دراسة التنوع الحيوي النباتي الضفافي للمجرى الأعلى لنهر الكبير الشمالي - محافظة اللاذقية.

Abstract

The study was conducted during 2024 in the northern region(upper part)  of the Al-Kabir Al-Shamali River (Kafriya tributary) with the aim of investigating the biodiversity on both banks of the watercourse at two sites differing in elevation: Kafriya and Wati Al-Khan site.

The botanical surveys showed a variation in species richness with elevation. The Kafriya site had the highest species richness, with 42 plant species belonging to 29 families, while the Wati Al-Khan site recorded 33 species, also from 29 families. Species richness also varied depending to type  the riverbank.

The results indicated that the average species richness, based on the Shannon index, was 3.552 bits at the Kafriya site and 3.099 bits at the Wati Al-Khan site.

Furthermore, the total number of plant species recorded across all tributary stream samples was 49 species belonging to 32 families, with a similarity rate of 52% between the two sites according to Jaccard’s index.

The results, according to life forms, showed that the tree form (T) was the most prevalent at both sites. The life-form pattern followed the order: T > S > H > L > G. There were statistically significant differences between the two sites for the life forms T, S, and H, in favor of the Kafriya site.

In conclusion, the results indicated that the Kafrya site exhibited higher biodiversity quality compared to the Wati Al-Khan site. Biodiversity demonstrated a discernible decline with increasing proximity to the river estuary. This pattern may be attributed to intensified anthropogenic pressures in the lower watershed, coupled with localized climatic and environmental gradients.