VegEgypt ecoinformatics: contribution to Sinai flora and vegetation.

This study is aimed at collection of all available phytosociological data on vegetation of Sinai Peninsula, a region that is still poorly explored. An overview of the plant communities of Sinai is compiled based on additional field work and inventories. The database for Sinai vegetation will serve as a nucleus for the National Vegetation Databank of Egypt--'VegEgypt'. Aspects like species richness, species turnover, conservation categories, and endemism were given special attention. The database was set up and analysed using the Turboveg and Juice programs. A matrix of 816 relevés and 496 species belonging to 69 families and 281 genera formed the basis for further analysis. Asteraceae, Poaceae and Fabaceae were the most represented families. The lists contain 52 threatened, 16 endemic and 20 sub-endemic species. The percentage of endemic species is highest in insular floras, peninsulas and mountain chains. The vegetation analysis resulted in 21 associations. The plant associations on sand habitats have the lowest species richness and species turnover because of water scarcity. On the other hand, plant communities or associations inhabiting rocky habitats have the highest species richness and species turnover. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]