Panicum turgidum: Difference between revisions
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I provided a new, "ecology" section: I used a bibliographic reference to mention that Panicum turgidum is able to act as a nurse plant for tree regeneration in the Sahara |
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It is drought- and salt-tolerant<ref>Agric. Ecosyst. Environ. 10.1016/j.agee.2008.10.014 (2008)</ref> and used for flour, fodder, thatch and [[erosion]] control. |
It is drought- and salt-tolerant<ref>Agric. Ecosyst. Environ. 10.1016/j.agee.2008.10.014 (2008)</ref> and used for flour, fodder, thatch and [[erosion]] control. |
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==Ecology== |
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In the Nigerien Sahara, tussocks of ''Panicum turgidum'' act as a nurse plants for tree regeneration. They have been shown facilitating the regeneration of ''Acacia tortilis'' subsp. ''raddiana'' by protecting seedlings from drought and domestic herbivory. Accordingly, transplanting seedlings of Saharan trees inside ''Panicum''’s tussocks may promote substantially reforestation in degraded areas on a long-term scale <ref>Anthelme, F. & Michalet, M. 2009. Grass-to-tree facilitation in an arid grazed environment (Aïr Mountains, Sahara). Basic and Applied Ecology 10: 437:446. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B7GVS-4VP177C-2&_user=2292769&_coverDate=08%2F31%2F2009&_alid=1722356494&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_origin=search&_zone=rslt_list_item&_cdi=20438&_sort=r&_st=13&_docanchor=&view=c&_ct=1&_acct=C000056834&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=2292769&md5=a1a3e5a1eeec762140c45f2e51001118&searchtype=a)</ref>. |
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==Notes== |
==Notes== |
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Revision as of 13:54, 18 April 2011
| Panicum turgidum | |
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| Species: | P. turgidum
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| Panicum turgidum | |
Panicum turgidum (Forssk.)[1] is an old world clumping desert bunchgrass of the Panicum genus.
Distribution
It is common across the Sahara and Arabia, from Senegal to Pakistan, and known by the a number of common names, most widely as Taman, tuman, or thaman in Egypt and Arabia; merkba or markouba in Mauritaina and some Saharan Arabics; and afezu in Tamachek.[2] Other common names include guinchi (eastern Sahara) and du-ghasi (Somalia).[3]
Description
Panicum turgidum is a perennial bunchgrass, growing in dense bushes up to 1 m-3 feet tall with roots at the nodes which are covered in hairs to which fine sand adheres creating a felty appearance.
It is drought- and salt-tolerant[4] and used for flour, fodder, thatch and erosion control.
Ecology
In the Nigerien Sahara, tussocks of Panicum turgidum act as a nurse plants for tree regeneration. They have been shown facilitating the regeneration of Acacia tortilis subsp. raddiana by protecting seedlings from drought and domestic herbivory. Accordingly, transplanting seedlings of Saharan trees inside Panicum’s tussocks may promote substantially reforestation in degraded areas on a long-term scale [5].
Notes
- p. 261. Board on Science and Technology for International Development, Office of International Affairs, National Research Council. Lost Crops of Africa: Volume I: Grains. The National Academies of Science, United States. (1996) ISBN 9780309049900 .
- Anthelme, F. , R. Michalet, and M. Saadou (2007). "Positive associations involving the tussock grass Panicum turgidum Forssk. in the Aïr-Ténéré Reserve, Niger". Journal of Arid Environments. 68 (3): 348–62. doi:10.1016/j.jaridenv.2006.07.007. Retrieved 2007-12-10.
{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - J. T. Williams and R. M. Farias. Utilisation and taxonomy of the desert grass Panicum turgidum. Economic Botany. Volume 26, Number 1 / January, 1972. pp. 13-20.
- Clayton, W.D., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora. Panicum turgidum. (accessed 4 January 2009)
- Jacob Thomas. Biodiversity of Saudi Arabia: Vegetation. 20-5-2007.
- Culmess, Heike. (1997): Investigations on the feeding and migration behavior of the Desert Locust Schistocerca gregaria depending on the vegetation of Mauritania. Project Integrated Biological Control of Grasshoppers and Locusts. Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH.
- Fabien Anthelmea, Maman Waziri Matob, Dimitri de Boissieua, Franck Giazzi. (2006). DÉGRADATION DES RESSOURCES VÉGÉTALES AU CONTACT DES ACTIVITÉS HUMAINES ET PERSPECTIVES DE CONSERVATION DANS LE MASSIF DE L'AÏR (SAHARA, NIGER). VertigO . VOLUME 7, Numéro 2 , Art. 15.
- ^ USDA PLANTS Profile: Panicum turgidum Forssk. -- desert grass
- ^ Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa. Burkill, H.M. 1985. The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol 2. Panicum turgidum Forssk. (family POACEAE). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
- ^ http://www.fao.org/ag/AGP/AGPC/doc/gbase/DATA/pf000285.htm
- ^ Agric. Ecosyst. Environ. 10.1016/j.agee.2008.10.014 (2008)
- ^ Anthelme, F. & Michalet, M. 2009. Grass-to-tree facilitation in an arid grazed environment (Aïr Mountains, Sahara). Basic and Applied Ecology 10: 437:446. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B7GVS-4VP177C-2&_user=2292769&_coverDate=08%2F31%2F2009&_alid=1722356494&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_origin=search&_zone=rslt_list_item&_cdi=20438&_sort=r&_st=13&_docanchor=&view=c&_ct=1&_acct=C000056834&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=2292769&md5=a1a3e5a1eeec762140c45f2e51001118&searchtype=a)
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