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COUNTRY
EGYPT
NAME
El Omayed Protected Area, OPA (Experimental Research Area)
MANAGEMENT
CATEGORY I (Scientific reserve);
IX (Biosphere reserve)
BIOGEOGRAPHICAL
PROVINCE 2.18.07 (Sahara)
GEOGRAPHICAL
LOCATION The Omayed is situated in the Mediterranean coastal
desert region of north western Egypt, 7km south of Omayed village
and 80km west of Alexandria. 30°45'N, 29°12'E.
DATE
AND HISTORY OF ESTABLISHMENT Accepted by Unesco as a Biosphere
reserve in October 1981 after having been protected since 1974 by
REMDENE. The Governor of Matrouh recognised and designated the site
at the same time as the Biosphere designation. Official national
recognition of the site was made under Law 102 of 1983 and was instituted
by Prime Ministerial decree in July 1986 (Ghabbour, 1986).
AREA
1,000ha (100ha core area)
LAND
TENURE State ownership (rented by REMDENE)
ALTITUDE
Sea-level to 110m
PHYSICAL
FEATURES The site is situated on the Mediterranean Sahara coast,
extending inland along the Gebel Mariut-Khahm El-Eish Depression
of the western desert. Geological formations are essentially Quaternary
and Tertiary in origin. The coast consists of Holocene beach deposits
and sand dune accumulations. The pink oolitic limestones are of
Pliocene-Pleistocene origin. The topographic relief is characterised
by Pleistocene fossil rich white limestones forming successive undulations
running more or less parallel to the coast. These undulations are
in the form of calcareous rocky ridges (ancient dunes) alternating
with depressions and varying in height from 10 to 60m. Five main
habitat types exist at Omayed and these include: a) coastal calcareous
dunes; b) inland ridges with relict soils; c) saline marsh depressions;
d) non-saline depressions; and also e) inland plateaux (Ayyad and
Ghabbour, 1986). The soils are generally sandy with a high percentage
of calcium carbonate (Abdel-Razik et al., 1984).
CLIMATE
Mediterranean arid sub-saharan bioclimate with typical low annual
rainfall figures of 150-200mm. Temperatures vary from 12.7°C
in January to 25.5°C in August. The area is included in Emberger's
Mediterranean isoclimatic zones and is arid with mild winters and
warm summers. There is some humidity influence from the nearby Mediterranean
sea (Le Houérou, 1981).
VEGETATION
The flora is characterised by xerophytic steppic vegetation
of the Saharan Mediterranean region (Quezel, 1978, quoted by Ayyad
and Ghabbour, 1986). The typical associations consist of Thymelaea
hirsutae with Noaea mucronata (wet variant dominated by Asphodelus
microcarpus and dry variant by Achillea santolina) or Anabisis articulata
with Suaeda pruionosa (El Ghonemy and Tadros, 1970; Ayyad and Ghabbour,
1986). Dune vegetation consists of Ammophila arenaria, Euphorbia
paralias, Pancratium maritimum, Elymus fancrus, Crucianella maritima,
Echinops spinosissimus and Thymelaea hursuta on young dunes, whilst
there are communities of Crucianella maritima and Ononis vaginalis
on the older dunes (Ayyad and Ghabbour, 1986). The inland siliceous
sands are dominated by communities of Urginea maritima, Plantago
albicans and P. squarrosa. The shallow soiled inland ridges are
more often characterised by either Thymelaea spp. and Gymnocarpos
decadrum communities or by associations of Plantago albicans and
Asphodelus microcarpa. In these communities local variations result
from humidity differences: a) low moisture rocky ecosystems- Thymus
capitatus, Globularia arabica and Dactylis glomerata; b) deep soil
ecosystems - Asphodelus microcarpus, Hernaria hemistemon, Plantago
albicans and Salvia lanigera; c) intermediate habitats - Gymnocarpos
decandrum, Anabasis articulata, Helianthemum lippii and Pituranthos
tortuosus (Ayyad and Ghabbour, 1986). The halophilous vegetation,
typical of saline and marsh habitats, is dominated by Salicornia
fruticosa, Cressa cretica, Atriplex halimus, Juncus rigidus, Arthrocnemum
glaucum and Limonium echioides. In relatively deep water and under
higher salinity conditions are also Suaeda monoica, Zygophyllum
album, Limoniastrum monopetalum, Aeluropus lagopoides, Salsola tetrandra
and Frankenia revoluta. In areas with deep water and low salinity
are communities of Atriplex halimus, Hammada scoparia and Anabasis
articulata (Ayyad and Ghabbour, 1986). The inland plateau vegetation
includes Artemisia monosperma and Hammmada elegans associations
(calcareous soils), Anabasis articulata and Hammada scoparia (shallow
degraded soils) and Suaeda pruinosa and Salsola tetrandra communities
(saline soils) (Ayyad and Ghabbour, 1986; El Ghonemy and Tadros,
1970).
FAUNA
The mammals at Omayed include dorcas gazelle Gazella dorcas, a number
of gerbils Gerbillus spp., the east Mediterranean endemic mole-rat
Spalax leucodon, the fennec Vulpes zerda, red fox Vulpes vulpes,
hare Lepus capensis and the North African endemic fat sand rat Psammomys
obesus. There are 50-70 bird species including kestrel Falco tinnunculus
and quail Coturnix coturnix and between 7-13 reptile and amphibian
species such as horned viper Cerastes cerastes and also the tortoise
Testudo graeca. Common insects are represented by the families Terrebrionidae,
Scarabaeidae and Carabidae. There are also records of sand roach
Heterogamia syriaca, harvester ants Messor spp. and a localised
protozoa Acanthamoeba (Ayyad and Ghabbour, 1986).
CULTURAL
HERITAGE No information
LOCAL
HUMAN POPULATION Rain fed fig farms are present in the reserve.
There are some scattered settlements and semi-nomad communities
which have traditional land-use and grazing rights over the area
(Ayyad and Ghabbour, 1986).
VISITORS
AND VISITOR FACILITIES No information
SCIENTIFIC
RESEARCH AND FACILITIES This area is one of the principal sites
of research projects of SAMDENE (1974-1979) and its successor REMDENE
(1979-). Projects include studies on soil, climate, flora and fauna.
There are also monitoring projects specialising in meteorology,
soil physics and behaviour of grazing animals. Controlled experiments
are carried out on grazing densities and pressures in 75ha of land
(varying from 25 to 50% grazing concentrations). The facilities
at Omayed include a research station along with climatic station
and accommodation for scientists (Ayyad and Ghabbour, 1986).
CONSERVATION
MANAGEMENT The site has been designated because of its important
assemblages of desert fauna and flora and for its research potential.
The fenced core area of 100ha has been completely protected from
grazing since 1974, and shows signs of regeneration. Three other
fenced areas totalling 75ha have a controlled maximum level of 50
per cent grazing by domestic livestock. A major proportion of the
remaining area is under traditional pasture land-use. A detailed
management plan has recently been drawn up to include the whole
protected area (Ayyad and Ghabbour, 1986).
Specific
legislation prohibits "any action that would endanger living
species or destroy landscapes within the protected area". Currently
the site is rented and protected by the REMDENE project (Regional
Environmental Management of Mediterranean Ecosystems of Northern
Egypt).
MANAGEMENT
PROBLEMS The main problem encountered in Omayed is the conflict
in land-use especially since the area has long been used for grazing
and agriculture. Tourist villages are currently being built on the
adjacent coast and so may cause additional pressure. Other threats
to the fauna include quail hunting by local people (Ayyad and Ghabbour,
1986).
STAFF
There are two wardens solely concerned with patrolling the reserve.
There is a total of 100 staff at the Omayed station (60 involved
in research). Members of the local community also assist in running
the reserve and monitoring research experiments (Ayyad and Ghabbour,
1986).
BUDGET
No information
LOCAL
ADMINISTRATION
· REMDENE, PO Box 589, Alexandria
· Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Moharram Bey,
Alexandria.
REFERENCES
Abdel-Razik, M., Abdel-Aziz, M. and Ayyad, M. (1984). Environmental
gradients and species distributions in a transect at Omayed, Egypt.
Journal of Arid Environments, 7: 337-352
Ayyad, M.A. (1973). Vegetation and environment of the western Mediterranean
coastal land of Egypt. I: The habitat of sand dunes. Journal of
Ecology, 61: 509-523.
Ayyad, M.A. and Ghabbour, S.I. (1986). Omayed Biosphere Reserve:
History and Future Prospects. Mediterranean Biosphere reserves workshop.
Florac, France, 8-12 September, 1986.
El Ghonemy, A.A. and Tadros, T.M. (1970). Socio-ecological studies
of the natural plant communities along a transect, 200km long, between
Alexandria and Cairo. Bulletin of the Faculty of Sciences, University
of Alexandria, 10: 392-407.
Ghabbour, S.I. (1986). Species richness of soil fauna as criteria
for priority choices of protected areas. Mediterranean Biosphere
reserves workshop. Florac, France, 8-12 September, 1986.
Le Houérou, H.N. (1981). The arid bioclimates in the Mediterranean
isoclimatic zone. Ecologia Mediterranean, 8: 103-114.
MAB. (1981). Omayed experimental research area. Biosphere reserves.
MAB project No 8. Report.
Osborn, D.J. and Helmy, I. (1980). The contemporary land mammals
of Egypt (including Sinai). Field museum of natural history new
series, No. 5
Ozenda P. (1958). Flore du Sahara, septentrional et central. CRNS,
Paris.
DATE
January 1988
0353V
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