Floristic diversity and plant composition of the arid and Saharan zones of southern Tunisia

Abstract

Spontaneous plants in arid and desert areas of Tunisia are now experiencing a resurgence of interest not only because of the possibilities of their use for multiple economic and ecological purposes, but also because of their great capacity for potential climate change adaptation. Often considered underused and neglected species, plants in arid and desert areas are of considerable importance. The purpose of this work is to provide knowledge relating to flora and Tunisian vegetation in arid zones. They are structured around various aspects relating to the characterization of this natural and biological wealth and its impact on the quality of the environment. In this work, we studied the flora of the different regions visited (Tataouine, Medenine, Tozeur, Gabes and Kebeli) in southern Tunisia and we surveyed the botanical composition and species diversity in the governorate of Tataouine region during the spring season of 2018. The flora contained about 279 species belonging to 58 families, with 54% annuals and 46% perennials.