A Natural History of the Emirates.

• Author: Burt, John A.
• Place / Publishing House: Cham : : Springer,, 2023.; ©2024.
• Year of Publication: 2023
• Edition: 1st ed.
• Language: English
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (739 pages)

Table of Contents

Intro -- Foreword -- Contents -- Chapter 1: A Natural History of the Emirates: An Introduction -- 1.1 Nature in the Context of a Rapidly Growing Nation -- 1.2 The Evolution of Natural History Research in the Emirates -- 1.3 An Overview of `A Natural History of the Emirates ́-- References -- Part I: An Extreme Environment: Physical Setting of the Emirates -- Chapter 2: Geography and Geology of the United Arab Emirates: A Naturalistś Introduction -- 2.1 Introduction -- 2.2 The Principal Geographical Units of the UAE -- 2.2.1 The Coastal Plains -- 2.2.2 The Sand Deserts -- 2.2.2.1 The Sand and its Sources -- 2.2.2.2 Rainfall and Temperature -- 2.2.2.3 Regional Variations in the UAEś Sand Desert Landscapes -- 2.2.3 The Mountain Regions -- 2.2.3.1 The Hajar Mountains -- 2.2.3.1.1 Hajar Mountain Geology -- 2.2.3.1.2 The Mountain Wadi Environment -- 2.2.3.1.3 Geological `Windows ́Exposing Metamorphic Rocks -- 2.2.3.2 The Ruús Al Jibal -- 2.2.3.3 The Foreland Ridges (Jebel Hafeet et al.) -- 2.2.4 The Alluvial Plains -- 2.3 Biogeography -- 2.4 Geological Highlights -- 2.4.1 Oil Reserves -- 2.4.2 Emplacement of the Ophiolite Rocks and Creation of the Hajar Mountains -- 2.5 Plate Tectonics -- 2.6 Conclusions -- 2.7 Recommended Reading -- References -- Chapter 3: Climate of the United Arab Emirates: Present, Past and Impacts on Life -- 3.1 The UAE Climate in the Global Context -- 3.2 Climate of the Past -- 3.3 The Shamal and Other Winds -- 3.4 Can We Glimpse UAEś Future Climate? -- 3.5 Atlas of UAE Climatology: 1979-2021 -- 3.6 Conclusions -- 3.7 Recommended Readings -- References -- Chapter 4: The Marine Environment of the Emirates -- 4.1 The Emirates in a Regional Marine Context -- 4.2 Geographic Features of the UAEś Coasts -- 4.3 The UAEś Arabian Gulf Coast: An Extreme Marine Environment -- 4.3.1 Atmospheric Influences on the Arabian Gulf.

4.3.2 Sea Temperatures on the Gulf Coast -- 4.3.3 Gulf Sea Temperatures and Dissolved Oxygen -- 4.3.4 Salinity-Driven Circulation in the Gulf -- 4.3.5 Seasonal Eddies on the UAEś Gulf Coast -- 4.3.6 Spatial and Seasonal Variation in Gulf Salinity -- 4.4 The UAEś East Coast: A Sub-Tropical Indian Ocean Margin -- 4.5 Winds in a Regional Context -- 4.5.1 Winds and Waves on the Gulf Coast -- 4.5.2 The Importance of Shamal Winds for Cooling the Gulf -- 4.6 Tides in the Emirates -- 4.7 Conclusion -- 4.8 Recommended Readings -- References -- Part II: Ecosystems of the Emirates -- Chapter 5: The Vegetation of the United Arab Emirates and Ecosystem Management Issues -- 5.1 Introduction -- 5.2 Broad Terrestrial Habitat Types and Their Vegetation -- 5.2.1 Coastal Zone -- 5.2.1.1 Mangroves -- 5.2.1.2 Saltmarsh Vegetation -- 5.2.1.3 Vegetation of the Coastal Plains -- 5.2.1.4 Coastal Sand Sheets and Dunes -- 5.2.1.5 Vegetation of Some Islands -- 5.2.1.6 Sabkha Vegetation -- 5.2.1.7 Vegetation of Tertiary Mesas Associated with Sabkha -- 5.2.2 Vegetation of the Inland Deserts -- 5.2.2.1 Prosopis cineraria Community -- 5.2.2.2 Acacia tortilis Parkland on the Alluvial Plains Associated with the Hajar Mountains -- 5.2.2.3 Haloxylon persicum Community -- 5.2.2.4 Calligonum Communities -- 5.2.2.5 Leptadenia pyrotechnica Community -- 5.2.2.6 Calotropis procera Community -- 5.2.2.7 Cornulaca arabica Community -- 5.2.2.8 Haloxylon salicornicum Community -- 5.2.2.9 Zygophyllum qatarense Community -- 5.2.2.10 Vegetation Types with Rhanterium epapposum -- 5.2.2.11 Rhazya stricta-Dominated Stands -- 5.2.2.12 Vegetation Types with Fagonia ovalifolia -- 5.2.2.13 Tribulus-Dipterygium-Limeum Community -- 5.2.2.14 Cyperus conglomeratus Community -- 5.2.2.15 Panicum turgidum Community -- 5.2.3 Vegetation of the Hajar Mountains -- 5.2.3.1 Main Hajar Mountain Range.

5.2.3.1.1 Submontane zone (0-) 50-500 (-600) m -- 5.2.3.1.2 Medium-elevation montane zone (400-) 500-1000 (-1300) m -- 5.2.3.2 Ru′us Al Jibal (Musandam) -- 5.2.3.2.1 Vegetation zones -- 5.2.3.2.2 Zone 1: Mountain wadi zone -- 5.2.3.2.3 Zone 2: Low and medium-elevation montane zone -- 5.2.3.2.4 Zone 3: High-elevation zone -- 5.2.3.3 Foreland Ridges -- 5.2.4 Freshwater Habitats -- 5.2.5 Oases, Intensive Agricultural Farms and Plantations -- 5.2.6 Urban Environments -- 5.3 Threats to the Flora and Vegetation of the UAE -- 5.4 Recommended Readings -- References -- Chapter 6: The Mountain Regions of the United Arab Emirates: An Ecosystem Perspective -- 6.1 The Mountain Regions as an Ecosystem -- 6.1.1 Physical and Structural Parameters: A Mountain ``Reef ́́in a ``Sea ́́of Sand -- 6.1.2 Contributors to Biodiversity: Biogeographical Position, Endemism, Climate History -- 6.1.3 Constraints Common to all UAE Mountain Ecosystems: Unpredictable Rainfall, Poor Soil and Overgrazing -- 6.2 The Principal UAE Mountain Ecosystems -- 6.2.1 The Hajar Mountains -- 6.2.1.1 Hajar Mountain Wadis: Some General Considerations -- 6.2.1.2 Floral Elements Common to Hajar Mountain Habitats Generally -- 6.2.1.3 Harzburgite Terrane -- 6.2.1.3.1 The Shimayliyah Range -- 6.2.1.3.2 Ultrabasic Rocks and Botanical Diversity and Endemism -- 6.2.1.3.3 Some Candidate Species for Ultrabasic Sensitivity -- 6.2.1.3.4 The Western Foothills -- 6.2.1.4 Gabbro Terranes -- 6.2.1.5 Metamorphic Terranes -- 6.2.1.6 Freshwater Bodies: Ponds, Pools, Streams and Seeps -- 6.2.1.6.1 Wadi Hydrology -- 6.2.1.6.2 Mobile Cosmopolitan Species -- 6.2.1.6.3 Isolation and Speciation of Freshwater Fishes -- 6.2.1.6.4 Freshwater Bodies as a Community Resource -- 6.2.1.6.5 Physical Parameters of Wadi Water -- 6.2.1.6.6 Freshwater Seeps -- 6.2.1.6.7 Flooding in the Wadis.

6.2.2 The Ru′us Al Jibal (the Mountains of the Musandam) -- 6.2.2.1 Cliff Environments -- 6.2.3 The Dibba Zone -- 6.2.4 The Foreland Ridges (Jebel Hafeet et al.) -- 6.2.5 The Alluvial Plains -- 6.3 Axes of Transition: Ecosystem Gradients in Space and Time -- 6.3.1 Spatial Gradients: Latitude, Climate, Behavior, Biogeography -- 6.3.2 Temporal Gradients: Winners and Losers from Human Activities -- 6.4 Conclusions -- 6.5 Recommended Reading -- References -- Chapter 7: Mangrove Ecosystems of the United Arab Emirates -- 7.1 UAE Mangroves in a Global Context -- 7.2 Mangrove Ecology and Distribution in the UAE -- 7.3 Ecological Importance and Diversity Supported by UAE Mangrove Forests -- 7.3.1 Ecological Functions, Interactions and Productivity of Mangrove Trees in Coastal Ecosystems of the UAE -- 7.3.2 Crabs -- 7.3.3 Mollusks -- 7.3.4 Fishes -- 7.3.5 Birds -- 7.3.6 Plants -- 7.4 Cultural and Economic Importance of the Mangrove Ecosystem in UAE -- 7.5 Threats -- 7.6 Management and Conservation Status -- 7.7 Recommended Readings -- References -- Chapter 8: Coastal Lagoons (Khors) of the Emirates -- 8.1 Coastal Lagoons (Khors) -- 8.2 Distribution of the Different Types of Coastal Lagoon in the Emirates -- 8.3 Biodiversity in Coastal Lagoons -- 8.4 Socio-cultural Importance of the Coastal Lagoons -- 8.5 Human Impacts on Coastal Lagoons -- 8.5.1 Marine Vessel Traffic -- 8.5.2 Urban Light Pollution -- 8.5.3 Water Pollution -- 8.5.4 Implications of Climate Change for UAE Lagoons -- 8.6 Management and Conservation -- References -- Recommended Reading -- Chapter 9: Seagrasses of the United Arab Emirates -- 9.1 Distribution -- 9.1.1 Global Distribution -- 9.1.2 Taxonomy -- 9.1.3 Arabian Gulf Seagrasses -- 9.1.4 Seagrass in the United Arab Emirates -- 9.2 Diversity -- 9.3 Broad Importance of the Ecosystem -- 9.3.1 Global-Scale Importance.

9.3.2 Ecological and Biological Importance: Arabian Gulf/UAE -- 9.3.3 Socio-cultural Importance -- 9.4 Threats -- 9.5 Management and Conservation -- 9.5.1 Federal and Government Laws and Regulation -- 9.5.2 Assessment of Seagrass Meadows of UAE -- 9.6 Conclusions -- 9.7 Recommended Readings -- References -- Chapter 10: Seaweeds of the Emirates -- 10.1 Seaweed Ecosystems -- 10.1.1 Introduction to Seaweeds -- 10.1.2 What Are Seaweeds -- 10.1.3 Intertidal Habitats -- 10.1.3.1 Open Rocky Shores -- 10.1.3.2 Tidepools -- 10.1.3.3 Sedimentary Shores -- 10.1.3.3.1 Sandy Beaches -- 10.1.3.3.2 Mangrove Areas -- 10.1.3.3.3 Mud Flats -- 10.1.3.3.4 Lagoons and Coastal Sabkha -- 10.1.4 Subtidal Habitats -- 10.1.4.1 Rock Surfaces of Low Relief -- 10.1.4.2 Rock Surfaces of High Physical Relief -- 10.1.4.3 Coral Carpets -- 10.1.4.4 Seagrass Beds -- 10.1.5 Man-Made Habitats -- 10.1.5.1 Fixed Structures -- 10.1.5.2 Floating Structures -- 10.2 Ecological Interactions -- 10.3 Seaweed Seasonality -- 10.4 Invasive Seaweeds -- 10.5 Importance of Seaweeds -- 10.6 Seaweeds as a Resource -- 10.7 Conclusions -- 10.8 Recommended Readings -- References -- Chapter 11: Coral Reefs of the Emirates -- 11.1 UAE Coral Reefs in a Global and Regional Context -- 11.2 Coral Distribution and Diversity in the Emirates -- 11.2.1 East Coast Reefs -- 11.2.2 Reefs of the Gulfś Northern Emirates -- 11.2.3 Corals of the Capital and Western Region -- 11.2.4 Offshore Reefs of the Southern Gulf -- 11.3 UAE Coral Reefs: A Globally Important Scientific Asset -- 11.4 Climate Change and the Future of Coral Reefs in the Emirates -- 11.5 Improving the Future Trajectory of UAE Reefs -- 11.6 Conclusions -- 11.7 Recommended Readings -- References -- Chapter 12: Oyster Beds and Reefs of the United Arab Emirates -- 12.1 Socio-cultural and Economic Value of Oyster Habitats in the Emirates.

12.1.1 The Pearl Industry.