Ecological Assessmen T and Phenotypic and Fitness Variation of Sinai’s Remnant Populations of Moringa Peregrina

Abstract

Abstract.Moringa peregrina which 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. peregrina has narrow distribution and grows on cliffs and at the base of hills (300 -800 m a.s.l.) with very rugged 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.

Endophytes Aspergillus caespitosus LK12 and Phoma sp. LK13 of Moringa peregrina produce gibberellins and improve rice plant growth

“…Moringa peregrina Fiori (Moringaceae), a deciduous tree, is an economically important plant of the Arabian and North African region (Hegazy et al 2008;Zaghloul et al 2011). Besides its ecological importance, it is mainly used in folk medicine and eaten as a vegetable (Marwah et al 2007;Hegazy et al 2008;Goma & Picó 2011;Zaghloul et al 2011).…”

“…Besides its ecological importance, it is mainly used in folk medicine and eaten as a vegetable (Marwah et al 2007;Hegazy et al 2008;Goma & Picó 2011;Zaghloul et al 2011). It is effective for abdominal pain, burns, constipation, and headache while its bark has been used to remove freckles (Miier & Morris 1989).…”

Regeneration and assessment of genetic fidelity of the endangered tree Moringa peregrina (Forsk.) Fiori using Inter Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR)

“…pregrina is becoming an endangered plant species all over the world as a result of unmanaged grazing and slow regeneration rate after browsing (Gomma and Pico 2011;Steinitz et al 2009). Many recent studies are aiming to find efficient cultivation methods to save M. peregrina from extinction (Zaghloul et al 2010). The loss of plant genetic resources, particularly those of wild species, has led to the development of 'ex situ' conservation methods to maintain genetics diversity.…”

Conservation genetics of Sinai’s remnant populations of Moringa peregrina, an economically valuable medicinal plant

“…peregrina is a promising candidate for cultivation due to its economic and medicinal importance (Somali et al 1984) coupled with its fast growing habit (Abd ElWahab et al 2004) and high seed germination rates (Zaghloul et al 2010). Obviously, access to a wide range of genetic diversity is critical for the success of any breeding program.…”