Ecological Effect of Mergheb Cement Emissions on the Vegetation in the Northwest Libya Here

Author(s): Aly Y. Okasha, Elhadi A. Hadia, Mokhtar S. Elatrash

The study area is located in the coastal region of northwestern libya, west of khoms city. This region is characterized by a temperate climate with an average annual precipitation of 17 mm. Cement emissions are proven to have damaging impacts on different plant species. This study focuses on the impact of stack emissions from mergheb cement factory on the abundance, frequency, density and number of species at each site surrounding the factory under the effect of wind direction. The surrounding areas are subdivided into sites to assess plant species variability and their growth. It is concluded that there is a gradual reduction in density and vegetation cover towards the cement factory. Field observations revealed that the biodiversity in the east of cement factory is greater than that in the southwards.

vegetation, cement emissions, Khoms, Libya

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