Evaluation of Genetic Diversity of Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum L. Rich) Growing in Some Governorates of Egypt

Woody species such as trees are ecosystem engineers and landscape modulators as they create resource niches and patches for a whole suite of other organisms dependent upon the development, structural support, decay, and renewal of trees. Taxodium is a genus classified in the subfamily Taxodioideae of Cupressaceae, the cypress family. The wood from Taxodium has long been economically valuable due to its resilience, and has been heavily harvested because it is resistant to decay but is also soft, light, very durable, and does not warp easily. Four different localities were selected to survey the Bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) samples as follow: El-Beheria Governorate (Nubaria City), Alexandria Governorate (Sabahia farm), Qalyubia Governorate and Giza Governorate (Orman Garden). Five tress were selected from each location except Orman Garden was eight trees. The results showed that there is high significant variation between the collected trees and the data detected that there are in Egypt two types of Taxodium the first one is Taxodium distichum (L.) Rich found in Alexandria, El- Beheria and Qalyubia Governorates and two different species of Taxodium trees in Giza locations grown in dry soil and swamp land, the first five trees were Taxodium distichum (Bald cypress) and the other three trees were Taxodium distichum var. imbricarium (Pond cypress) that grown in swamp land.