Abstract Detail

Molecular Ecology and Evolution

Mohamed, Abeer [1], Little, Damon [2].

Bar-coding of Siwa Oasis flora in Egypt.

Egypt has a collection of flora and plant biodiversity distributed across the northern mediterranean fringe, Sinai Peninsula, Gebel Elba, and western desert which consider lowest in plant biodiversity. Any one of these localities has a plant diversity that is very precious and useful in many ways. Siwa Oasis is one of the depressions located in the northern part of the western desert of Egypt covering almost 1000Km. Dune fields, gravel plains, saline lakes, cliffs and scattered acacia groves give the region a rich variety of landscapes and provide habitat for a diversity of flora. Oasis of Siwa need more attention and careful sight upon plant biodiversity that became endangered after many human activities take place such as increase of cultivation area, introduction of exotic species, grazing, fire, and tourism. Intensive collection and surveying of the plant species exist in the Oasis and the surrounding areas by morphological and molecular means is important approach. This study utilize DNA barcoding for the first time to survey of plants biodiversity in Siwa Oasis. The choice of rbcL+matK as a core barcode sites was based on the straightforward recovery of the rbcL region and the discriminatory power of the matK region. Approximately 20 species were bar-coded during this study which considered as first step to bar-code all flora in Siwa Oasis and should help to increase awareness of plant biodiversity not only in Siwa Oasis but also in many other localities of biodiversity in Egypt.

1 - Faculty of Agriculture (Saba Basha), Alexandria Univ. , Agricultural Botany and Genetics Dept., 22 Tag El-Roasaa St., Saba Basha, Alexandria, Egypt
2 - New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY, USA

Keywords:
DNA bar-coding
Flora
biodiversity
Egypt.

Presentation Type: Poster:Posters for Topics
Session: P
Location: Hall D/The Shaw Conference Centre
Date: Monday, July 27th, 2015
Time: 5:30 PM
Number: PME004
Abstract ID:1163
Candidate for Awards:None