Shoreline vegetation of Lake Nubia, Sudan

The paper reports on the flora along the banks of Lake Nubia and the long-term changes that have taken place since the formation of the Aswan High Dam Lake 30 years ago. The study also aims to determine the main factors that govern plant distribution in this area. Shoreline vegetation was studied from Debeira at the Sudanese-Egyptian border to the 'Dal' Cataract at the south end of the lake, in Sudan. The shoreline was classified into four moisture gradient zones depending on the period of inundation, namely: wet zone (frequently inundated and recently exposed); moist zone (periodically inundated); semi-dry zone (rarely inundated); and dry zone (never inundated). Plants characterising each zone were identified. Soil texture and thickness of the deposits were measured for each zone at each site. According to Grime's strategy, the study revealed that species of the wet and the moist zones are mainly disturbance-tolerant; species observed in the 'semi-dry' zone are competitive-stress-tolerant; and those of the 'dry' zone are stress-tolerant. The present study indicates that elevation above mean sea level, and period of inundation and texture of deposits play an important role in governing the distribution of the shoreline vegetation.