Important Plant Areas in the Arabian Peninsula: 2. Farasan Archipelago

Hall, Matthew; Llewellyn, Othman; Miller, Anthony G.; Al-Abbasi, T. M.; Al-Wetaid, Abdullah; Al-Harbi, R. J.; Al-Shammari, Khalaf F.

doi:10.1017/s0960428610000089

Cited by 30 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…Hotspots with heterogeneous habitats and high species diversity are often targeted areas for the conservation. As a rule, species richness or biodiversity normally increases with altitudes where moisture level is high (Hall et al, 2009(Hall et al, , 2010. It means that the high altitudes in arid areas are most likely the hotspots with heterogeneous habitats and high species diversity.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Endemics and endangered species in the biodiversity hotspot of the Shada Mountains, Saudi Arabia

2016

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Shada Mountains in Saudi Arabia, separated by Maleel Wadi into twin mountains (i.e., Shada Alalah and Shada Asfal), are rich in biodiversity. We investigated the diversity of endemics and endangered species of the mountains based on the data collected from 38 stands falling in 8 elevational zones ranging from 500 to 2215 m a.s.l. Results indicated that 495 plant species falling in 314 genera and 76 families occurred in the Shada Mountains, including 19 endemic species and 43 endangered species, and accounting for 22% of the total flora in Saudi Arabia. Canonical correlation analysis indicated that physiographic features, particularly altitude play an important role in the frequency and abundance of species. Endemics were not evenly distributed in the Shada Mountains and mostly restricted in the elevation zone of 1000-1500 or >1500 m a.s.l. When the altitude reached up to 2000 m a.s.l., the endemics decreased substantially due to the significantly low temperature. The endangered species existed three different distribution patterns: (i) most endangered species distributed in the altitudes of 1000-1800 m a.s.l.; (ii) endangered trees, lianas, and shrubs occupied the altitudes 1000-1300 m a.s.l.; and (iii) endangered subshrubs and herbs inhabited the altitudes 1500-2100 m a.s.l. The results demonstrated that the biodiversity of endangered species in the Shada Mountains is high and undisturbed by invasive species, and protective measures should be taken against human disturbances to the small-scale hotspot.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Endemics and endangered species in the biodiversity hotspot of the Shada Mountains, Saudi Arabia

2016

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“…1,150 islands ( SGS 2017 ). The KSA islands in the southern part of the Red Sea occupy an interesting geographical and ecological position, due to location between East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula and being part of the northern desert belt ( Hall et al 2010 ; Mallon 2011 ). Additionally, the flora and fauna range from localized temperate endemics that occur as disjunctive extensions of the Horn of Africa Hotspot and the Eastern Afromontane Hotspot in the southwestern regions ( Myers et al 2000 ; Mallon 2011 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Farasan Archipelago is recognized as having important floral communities, with numerous nationally and regionally rare, and endemic species ( Kingdon 1990 ; Hall et al 2010 ). However, its flora is not strikingly rich as compared to the Socotran Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, where 30% of the flora is endemic ( Miller and Nyberg 1991 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The diversity and biogeography of flora have received considerably more attention than the fauna of the Farasan Archipelago. Currently available are several floristic studies conducted in the Archipelago ( El-Demerdash 1996 ; Alfarhan et al 2002 ; Atiqur Rahman et al 2002 ; Hall et al 2010 ; Tomas et al 2010 ; Al Mutairi et al 2012 ; Al Mutairi and Al-Shami 2014 ). There is some information on the vertebrates (birds: Jennings 1988 ; mammals: Habibi 1992 ; Masseti 2010 ; Cunningham and Wronski 2011 ; Wronski et al 2012 ; and herpetofauna: Masseti 2014 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The first survey of the beetles (Coleoptera) of the Farasan Archipelago of the southern Red Sea, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Abdel-Dayem¹,

El-Ghiet²,

El-Sheikh³

et al. 2020

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The Farasan Archipelago is a group of small coral islands and islets in the southern Red Sea, offshore of the southwestern Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). These islands are internationally important as breeding sites for turtles and bird species and regionally for its threatened, rare, and endemic flora and other fauna. The beetles (Coleoptera) of the Archipelago have not been previously surveyed. This study presents the first data on the beetle fauna based on a recent survey of the Farasan Archipelago. In total, 179 beetle species (including three synanthropic species) in 145 genera and 31 coleopteran families were determined. The Carabidae are represented by 31 species, followed by the Tenebrionidae (22 species), Chrysomelidae (17 species), Scarabaeidae (13 species), and Coccinellidae (12 species). The genus Lasiocera Dejean, 1831 and the species Amblystomus villiersanus Bruneau de Miré, 1991 (Carabidae) are new for the beetle fauna of the Arabian Peninsula, and eighteen species are new country records for KSA. Sand dune habitats on the islands were inhabited by the greatest number of species in comparison with other habitats. Zoogeographically, the beetle fauna of the Archipelago was dominated by the representatives of the Saharo-Arabian and Afrotropical elements (74 spp., 41.0%). Fourteen species (7.8%) were recognized as cosmopolitan and subcosmopolitan. No species was known to be exclusively endemic to Farasan Archipelago. Eighteen species (10.1%) were endemic to Arabian Peninsula and KSA. Approximately 64.8% (116 spp.) of the archipelago beetle species is found on the KSA mainland and is most closely allied to the south and southwestern KSA regions (sharing 91 spp.). Comparisons of the beetle faunas of the Farasan and Socotra archipelagos indicate that 30 families, 70 genera, and 28 species are shared.

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“…The climate is hot and arid, with mean annual rainfall at the nearest weather‐station in Jizan measuring 129 mm/yr (Hall et al ., 2010: 191). Limited arable and date‐palm cultivation occurs in some wadis.…”

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confidence: 99%