ECOGEOGRAPHY OF ANNUAL LEGUMES IN SYRIA - DISTRIBUTION PATTERNS

Species fell into 6 categories in relation to soil type. The largest category was restricted to alkaline soils with a smaller proportion exhibiting calcicole or calcifuge behaviour. Strict neutrophiles and widely tolerant species were less common. Species diversity and the size of legume seed populations were identically related to annual rainfall patterns, with wetter areas having high diversity and seed densities. Average seed density per species was 3.5 g m-2. Annual legumes appeared to be relatively resilient to overgrazing, and were an important component of non-arable land in all but the driest areas. Collection of plants for genetic conservation should be directed to species of dry areas where pressures on populations are most severe, and to those species of wet areas which are not widely distributed. -from Authors