Gary Brown - Photography - Ecology - Conservation

 

 

 

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The vegetation of the coastal coralline sands in the Arabian Gulf region, often referred to as "coastal white sand vegetation", is now under massive threat from widespread coastal development. In the UAE east of Abu Dhabi island, the coastal white sands are particularly species-rich and characterised by the perennials Sphaerocoma aucheri, Cornulaca monacantha and Coelachyrum piercii. The tussock grass Panicum turdigum is also present, and is a characteristic species of this habitat type throughout the region. Here at Taweela, and further north-east into Ra's Al-Khaimah, an abundance of annuals occurs on these sands, which, despite their often close proximity to the coast, are generally non-saline. The sands are also rich in fauna, and are an important breeding ground for Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse. The sands at Taweela are probably home to the western-most occurrence of the rare Wonder Gecko (Teratoscincus keyserlingi) in Arabia, which has a very restricted occurrence along the coastline of northern Oman and the UAE. However, with the massive developments currently underway at Taweela, and also further north-east into Dubai Emirate, the last remaining larger tracts of this unique plant community in Abu Dhabi and Dubai Emirate have probably already disappeared.

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