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Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of Tanta, Tanta, Egypt and Department

of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt

ABSTRACT

The present study is an attempt to assess the effect of soil salinity and some other environmental factors on the plant community diversity in saline and marshy depressions of the western Mediterranean region of Egypt. The community diversity is negatively correlated with soil salinity and with the other related soil variables (clay, organic matter and water holding capacity). The habitat change, as a result of active sand deposition and process of hummock formation, also has a great impact on community diversity. The plant cover is negatively correlated with diversity. These findings are discussed in terms of adaptation theory.