Abeer Moussa*1, Zuheir Shater1 and Basima Alcheikh1
1 Department of Forestry and Ecology, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering, Latakia University, Lattakia, Syria.
(*Corresponding author: Abir moussa, Email: Abeerceta@gmail.com).
Received: 26/01 / 2026 Accepted:13 /05 /2026
Abstract:
The research aimed to document the spontaneous herbaceous plant species growing in the green spaces of Tartous city and identify the factors influencing their diversity. The study was conducted during 2025. Twenty-four parks were selected, and 78 samples with dimensions (3*3 m) were randomly identified within them. All plant species were recorded and their abundance was estimated according to the Braun-Blanquet method. Biodiversity was estimated using species richness, Shannon’s index, Simpson’s index, and Gleason’s index. Subsequently, the factors affecting the diversity of these plants were tested using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and stepwise regression. The total number of species recorded in the parks was 170 plant species belonging to 129 genera and 36 families. The species Hordeum murinum was the most frequently present and was recorded in all parks, followed by the species Phyla nodiflora, Sonchus oleraceus, and then Medicago polymorpha. Therophytes (58%) and Hemicryptophytes (31%) were the most represented life forms, and the highest values for diversity indices were recorded in parks located on the outskirts of the city. Statistical analysis identified park size and distance from the city center as the key factors significantly influencing the diversity of spontaneous plant species.
Keywords: Spontaneous plants, Plant diversity, Biodiversity, Urban ecology, Urban green space.
Full paper in Arabic: PDF