Species diversity and genetic diversity of Paronychia argentea Lam. at Jerash and Wadishueib ecosystems in Jordan

Abstract

Jordan's flora is plenty and highly miscellaneous. Species diversity is one of the essential indices used for determining the sustainability of herbaceous, shrubs and trees communities. This study was conducted during three years consequences from 2009-2012, and it aims to estimation and monitoring the genetic diversity among certain Paronychia argentea species at different sites in Jordan. The plant species were sampled by transect-quadrate method using square wood quadrate.  Species richness, density Shannon and Simpson indices were applied to quantify of the diversity among target studied sites. Species richness, frequency and Shannon’s diversity values among studied areas and years were recorded during the year of 2011/2102. High species richness (50 and 51) was found at Jerash for both sites compared to the wadishueib regions. High number of taxa was recorded at higher elevations compared to lower elevations particularly during the year 2012 compared to the rest years. Asteraceae, fabacaea and poaceae showed the most frequent families during this study. Studying the species richness, density, frequency and monitoring are crucial measurements for management and conservation of  plant communities either in situ or ex situ.

Keywords: Jordan, monitoring, Paronychia, richness.