Study of the floristic diversity of the Saharan route in the border area of El Oued

Abstract

The present study is a contribution to the knowledge and the description of plant communities in a few habitats present in the neighbourhoods of El Oued. The data are represented by 50 floristic relevés realized according to a subjective sampling strategy in 15 sites of the study area. These data are processed by analyses of biodiversity and numerical methods (DCA and CAH). The results obtained allowed to individualize five floristic sets, corresponding to five plant associations, which were defined and described by a phytosociological study. The numerical analysis also allowed to identify the ecological factors governing the distribution of these different associations. These are, starting from the most important ones: salinity, texture of soil, moisture and altitude. The associations obtained were compared and attached to the higher units described and based on the hierarchy proposed by by Quézel (1965), Géhu, Kaabbhèche and Gharzouli (1994).