CARACTERISATION EPIDERMIQUE DES PRINCIPALES PLANTES SPONTANNEES BROUTEES PAR LE DROMADAIRE DANS LE SAHARA SEPTENTRIONAL ALGERIEN

Abstract

Microscopic examination of the skins of wild plants contained in the feces of the dromedary is one of the methods for studying the diet of grazing animals. This work is as step to determine the diet of camel in the pasture of the Algerian northern Sahara. In this endeavour, we described the most important characteristics of epidermal spontaneous perennial plants and ephemeral (31species and 24 families) grazed on pasture to form a reference catalog. We propose an identification key to these 31species from their epidermal characters (leaves and stems), by using an optical microscope provides with an integrated digital photos and a software "Motic image plus". From the results, we propose an identification key to these 31 species from their epidermal characters.This key should be improved as it will serve us later in the recognition of the epidermis of spontaneous plants contained in the feces.