The coastal area bordering the Nile Delta is characterized
by coarse and fine sand, silt and clay, deposited by the
river Nile The climate is arid, with a mean winter temperature
above 10 C and the rainy season during the winter.
The annual rainfall ranges from 91.6 to 175.2 mm. Mean
relative humidity is lower in summer than in winter (65% and
81%) and evaporation is higher in summer than in winter (7.8
and 2.8 mm Piche/day) The main habitats of the study
area are salt marsh, sand formation, reed swamp and fertile
non-cultivated land. The salt marshes extend along the whole
coast. They are connected with the three natural lakes Idku,
Burullus and Manzala. The sand formation includes sand
dunes and sand flats. The swamps were found in depressions
where water accumulated through seepage from the nearby
lakes and cultivated land. The fertile non-cultivated land is
found in the southern part of the area; it has slightly higher
soil salinity than the cultivated land