PJB-2025-53
DROUGHT AND CURRENT STATUS OF TWO NATIVE SPECIES IN TUNISIA IN RESPONSE TO CLIMATE CHANGE
REFKA ZOUAOUI
Abstract
Understanding plant adaptation to drought is a critical challenge under climate change. This dendrometric study is a synthesis of observations of the different provenances located in the arid regions of Tunisia, natural environments of presence of two taxa: Ziziphus lotus and Rhus tripartitum. To carry out this work, a number of parameters and morphological descriptors (height, diameter, biovolume,...) were determined. The results obtained showed that there is an accentuated variability between provenances. In Ziziphus lotus, the highest hump height and collared diameter are recorded in Medenine individuals with (2.5 ±0.92) m and (4.6) cm respectively. While the same lowest descriptors are recorded for shrubs located in BouHedma National Park with (1.72 ± 0.37)m and (2.85) cm. Moreover, the growth of this species is very spread out in the space where the most voluminous nebka mounds are encountered at Medenine compared to other provenances. Concerning the species Rhus tripartitum, the highest height is recorded in the individuals of Beni khedache (2.76±0.75) m followed by Matmata (2.4±0.53) m. While the lowest is found in BH (1.71±0.95)m. also for morphological data of diameter where the largest value is recorded in MM (7.66±2.08) while the smallest is met in the provenance of DJ (4.25±1.95) cm. This species is strongly influenced by the altitude of the stations represented by the two provenances of Beni khedache and Matmata. In addition, its vegetative growth cycle is usually dependent on rainfall since it starts after the first autumn rains (November). Ziziphus lotus, on the other hand, begins its growth in spring and continues its cycle in mid-summer. However, it can be assumed that there is some variability in the ability of these two species to adapt to the surrounding conditions in the arid and semi-arid regions of Tunisia. Since variability is an essential characteristic of all living things and relates to phenotypic traits that are dependent on two sets of factors of a genetic and environmental nature. At the end of this study i gived the example of two regions located in southern of Tunisia such as Matmata and Medenine with an upper Saharan bioclimate. In these regions, the two native spontaneous plant species of the arid zones of Tunisia are found : Ziziphus lotus L. lam and Rhus tripartum Ucria grande.
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