Arabian Desert
Arabian Desert ٱلصَّحْرَاء ٱلْعَرَبِيَّة | |
---|---|
Ecology | |
Realm | Palearctic |
Biome | deserts and xeric shrublands |
Borders | List
|
Geography | |
Area | 1,855,470[1] km2 (716,400 sq mi) |
Countries | List
|
Conservation | |
Conservation status | critical/endangered[2] |
Protected | 4.368%[1] |
The Arabian Desert (
The Arabian Desert ecoregion has little biodiversity, although a few endemic plants grow here. Many species, such as the striped hyena, jackal and honey badger, have died out as a result of hunting, habitat destruction, overgrazing by livestock, off-road driving, and human encroachment on their habitat. Other species, such as the Arabian sand gazelle, have been successfully re-introduced and are protected at reserves.
Geography
The desert lies mostly in Saudi Arabia and covers most of the country. It extends into neighboring southern Iraq, southern Jordan, central Qatar, most of the Abu Dhabi emirate in the United Arab Emirates, western Oman, and northeastern Yemen. The ecoregion also includes most of the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt and the adjacent Negev desert in southern Israel.[1]
The
A corridor of sandy terrain known as the
Climate
The Arabian Desert has a
The climate is mainly dry. Most areas get around 100 mm (3.9 in) of rain per year. Unlike the Sahara Desert—more than half of which is hyperarid (having rainfall of less than 50 mm (2.0 in) per year)—the Arabian Desert has only a few hyperarid areas. These rare driest areas may get only 30 to 40 mm (1.6 in) of rain per year.
The Arabian Desert’s sunshine duration index is very high by global standards: between 2,900 hours (66.2% of daylight hours) and 3,600 hours (82.1% of daylight hours), but typically around 3,400 hours (77.6% of daylight hours). Thus clear-sky conditions with plenty of sunshine prevail over the region throughout the year, and cloudy periods are infrequent. Visibility at ground level is relatively low, despite the brightness of the sun and moon, because of dust and humidity.
Temperatures remain high year round. In the summer, in low-lying areas, average high temperatures are generally over 40 °C (104 °F). In extremely low-lying areas, especially along the Persian Gulf (near sea level), summer temperatures can reach 48 °C (118 °F). Average low temperatures in summer are typically over 20 °C (68 °F) and in the south can sometimes exceed 30 °C (86 °F). Record high temperatures above 50 °C (122 °F) have been reached in many areas of the desert, partly because its overall elevation is relatively low. [citation needed]
Flora and fauna
The Arabian Desert ecoregion has about 900 species of plants.
There are 102 native species of mammals.
People
The area is home to several different cultures, languages, and peoples, with
In the center of the desert lies Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, with more than 7 million inhabitants.[11] Other large cities, such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, or Kuwait City, lie on the coast of the Persian Gulf.
Natural resources
Natural resources available in the Arabian Desert include oil, natural gas, phosphates, and sulfur.[citation needed]
Conservation and threats
Threats to the ecoregion include overgrazing by livestock and feral camels and goats, wildlife poaching, and damage to vegetation by off-road driving.[2]
The conservation status of the desert is critical/endangered. In the UAE, the
Protected areas
4.37% of the ecoregion is in protected areas.[1]
Saudi Arabia has established a system of reserves overseen by the National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development (NCWCD).[2]
- Harrat al-Harrah Reserve (12,150 km2), established in 1987, is on the border with Jordan and Iraq, and protects a portion of the stony basaltic Harrat al-Sham desert. The reserve includes rough terrain of black basaltic boulders and extinct volcanic cones from the middle Miocene. It provides habitat to over 250 species of plants, 50 species of birds, and 22 mammal species.[2]
- 'Uruq Bani Ma'arid Reserve (12,000 km2) is on the western edge of the Rub’ al-Khali. Arabian oryx and sand gazelle were reintroduced to the reserve in 1995.
- Ibex Reserve (200 km2) is south of Riyadh. It protects Nubian ibex and a reintroduced population of mountain gazelle.[2]
- Al-Tabayq Special Nature Reserve is in northern Saudi Arabia, and protects a population of Nubian ibex.[2]
Protected areas in the United Arab Emirates include Al Houbara Protected Area (2492.0 km2), Al Ghadha Protected Area (1087.51 km2), Arabian Oryx Protected Area (5974.47 km2), Ramlah Protected Area (544.44 km2), and Al Beda'a Protected Area (417.0 km2).[12]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d "Arabian Desert and East Sahero-Arabian xeric shrublands". Digital Observatory of Protected Areas. Accessed 19 December 2022. [1]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Arabian Desert". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
- ^ "Arabian Desert | Facts, Definition, Temperature, Plants, Animals, & Map | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2022-10-22.
- ^ "Arabian Desert: Middle East". geography.name. Retrieved 2022-10-22.
- ^ "Rub Al-Khali, a photo and short description". A Lovely World.
- ^ "The Wahiba Sands". Rough Guides. Retrieved 2014-08-16.
- ^ "Sharqiya (Wahiba) Sands, Oman - Travel Guide, Info & Bookings – Lonely Planet". Lonely Planet. Retrieved 2013-06-09.
- ^ a b c Hoekstra JM, Molnar JL, Jennings M, Revenga C, Spalding MD, Boucher TM, Robertson JC, Heibel TJ, Ellison K (2010) The Atlas of Global Conservation: Changes, Challenges, and Opportunities to Make a Difference (ed. Molnar JL). Berkeley: University of California Press.
- ^ Harrison, D. L. (1968). "Genus Acinonyx Brookes, 1828" (PDF). The mammals of Arabia. Volume II: Carnivora, Artiodactyla, Hyracoidea. London: Ernest Benn Limited. pp. 308–313.
- ISBN 978-90-04-08876-4.
- ^ "هيئة تطوير مدينة الرياض توافق على طلبات مطورين لإنشاء 4 مشاريع سياحية وترفيهية" (in Arabic). April 4, 2019. Archived from the original on April 4, 2019. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
- ^ UNEP-WCMC (2020). Protected Area Profile for United Arab Emirates from the World Database of Protected Areas, November 2020. Available at: www.protectedplanet.net
External links
- "Arabian Desert". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
- Arabian Desert (DOPA)
- Arabian Desert (Encyclopedia of Earth)[permanent dead link]