On the ecology of the desert vegetation in Kuwait

Vegetation ecology of phytogenic hillocks (nabkhas) in coastal habitats of Jal Az-Zor National Park, Kuwait: Role of patches and edaphic factors

“…Species nomenclature follows Daoud and Al-Rawi (1985), Al-Rawi (1987), and Boulos and Al-Dosari (1994). The cover of each species was estimated according to the Domin-Krajina scale method (Halwagy et al, 1982).…”

Consequences of protection from grazing on diversity and abundance of the coastal lowland vegetation in Eastern Saudi Arabia

“…Detailed descriptions have been published of the vegetation of neighbouring Iraq (e.g. Thalen, 1979), and Kuwait (Halwagy and Halwagy, 1974a,b;Halwagy and Halwagy, 1977;Halwagy et al, 1982;Halwagy, 1986), some of which are correlated closely to Eastern Saudi Arabian associations. The most prominent plant communities in this region are dominated by: Haloxylon salicornicum, long history of overgrazing (camels and sheep are the main grazing animals), overcutting, and many social, economic, and cultural factors (Hajara and Batanouny, 1977).…”

The effects of harvester ant (Messor ebeninus Forel) nests on vegetation and soil properties in a desert dwarf shrub community in north-eastern Arabia

“…Detailed information on the natural environment was given by Halwagy and Halwagy (1974a, b) and Halwagy et al (1982). The landscape is flat to gently undulating, and rises almost imperceptibly from the coast to a maximum altitude of nearly 300 m in the south-west.…”

“…Rainfall occurs almost exclusively during the winter and spring months, mainly between November and April. Mean annual rainfall is about 115 mm, with extreme values of 28 and 260 mm (Halwagy et al, 1982).…”

“…Annuals are a conspicuous feature of the desert environment, especially in years of high rainfall (Halwagy et al, 1982). In this part of Arabia, desert annuals are characteristic of the winter and spring periods, and they can germinate with the first rains as from early November when temperatures have cooled down sufficiently, flowering and setting seed by the end of April at the latest (Halwagy and Halwagy, 1974b;Brown, 2001b).…”