Ecological assessment and phenotypic and fitness variation of Sinai’s remnant populations of Moringa peregrina

摘要

Moringa peregrinawhich is one of the most valuable and economically important medicinal species in the Egyptian desert has become one of the most endangered trees due to unmanaged grazing and over-collection. The present study aims to provide ecological assessment of the species and to investigate whether progeny from the remnant fragmented populations show reduced fitness. Sixteen sites containing a total of 197 trees were sampled upon survey of Wadis in South Sinai, where vegetation parameters and associated species were recorded. Variation in edaphic factors, phenotypic traits, germination, and early life-history fitness were assessed and analyzed. The results indicated that M. peregrinahas narrow distribution and grows on cliffs and at the base of hills (300 -800 m a.s.l.) with veryrugged topography. Almost all the reproductive trees grow on south facing slopes and crevices of metamorphic rocks. The study clearly showed that the studied populations have very low early stage fitness estimated as an index of maternally affected life-history characters. The study suggested that the deteriorated environmental circumstances have affected negatively the fitness of maternal plants in small populations and the performance of their offspring. It concluded that direct protection is urgently needed to stop further deterioration of the populations and to improve their number and size