Floristic diversity forms the ecological foundation of terrestrial ecosystems, particularly in transitional and climatically sensitive regions such as semi-arid western India and the Mediterranean mountain systems of North Africa. These landscapes, although geographically distant, share remarkable ecological parallels in terms of rainfall variability, soil heterogeneity, human pressure, and adaptive plant strategies. The present research integrates floristic, ethnobotanical, and ecological evidence from North Gujarat in India and the Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar region of Libya to develop a unified understanding of plant diversity patterns, ecosystem functionality, and human–vegetation relationships. Drawing strictly from established botanical surveys, floristic inventories, and ecological analyses, this study synthesizes data from forested tracts, agro-ecological zones, mountain wadis, university plantations, and protected landscapes.

The Gujarat studies demonstrate that floristic diversity is not merely a function of climatic variables but is deeply embedded in cultural land-use practices, economic dependence on tree species, and ethnobotanical knowledge systems. Forest fragments in Satlasana and Patan districts reveal a complex stratification of trees, shrubs, herbs, and climbers whose distribution reflects both natural gradients and anthropogenic pressures (Patel and Bihola, 2015; Rathod and Patel, 2011). These floristic structures are closely linked with medicinal, nutritional, and economic uses of plant species as elaborated by Seth (2003) and Prajapati and Purohit (2003), where vegetation is not a passive background but an active socio-economic asset.

Similarly, the Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar region of Libya presents a Mediterranean montane ecosystem characterized by high endemism, altitudinal zonation, and pronounced microhabitat differentiation. Floristic and ecological investigations in wadis, coastal slopes, and uplands indicate that plant diversity responds strongly to elevation, soil texture, and moisture retention capacity (Al-Hamedi, 1999; Alaib et al., 2017; Abd El-Ghani and Al Borki, 2024). Human disturbances such as charcoal production, grazing, and land conversion significantly alter species composition and ecological stability (Elshatshat and Mansour, 2014). Despite these pressures, these ecosystems retain high biological value due to their adaptive plant strategies, particularly life-form spectra and functional traits described under Raunkiaer’s system and Whittaker’s community ecology framework (Raunkiaer, 1934; Whitaker, 1975).

By combining floristic diversity data, ethnobotanical insights, and ecological gradient analysis, this research demonstrates that both Gujarat and Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar exhibit structurally resilient but functionally vulnerable vegetation systems. Their sustainability depends on the conservation of species richness, maintenance of habitat heterogeneity, and protection of indigenous ecological knowledge. This article therefore contributes a comparative ecological synthesis that strengthens the theoretical and applied understanding of biodiversity management in climatically stressed regions.

Floristic diversity, ethnobotany, Mediterranean ecosystems, semi-arid forests

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