The Vascular Flora of the United Arab Emirates

Abstract

AbstractThis chapter discusses the flora of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), focusing on various aspects of the individual plant species. A brief overview of salient features of the flora is given in terms of species number and families, followed by a short discussion regarding some of the taxonomic problems surrounding the naming and identification of species. With respect to biogeographical aspects, it is emphasised that the current flora of the nation represents a distinct snapshot in time that has been shaped by a diversity of events in the past, all of which continue to operate on different spatio-temporal scales. After a brief discussion of keystone and foundation species in the UAE desert, autecological aspects are examined, as these are fundamental to understanding the response of plants to a changing environment. Following on from this topic, the concepts of life forms, plant functional groups and plant strategies are touched upon. In the final section, some remarkable features of the reproductive biology of desert plants are described. Chapter 5 examines the typical plant communities and also looks at the main threats to the flora and vegetation of the country.