EFFECT OF AFFORESTATION WITH ACACIA SAL/GNA ON THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPROVEMENT OF SOME PLANT ASSOCIATIONS AT THE NORTH.WESTERN COAST OF EGYPT

Abstract

An investigation was carried out during the period extended from winter 1996 to autumn 1997 at the north western coast of Egypt to study the effect of Acacia saligna shrubs age and El-Qaser and El-Negiala locations on the !,'TOwth characters, fresh and dry productivity and chemical contents of Acacia shrubs as well as plant composition, distribution, pasture measurements, i.e. plant density, coverage, abundance, frequency fresh and dry yield and chemical contents of native plant species. The main results obtained were as follow: I. The growth characters of acacia shrubs, i.e., shrub height, trunk diameter, branch length, crown radius, crown cover and crown volume, fresh and dry productivity, total carbohydrate, crude fiber, total ash as percentage and yield were increased with increase • shrubs age and vice-versa in crude protein. 2. EI-Negiala location had higher values than EI-Qaser for some growth characters for Acacia shrubs,i.e., shrub height , crown vohun in the second year and tnmk diameter and branch length in both years, fresh and dry productivity, crude protein and total carbohydrate, while El-Qaser was superior than El­ Negiala in crude fiber and total ash contents .