Phytosociology with Other Characteristic Biologically and Ecologically of Plant in Palestine

Idna, Hebron area, Palestine was subject to phytosociological study through the period from March to May 2013;this area has a characteristic dry, arid, semi-arid and very little of sub-humid and locates between Mediterranean, Negev and Sinai regions. We took 237 samples of different species plants from Idna village;the absence of phytosociological studies on the area led us to run a statistical treatment on the 237 woody plant inventories. Moreover, the inventories were made following Braun-Blanquet 1979;we transformed the Braun-Blanquet species abundance-dominance values into those of Van der Maarel 1979. In the statistical treatment we obtained two large groups in the cluster: group (A), representing forests, copses and high shrublands influenced by climate (climatophilous);and group (B), representing Tamarix copses which are influenced by edaphohygrophilic. Working a great interest for Palestine. Due to the lack of phytosociological studies in this country. For the first time gets to sample and characterize the phytosociological methodology woody plant communities. The objective of this study is to obtain bioclimatic indicators to trigger sustainable agricultural development. We propose eight association plant communities such as ASL1 = association of woody plants (association one)—Pistacio palaestinae-Quercetum lokii;ASL2—Capparido sinaicae-Ceratonietum siliquae;ASL3—Cerasus microcarpae-Quercetum ithaburensis;ASL4—Pyro siriacae-Abietetum cilicicae;ASL5—Abio ciliciae-Ceratonietum siliquae;ASL6—Periploco aphylli-Pinetum halepensis;ASL7—Cytisopsis pseudocytiso-Tamaricetum tetragynae;ASL8—Crataego sinaicae-Tamaricetum jordanii.

Soil and Phytosociological Characterisation of Grasslands in the Western Mediterranean

A study was made of grasslands in olive groves with a high frequency of Hordeum leporinum Link, Chrysanthemum coronarium L., Malva neglecta Wallr., Aegilops geniculata Roth and Dasypyrum villosum (L.) Borbas, initially included in the alliance Hordeion leporini Br.-Bl. in Br.-Bl., Gajewski, Wraber & Walas 1936 corr. O. Bolós 1962, and sub-alliance Malvenion neglectae Gutte 1966. The study was carried out in the western Mediterranean (Spain, Italy, Portugal and northern Morocco). The soil and phytosociological treatment of the samples contributes information for new plant communities. In the study of plant communities, the indices of degree of presence are adapted to those of Van der Maarel. The new alliance Securigero securidacae-Dasypyrion villosi is proposed for the sub-Mediterranean and Euro-Siberian territories, with the new communities Securigero securidacae-Dasypyretum villosi and Convolvulo elegantissimi-Aegilopetum geniculatae. This last community, due to its richness in Aegilops geniculata Roth, could be included in the alliance Taeniathero-Aegilopion geniculatae Rivas-Martínez & Izco 1977;however, the soil and statistical analyses reveal that it should remain part of the alliance Securigero securidacae-Dasypyrion villosi. The soil and floristic study of Hordeion leporini and Malvenion neglectae allows us to describe the new sub-alliance Resedo albae-Chrysanthemenion coronarii, subordinated to Malvion neglectae (Gutte 1966) status novo.

Assessing Crop Yield Sustainability under the Climatic and Bioclimatic Change in the Area of Palestine

We analyzed plant production such as olive, grape and fig in several Palestinian Occupied Territories, and studied the correlation analyses between productions and climatic, bioclimatic features in the territory. This work examines the following climate factors: average temperature, precipitation, soil water reserve and water deficit;and bioclimatic parameters such as compensated thermicity index, ombrothermic index and continentally index. The data used were from nine meteorological stations of the Palestinian Meteorological Department. The study was based on the correlation analyses between olive, grape and fig production in nine plots: Hebron, Ramallah, Nablus, Jenin, Jericho, Bethlehem, Jerusalem and Tulkarem over fourteen years. The analysis of variance revealed a significant influence of the variables temperature and compensated thermicity index on the production of olive and fig, and a low influence on grape production. When we applied canonical correspondence analysis (CCA), the Nablus, Jenin, Jericho and Gaza plots were most affected by the climate factors as temperature, and bioclimate factors as compensated thermicity index, whereas, the Hebron, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Tulkarem and Ramallah plots showed the influence of ombrothermic index, continentally index, precipitation, water deficit and soil water reserve.

Case Study: Analysis of the Physical Factors of Palestinian Bioclimate

This study analyses the physical factors of the Palestinian bioclimate, the mean monthly and annual temperature, mean monthly maximum temperature, and mean monthly minimum temperature using data from six weather stations from the Palestine Meteorological Department, recorded in two periods: The first period from 1969 to 1981, the second period from 1975 to 1995 (more than 32 years). Statistical tests included a bioclimatic analysis of Palestinian meteorological stations for the periods from 1969-1981 and 1975-1995 by using bioclimatic classification of the Earth of Rivas Martinez Salvador, with regard to thermicity index, compensated thermicity index, annual ombrothermic index, and simple continentality index. The bioclimate of Palestineis affected by various factors, such as the Jordanian-Syrian desert, and its natural geography and topography, among others as well as biodiversity. Annual ombrothermic index value ranging between 0.6 to 3.4 and simple continentality index was from 12.4 to 18.1. It is concluded that the occupied Palestinian territories belong to the arid, semiarid, dry, sub-humid and humid ombrotype, and the Inframediterranean, Thermomediterranean and Mesomediterranean bioclimatic belt.