ABSTRACT
Leandro, P.; Knuteson, S.L., and Bartholomew, A., 2022. The vegetation of the United Arab Emirates Gulf coast: Description and analysis. Journal of Coastal Research, 38(5), 951–967. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.
This geobotanical study describes the United Arab Emirates (UAE) mangrove and coastal halophyte plant communities in the intertidal areas and coastal salt flats along part of the UAE Arabian Gulf coast. Nine coastal vegetation association/community groups have been identified with TWINSPAN: Association 1, Avicennietum marinaeChapman, J. 1970.; Association 2, Salicornietum fruticosi Br. Bl. 1928; Association 3, Arthrocnemo macrostachi–Halocnemetum strobiliaci assoc. nova; Association 4, Suaedetum verae (fruticosae) Br. Bl. ex O. Bolós and Molinier 1958; Association 5, Tetraenetum qatarensis assoc. nova; Community 6, Calotropis procera; Community 7, Heliotropium bacciferum and Cornulaca monacantha; Community 8, Prosopis cineraria, and two new communities associated with anthropogenic disturbance; Community 9a, Avicennia marina with Sesuvium portulacastrum; and Community 9b, Avicennia marina with Salicornia fruticosa. Vegetation profiles of each community are presented. Canonical correspondence analysis revealed that the A. marina communities are associated with: higher salinity of the soil, higher soil CaCO3 content, and higher soil ion concentrations (K+, Mg++, Na+, Cl–). Coastal development has modified the UAE Gulf coast extensively in recent years, and this study describes the coastal plant association/communities, which will be useful for botanists, ecologists, and managers involved in coastal restoration efforts.
