Biogeography and Conservation in the Arabian Peninsula: A Present Perspective

Abstract

The Arabian Peninsula, with its rugged mountains, wadis, alluvial plains, sand dune deserts, and diverse coastlines, spans over 3 million km2. The Peninsula is situated at the crossroads of Africa and Asia and is a meeting point for diverse biogeographic realms, including the Palearctic, Afrotropical, and Indomalayan regions. This convergence of biogeographic zones has resulted in a remarkably diverse flora and fauna, which is adapted to the harsh and varied climates found throughout the Peninsula. Each of the countries of the Arabian Peninsula are biologically diverse and unique in their own right, but Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and Oman are the most diverse in terms of their landforms and biological diversity. The mountainous regions support a cooler and more moderate climate compared to the surrounding lowlands, thus forming unique ecosystems that function as refugia for plant and animal species, and have a high endemism of plant species. The desert ecosystems support a variety of lifeforms that are specially adapted to an extreme arid climate. Due to its long history of human habitation and subsistence agriculture, particularly in the mountainous areas, the Arabian Peninsula possesses unique crop varieties adapted to extreme arid climates, making them important genetic resources for the future in the face of climate change. The Arabian Peninsula, though rich and diverse in its biological diversity, has been greatly affected by human activities, especially in the last 50 years, including urbanization, habitat destruction, overgrazing, and climate change, which pose significant threats to the biodiversity of the region. This review presents the biogeography and background of conservation efforts made in the countries in the Arabian Peninsula and gives the progress made in botanical research and conservation practices throughout the Peninsula.