Vegetation Composition of the Halophytic Grass Aeluropus lagopoides Communities within Coastal and Inland Sabkhas of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Sabkhas are unique, highly saline ecosystems, where specially adapted plants can grow. Aeluropus lagopoides (L.) Thwaites is a halophytic forage plant growing in salt marsh habitats of inland and coastal sabkhas of Saudi Arabia. The present study provides an analysis of vegetation composition and distribution of the A. lagopoides community in five different regions within Saudi Arabia, emphasizing the environmental factors that affect species distribution. The floristic survey revealed the presence of 48 species, belonging to 26 families. Poaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Mimosaceae, Zygophyllaceae, and Asteraceae are the largest families (50% of total species). Phanerophyte, followed by chamaephytes, are the most frequent forms, indicating a typical saline desert life-form spectrum. The vegetation analysis revealed the dominance of A. lagopoides in all locations, where it was the most dominant species in Qareenah, Qaseem, and Salwa locations, and the second most dominant species in Jouf and Jizan locations. The flourishment of this halophytic grass within a wide soil range in sabkhas revealed its adaptability to the harsh environment, which could be ascribed to its structural adaptations and modifications, as well as the phenotypic plasticity. The Qareenah and Qaseem locations attained the highest species richness and evenness, while the Jizan location was the least diverse. Within the studied locations, other highly salt-tolerant species were determined with high abundances, such as Suaeda aegyptiaca (Hasselq.) Zohary, Zygophyllum album L.f., Tamarix nilotica (Ehrenb.) Bunge, Cressa cretica L., and Salicornia europaea L. The soil analysis showed a significant variation for all parameters among the studied locations, except for pH, chloride, and clay content. The Qaseem location revealed the highest values of most soil parameters, while the Jizan location showed the lowest. The canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) showed that the community structure and diversity are mainly affected by the soil salinity and moisture. Due to the economic potentialities of A. lagopoides as a forage plant and sand stabilizer, the conservation of its habitats is of vital importance. In addition, this grass could be integrated as a promising forage candidate that can be planted in saline-affected areas, even in the summer dry season.

Determining Effective Environmental Factors in the Distribution of Endangered Endemic Medicinal Plant Species Using the BMLR Model: The Example of Wild Celery (Kelussia odoratissima Mozaff., Apiaceae) in Zagros (Iran)

“…Therefore, detecting the variations in plant species’ distributions for the purpose of providing a logical perception of the environmental requirements of the species needed for successful ecological restoration is important [ 24 ]. On the other hand, knowledge of the ecological distribution of key species is the primary characteristic of the conservation strategy for its ecosystem [ 25 , 26 ]. Therefore, this research aimed to determine the environmental factors important for the distribution of K. odoratissima in Iran using BMLR modeling.…”

“…Following this factor, evaporation (beta= 8.282) and slope (beta = 0.807) had the next greatest effects, respectively. In this regard, previous studies reported that the most important factor affecting the distribution of Pomatosace filicula was predicted to be altitude [ 26 ]. Based on our results, K. odoratissima grows in heights of 2450 to 3000 m within the region of study.…”

Floristic diversity and vegetation of the az Zakhnuniyah Island, Arabian Gulf, Saudi Arabia

“…Along the coastal regions, it is common to find great variations in species richness (number of annuals and perennials) among distinct habitats. This may be justified by the level of salinity, soil moisture and structure, topography and human impacts [ 16 , 17 , 56 , 57 ].…”

“…Along with saline environments, soil salinity is the main ecological feature that affects vegetation composition [ 3 , 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 ]. In addition, several studies highlighted the importance of soil texture, fertility and pH in controlling vegetation composition and patterns [ 16 , 63 , 64 ].…”

“…The highly stressful coastal and inland saline habitats are called sabkhas. These sabkhas are wet and highly saline ecosystems where the soil surface is often covered with thick salt crust [ 16 ]. On the other hand, salt marshes provide exceptional habitats for few plant species that cannot survive in other environments.…”