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Diversity and Distribution of Salt-Tolerant Plants of the United Arab Emirates: Perspectives for Sustainable Utilization and Future Research

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Sabkha Ecosystems

Part of the book series: Tasks for Vegetation Science ((TAVS,volume 49))

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of halophytic flora of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and efforts to conserve these genetic resources through seed banking. The halophytic vegetation of UAE is comprised of 74 species, belonging to 19 families, and distributed along the coastal and nearby inland saline areas in the country. The majority of these species belong to Amaranthaceae, followed by Cyperaceae, Poaceae, Fabaceae, and Zygophyllaceae. More information about habitat distribution, salinity tolerance, and other ecophysiological details of these species is needed. The conservation of halophytic species and assessment of viability are underway in SSBH, and so far great progress has been made to conserve their germplasm. The conserved germplasm in seed banks can be used for various research and development purposes including combating desertification, habitat restoration, and promoting greenery in the coastal as well as inland habitats in the hyper-arid deserts. Halophytes of the UAE could be sustainably exploited for an array of uses including chemicals, native plant landscaping, biofuel, medicinal, soil rehabilitation, and a number of other useful purposes.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. Amr Abdel-Hamid, Director General of the Sharjah Research Academy, for the encouragement and support. Thanks are also to Prof. Ali El-Keblawy (University of Sharjah) for his valuable comments/suggestions that greatly improved this book chapter. Mohammed Hasan and Mohammed Fiaz of SSBH are thanked for their help during field collections and seed separation. Reena Cordeiro provided valuable assistance at various stages of preparation of this chapter, and we sincerely thank her.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sharjah Seedbank and Herbarium, Sharjah Research Academy, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

    Sanjay Gairola, Tamer Mahmoud & Hatem A. Shabana

Authors
  1. Sanjay Gairola
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  2. Tamer Mahmoud
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  3. Hatem A. Shabana
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sanjay Gairola .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Sustainable Halophyte Utilization (ISHU), University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan

    Bilquees Gul

  2. UNESCO Bangkok Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education, Bangkok, Thailand

    Benno Böer

  3. Institute of Sustainable Halophyte Utilization (ISHU), University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan

    M. Ajmal Khan

  4. UNESCO Division of Ecological and Earth Sciences, Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme, Paris cedex 15, France

    Miguel Clüsener-Godt

  5. Institute of Sustainable Halophyte Utilization (ISHU), University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan

    Abdul Hameed

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Gairola, S., Mahmoud, T., Shabana, H.A. (2019). Diversity and Distribution of Salt-Tolerant Plants of the United Arab Emirates: Perspectives for Sustainable Utilization and Future Research. In: Gul, B., Böer, B., Khan, M., Clüsener-Godt, M., Hameed, A. (eds) Sabkha Ecosystems. Tasks for Vegetation Science, vol 49. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-04417-6_21

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