Biodiversity of Soil Fauna in Different Ecosystems in Egypt with Particular References to Insect Predators

Abstract

Three different ecosystems were chosen for this study. The first: The desert one, in the western desert of Egypt of Omayed 83 km west of Alexandria and about 10 km south of the sea shore (29° 12’ 15" E, 30°C 45’ 45") the soil is made of lagoonal deposits composed of gypsum intermixed with sand. Surface soil layer are loose and subject to active erosion and deposition creating micro-topographic variations. Soils are often compact, surface layers includes large amounts of snail shell fragments increasing the compactness of soil1. The area has been classified as part of the “Attenuated xero-Mediterranean climatic province of Egypt2. Rainfall varying between 50-110 mm/year. The mean air temperature varied from 13.6 to 27°C and the mean air relative humidity varied from 56-87%. The vegetation is dominant by Asphodelus microcarpus, Plantago albicans, Anabasis articulata 3 and Thymeleae hirsuta and Gymnocarpos decandrum 4.