.7%) out of the 84 species were recorded. Therophytes have the highest percentage (58%), followed by hemicryptophytes (14%), chamaephytes (11%). Six vegetation groups were recognized in the study area after the application of two way indicator species analysis (TWINSPAN), Arthrocnemum macrostachyum, Phragmites australis, and Mesembryanthemum nodiflorum have the highest presence percentage. Both of Salsola cyclophylla and Solanum villosum were recorded for the first time in North Nile Delta. Natural habitat had the highest α-diversity, but the lowest β-diversity (4.9, 15.4), while gravel pads had the reverse (2.7, 30.8). Some species which are native to the desert habitats (e.g., Rumex pictus, Salsola kali, and Carthamus tenuis) were able to invade the North Nile Delta. Conclusions: Habitat of gravel pads is an expressing form about the intense of disturbance in Deltaic Mediterranean coast of Egypt. More of efforts should be carried out to avoid more human disturbances that creating as ruderal habitats which open the gate to invasive species in the flora of North Nile Delta.

Ethnobotanical importance of the endemic taxa in the Egyptian flora

El-Khalafy Mohamed Mahmoud,Ahmed Dalia Abd El-Azeem,Shaltout Kamal Hussein,Haroun Soliman Abdelfattah,Al-Sodany Yassin Mohamed 한국생태학회 2023 Journal of Ecology and Environment Vol.47 No.3

Background: Endemic species are important components in the flora of most world regions. Most of these species have become threatened and exposed to extinction within the last few years. The present study aims to evaluate the ecosystem services offered by the endemic plant taxa in Egypt and the threats that affect them. Twenty-five field visits were conducted during summer 2018 to spring 2022 to several locations all over Egypt. In each location, the main habitats, national distribution, abundance, goods and threats were recorded. Results: Egypt has 41 endemic taxa belonging to 36 genera and 20 families inhabiting 10 main habitats. Rocky surfaces and sandy formations have the highest number of endemic species. The relation between the number of endemic taxa and the abundance categories indicated that 2 taxa are rare (4.9% of the total taxa), while the remaining were very rare (95%). The most represented offered good was the medicinal uses (32 taxa = 78%), while fuel plants were only represented by 2 taxa (2 taxa = 4.9%). Besides, 14 taxa (34.1% of the total studied taxa) have at least 1 environmental service. Soil fertility (7 taxa = 50%) was the most represented, followed by sand accumulations (6 taxa out of 14 taxa = 43%), while shading plant was the least (1 taxon = 7.1%) (Rosa arabica). The most represented threat is over-cutting and over-collecting (38 taxa = 92.7%), while mining and quarrying is the least represented (4 taxa = 9.8%). Conclusions: The potential and actual goods, services and threats of the endemic taxa were assessed as follows; field observation, information collected from local inhabitants and herbalists, and a literature review. The present study recommended planning a strategy about the importance, threats and conservation of endemic taxa in Egypt that would help in the protection and rescue of these plants and increase awareness about the importance of these plants.