2025-07-01 EGYPTIAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2025 65(卷), 3(期), (null页)
Mousa Mountain is a sacred, towering peak in Egypt's southern Sinai Peninsula that rises to around 2,285 meters. It is characterized by its rocky topography and arid environment and considered a home to a unique and resilient ecosystem despite the extreme conditions. The primary aim of this paper is to demonstrate the main plant and vegetation structure, as well as to identify the endemics, and rare species, and identify the most significant ecological factors impacting the vegetation and threatening the species on this mountain. Ten main stands Mousa Mountain's five major regions. Different parameters were measured for each stand: elevation degree, exposure degree, and landform type. The nature of the soil surface has been described. Soil samples obtained to conduct quantitative physical and chemical investigations. About 114 species were collected this location, belonging to approximately 31 families. The families with the highest representation Asteraceae, Poaceae, and Lamiaceae. The Mousa Mountain is home to six highlyendangered species, divided four families: Caryophyllaceae, Lamiaceae, Polygalaceae, and Dipsacaceae. Fifteen species are categorized endangered, with the majority belonging to the families Adiantaceae, Polygonaceae, Rosaceae, Rubiaceae, Scrophulariaceae, Solanaceae, Zygophyllaceae, and Lamiaceae. There are eight species marked as endemic, belonging to the Lamiaceae, Scrophulariaceae, Papaveraceae, Fabaceae and Polygalaceae. It is evident therophytes and chamaephytes are the dominant life forms, forming more than 70% of species structure. gorges were the most diversified landform with the least coefficient of variation, and the least diversified landform was the Farsh with the highest coefficient of variation. To ensure the preservation of these unique and landforms, it is imperative to implement conservation strategies that prioritize the protection of this habitat, addressing the specific challenges faced by Farsh habitats.