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The Steppic zones are strong milieus with low and irregular rainfall, and Steppic vegetation and soil. However, there are always conditions that are favorable for the existence of a spontaneous flora in the edapho-climatic and anthropic stresses. This study aims at making a preliminary evaluation of the floristic conditions (biological types and floristic wealth) in the Steppic zone of the region of M’cif. The sampling was carried out using the minimal area method that requires collecting all the vegetal species in a limited surface. The sampling shows only steppic species that adapt to the milieu. It includes edaphic ecological groups that embody the action of the edaphic actors on the floristic, psammophile, and halophile composition of the vegetal communities. Among the most remarkable species in this zone, we find Retama retam, Atriplex halimus, and Salsola vermiculata. This vegetation is a witness of the belonging to an anthropized zone (agro-pastoral zone).

Desertification is one of the main dangers that menace the arid and semi-arid regions. It is considered as one of the most important environmental problems of the 21st century. It is the result of a combination of direct and indirect factors; some of which are linked to the climate and anthropic activities. In fact, out of 238 million acres, 200 millions are located in Saharan zones, 20 million acres are in steppic zones (including the study region) with very fragile soil that is subject to the process of desertification, and almost 18 million acres are mountains, plains, and prays. This study is conducted to know the degree of the awareness of the inhabitants of the region of Khoubana regarding this serious phenomenon. It is a series of surveys with 151 informants, who had been chosen at random in Khoubana, M’cif, and El Houamed. Our findings show that the informants contributed positively to the surveys thanks to the importance of the topic

Aphids are considered serious pests that cause damage to various crops. There are several natural enemies that regulate their populations, including the Aphidiinae who are exclusively aphid parasitoids. The importance of Aphidiinae as biocontrol agents has been reported in many articles discussing their abundance and tritrophic relationships around the world. This study aimed to determine the tritrophic relationships between aphids and the main parasitoid Lysiphlebus fabarum in Algeria during 2007 - 2020. Ninety-one tritrophic relationships have been established between L. fabarum and 40 aphid species. These aphids have been found on 50 different plant species belonging to 21 botanical families. Fourteen aphid genera have been identified, with 19 belonging to the Aphis genus. The most dominant interactions between this parasitoid and its host were with Aphis craccivora, A. fabae and A. gossypii, which accounted for half of all trophic relationships recorded in this study. The results indicate that the parasitoid L. fabarum is prevalent in Algeria, with a significant number of aphid hosts throughout most of the year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sesbania bispinosa (Jacq.) W. Wight is a medicinal plant used by traditional healers from India and now introduced in southern Algeria, for which the chemical composition still needs to be uncovered. This work aimed to establish the chemical profile of this important medicinal plant and determine the antioxidant effects of the 80% methanol extract of the aerial parts of the plant via the study of DPPH radical scavenging activity (2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl). Chemical profiling of its extract's major constituents was tentatively done by using liquid and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. The mineral analysis was conducted using an inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry technique (ICP‐OES). Practical applications: The secondary metabolites were identified using ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled to photodiode‐array detection and electrospray ionization/ion trap mass spectrometry (UHPLC–DAD–ESI‐MS/MS) and gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (GC‐MS). Sesbania bispinosa (Jacq.) W. Wight aerial part and seeds are rich in known bioactive secondary metabolites such as glycosylated sterols, flavonoid, cinnamic acid, sugar, and fatty acid derivatives. Several of these compounds can explain this species' remarkable antioxidant power (DPPH with IC50 equals 59.7 µg/ml extract) and some of its medicinal uses. The results showed that S. bispinosa is rich in some health‐promoting minerals like Na (2.034 mg/g), K (11.51 mg/g), Ca (26.82 mg/g), and Fe (0.16 mg/g), whose levels are within the World Health Organization's (WHO) permissible limits. Moreover, the results herein presented can also establish the nutritional value of S. bispinosa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]