Effect of Protection of Mountainous Vegetation against Over-Grazing and Over-Cutting in South Sinai, Egypt

In this study, we evaluated the species diversity, density, cover, and size index of plant within outside 37 enclosures in South Sinai mountainous region (Egypt), which had been protected for six years (March 2012–March 2018) against over-grazing over-cutting medicinal fuel purposes. Within enclosures, were recorded, their density (individuals per 100 m2) cover (cm cm) estimated using line-intercept method. The biovolume each individual was calculated as average its height diameter. richness number enclosure, turnover ratio between total richness. relative evenness Shannon–Weaver index, whereas concentration dominance Simpson index. Detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) applied to ordinate vegetation inside depending on cover. unpaired t-test assess statistically significant differences enclosures. By end six-year period, pattern became more or less stable, presumably because stopping grazing cutting, also led an increase general, protection improved addition, topographic physiographic heterogeneity results microclimatic variations, play a major role governing natural vegetation.