This research was carried out in Musawarat El Sufra, an archaeological site 180 km north of Khartoum, to compare the past and present vegetation of the area.
Standard sampling methods were applied to study the vegetation cover. Two field surveys were conducted during the years 2005 and 2006. Three quadrats (50 3 50 m) were chosen to investigate the present vegetation by taking the mean of 20 small quadrats 1 m2 each. The mean density, frequency and composition were calculated.
The vegetation analysis revealed that there were 23 species belonging to 14 families. The dominant families were Poaceae, Nyctaginaceae, Aizoaceae and Capparaceae. The most dominant species in the area were Panicum turgidum, Boerhavia erecta, Zaleya pentandra and Aristida adscensionis. Statistical analysis showed that there was no significant difference between the two seasons studied with respect to plant variables measured. The means density, frequency and composition were 1.13, 12.67 and 5.16, respectively in 2005, and 1.26, 8.62 and 10.97 in 2006.
Continuous assessment of vegetation cover was needed to show if change in plant cover ultimately leads to land degradation and an arid environment.
Abdallah, A. H., & Ibrahim, D. A.(2015): Ecotaxonomical studies of Musawarat El Sufra (an archeological site in Northern Sudan, World Sustainable Development Outlook 2015, Vol 13, pp.47-54
