Orginal Article |
|
|
|
|
Endemics and endangered species in the biodiversity hotspot of the Shada Mountains, Saudi Arabia |
THOMAS Jacob1,*(), A EL-SHEIKH Mohamed1,2, A ALATAR Abdulrehman1 |
1 Department of Botany & Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia 2 Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Damanhour University, Damanhour 22516, Egypt |
|
|
Abstract 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.
|
Received: 24 February 2016
Published: 31 July 2017
|
Corresponding Authors:
|
|
|
1 | Alatar A A, El-Sheikh M A R, Thomas J, et al.2015. Vegetation, floristic diversity, and size-classes of Acacia gerrardii in an arid wadi ecosystem. Arid Land Research and Management, 29(3): 335-359. | 2 | Allen S E, Grimshaw H M, Parkinson J A, et al.1989. Chemical Analysis of Ecological Materials. London: Blackwell Scientific Publications, 285-344. | 3 | Beard J S, Chapman A R, Gioia P.2000. Species richness and endemism in the Western Australian flora. Journal of Biogeography, 27(6): 1257-1268. | 4 | Braak C J F, ?milauer P.2002. CANOCO Reference Manual and CanoDraw for Windows User’s Guide: Software for Canonical Community Ordination (Version 4.5). Ithaca: Microcomputer Power. | 5 | Brown J H.2001. Mammals on mountainsides: elevational patterns of diversity. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 10(1): 101-109. | 6 | Chaudhary S A, Al-Jowaid A A A. 1999. Vegetation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Riyadh: Ministry of Agriculture and Water Press, 169-623. | 7 | Chaudhary S A.1999-2001. Flora of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Vols. I-III. Riyadh: Ministry of Agriculture and Water Press, 104-203, 255-241, 626-678. | 8 | Collenette I S.1999. Wild Flowers of Saudi Arabia. Riyadh: National Commission for Wild Life Conservation and Development, 11-25. | 9 | Colwell R K, Hurtt G C.1994. Nonbiological gradients in species richness and a spurious Rapoport effect. The American Naturalist, 144(4): 570-595. | 10 | Dewidar K H, Al Rehili B.2013. Assessment of vegetation indices for estimating plant coverage and plant density in the Northern Sarawat Mountains, Saudi Arabia. Merit Research Journal of Agricultural Science and Soil Sciences, 1(2): 19-32. | 11 | El Karemy Z A R, Zayed K M.1992. Distribution of plant communities across AlAbna escarpment, SW Saudi Arabia. Phyton, 32: 79-101. | 12 | El-Shikh M A.2005. Plant succession on abandoned fields after 25 years of shifting cultivation in Assuit, Egypt. Journal of Arid Environments, 61(3): 461-481. | 13 | El-Sheikh M A.2013. Population structure of woody plants in the arid cloud forests of Dhofar, southern Oman. Acta Botanica Croatica, 72(1): 97-111. | 14 | El-Sheikh M A, Thomas J, Alatar A A, et al.2013. Vegetation of Thumamah Nature Park: a managed arid land site in Saudi Arabia. Rendiconti Lincei, 24(4): 349-367. | 15 | Forssk?l P.1775. Flora Aegyptiaco-Arabica. Denmark: Copenhagen, 1-519. | 16 | Gentry A H.1986. Endemism in tropical versus temperate communities. In: Soulé M E. Conservation Biology: The Science of Scarcity and Diversity. Sunderland, Massachusetts: Sinauer Associates, 153-181. | 17 | Ghazanfar S A, Fisher M.1998. Vegetation of the Arabian Peninsula. London: Kluwer, 88-192. | 18 | Hall M, Scholte P, Al-Khulaidi A W, et al.2009. Arabia’s last forests under threat II: remaining fragments of unique valley forest in southwest Arabia. Edinburgh Journal of Botany, 66(2): 263-281. | 19 | Hall M, Llewellyn O A, Miller A G, et al.2010. Important plant areas in the Arabian Peninsula: 2 Farasan Archipelago. Edinburgh Journal of Botany, 67(2): 189-208. | 20 | Hall M, Miller A G, Llewellyn O A, et al.2011. Important plant areas in the Arabian Peninsula. 3. ‘Uruq bani Ma’ arid. Edinburgh Journal of Botany, 68(2): 183-197. | 21 | Hegazy A K, El-Demerdash M A, Hosni H A.1998. Vegetation, species diversity, and floristic relations along an altitudinal gradient in south-west Saudi Arabia. Journal of Arid Environments, 38(1): 3-13. | 22 | Llewellyn O A, Hall M, Miller A G, et al.2010. Important plant areas in the Arabian Peninsula: 1. Jabal Qaraqir. Edinburgh Journal of Botany, 67(1): 37-56. | 23 | Llewellyn O A, Hall M, Miller A G, et al.2011. Important plant areas in the Arabian Peninsula. 4. Jabal Aja'. Edinburgh Journal of Botany, 68(2): 199-224. | 24 | Magurran A E.1988. Ecological Diversity and Its Measurement. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 101-121. | 25 | Major J.1988. Endemism: a botanical perspective. In: Myers A A, Giller P S. Analytical Biogeography: An Integrated Approach to the Study of Animal and Plant Distributions. London: Chapman & Hall, 117-146. | 26 | Migahid A M.1978. Flora of Saudi Arabia, Vol. 2 (2nd ed.). Riyadh: Riyadh University, 70-596. | 27 | Miller A G, Nyberg J.1991. Patterns of endemism in Arabia. Flora et Vegetatio Mundi, 9: 263-273. | 28 | Ojeda F, Mara?ón T, Arroyo J.2000. Plant diversity patterns in the Aljibe Mountains (S. Spain): a comprehensive account. Biodiversity & Conservation, 9(9): 1323-1343. | 29 | Pielou E C.1975. Ecological Diversity.New York: John Wiley, 37-48, 135-145. | 30 | Ratnaweera P B, de Silva E D, Williams D E, et al.2015. Antimicrobial activities of endophytic fungi obtained from the arid zone invasive plant Opuntia dillenii and the isolation of equisetin, from endophytic Fusarium sp. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 15(1): 220. | 31 | Roberts C M, McClean C J, Veron J E N, et al.2002. Marine biodiversity hotspots and conservation priorities for tropical reefs. Science, 295(5558): 1280-1284. | 32 | SPSS.2006. SPSS Base 15.0 User Guide. Chicago: SPSS Inc. | 33 | Thomas J, Sivadasan M, Al-Ansari A M, et al.2014. New generic and species records for the flora of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences, 21(5): 457-464. | 34 | Thomas J, Basahi R, Al-Ansari A E, et al.2015. Additions to the Flora of Saudi Arabia: two new generic records from the Southern Tihama of Saudi Arabia. National Academy Science Letters, 38(6): 513-516. | 35 | Thomas J, El-Sheikh M A, Alfarhan A H, et al.2016. Impact of alien invasive species on habitats and species richness in Saudi Arabia. Journal of Arid Environments, 127: 53-65. | 36 | Thulin M.1993. Flora of Somalia. Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens, 125-186, 254-259, 273-459. | 37 | van der Werff H, Consiglio T.2004. Distribution and conservation significance of endemic species of flowering plants in Peru. Biodiversity and Conservation, 13(9): 1699-1713. | 38 | Vetaas O R, Grytnes J A.2002. Distribution of vascular plant species richness and endemic richness along the Himalayan elevation gradient in Nepal. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 11(4): 291-301. | 39 | Whittaker R J, Araújo M B, Jepson P, et al.2005. Conservation Biogeography: assessment and prospect. Diversity and Distributions, 11(1): 3-23. | 40 | Wood J R I.1997. A Handbook of the Yemen Flora. Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens, 80-81, 131-265, 273-321. | 41 | Zhang Y B, Ma K P.2008. Geographic distribution patterns and status assessment of threatened plants in China. Biodiversity and Conservation, 17(7): 1783-1798. |
|
|
Viewed |
|
|
|
Full text
|
|
|
|
|
Abstract
|
|
|
|
|
Cited |
|
|
|
|
|
Shared |
|
|
|
|
|
Discussed |
|
|
|
|