Early Growth Stages of the Rare Acridocarpus orientalis in the UAE—A First Step towards Conservation

Abstract

The seed germination and seedling establishment of the rare Acridocarpus orientalis were investigated to understand its requirements for further seedlings establishment in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It is an important first step in order to try to conserve the species and prevent its disappearance. The experiments were carried out in a greenhouse and in a laboratory under a temperature of about 25˚C ± 4˚C. Seeds were soaked in water or kept in cold conditions. A control treatment was also included. Only a total of 9 seeds emerged during a period that exceeded eight months. Percent germination in the laboratory experiment reached a maximum of 32%, 75 days into the trial. The rate of seed mortality was 64%. It may be a problem of acclimation to the greenhouse environment. The results of this study showed that A. orientalis seeds were not dormant. About 32% of seeds germinated and all others were viable. Soaking seeds in water proved to be the best treatment for A. orientalis to emerge. Further investigations of the species germination and establishment are needed in order to improve our chances of protecting A. orientalis in the wild.

Comparative plastome genomics, taxonomic delimitation and evolutionary divergences of Tetraena hamiensis var. qatarensis and Tetraena simplex (Zygophyllaceae)

“…The Arabian Peninsula and Saudi Arabia are home to Z. qatarense 26 . According to different authors 27 , 29 , 33 , 38 – 51 , Z. mandavillei , Z. hamiense and Z. qatarense are three different species, whereas others (Chaudhary 31 ) believed that the other two are varieties of Z. hamiense because of similar fruit and leaflet morphology. Sheahan and Chase 36 studied the phylogenetic relationship of Zygophyllaceae based on anatomy, morphology, and rbcl gene sequence and found that Fagonia is a sister to the Zygophyllaceae family.…”

Climate change-induced species distribution modeling in hyper-arid ecosystems

“…Many of such native species are becoming restricted in their distributions because of overgrazing and habitat destruction. In addition to the natural prolonged drought, human activities are also threatening many native plants 6 and their conservation 7 . The IPCC report 8 also projected that deserts are going to become hotter and drier.…”