Vegetation and environment of the western Mediterranean coastal land of Egypt. I. The habitat of sand dunes

Coastal dunes form one of the major habitats of the Mediterranean desert west of Alexandria. In all stages of dune formation, the vegetation is dominated by Ammophila arenaria, although its abundance is distinctly lower on stable than on active dunes. On protected sand shadows, this species becomes less important and the vegetation is codominated by a group of equally abundant species. Many of the species common on dunes are recorded on the shallow substrates of the coastal ridge. This supports the idea that this ridge is probably a product of the consolidation of ancient dunes. Because of the destructive effects of man and animals, no clear relationships could be established between species distribution and soil characters. The main controlling factor is the physical process of dune stabilization.