Arab GulfJournal ofScientific Research, 20 (2), pp 87-9/ (2002)

ORIGINAL PAPER (REF. 2037) . -­ J A Abbas Coastal Vegetation of Bahrain Island

Abstract: Vegetation of the coastal lowlands of Bahrain ~~I ~..r'~ .} ..,-bL....J1 ~4iJ1 .~I

Island has been surveyed on the basis of seven habitat 1.>"4L~ types: mangrove, salt marsh, dunes, coastal sabkha, ,.; ~I 4b..WI,jbL:....JJ ~l+J1 .lh.i.ll 4.....1.J~ ~ .~I , ~~L.JI IF".J . w~1 Vo bL.J ~ ~ JJL;. Vo u->~I .J-'..? reclaimed areas, coastal plantations and agricultural ,'., 1 0 ; ,II ,jbL.:..J1 ,4b..WI t4-l1 ,4J....)1 u~1 ,~I w~1 wastelands. Most of the habitats are saline and plants are ...... ~ c:-JI I':'" ,.; ~ ..ci.J~1 ~I.J)I ,jbL.:..J1.J 4b..WI t),j.J1 mostly halophytic. Dominant species vary from one .~p'yJl tly)ll .J .~WI ~l+J1 tly)ll ~ Vo ~l+J1 w~1 ul-O J~~.J , ~ ~ wlj w~I.':'" ~ .:,I ..boo.J ..ci .J ' ~ habitat to another in the different saline areas. Habitats Vo o~WI ~l+J1 tly)ll ~L,u.J .~ o~WI ~l+J1 tly)Ol ~ with .Iow salinity are occupied by glycophytes. Key w~ ,~y..J1 ~ w~1 L..i .~I ,jbL.:..J1 .;. lS,Poi Jl ~ species in the vegetation of coastal lowlands of Bahrain ,jbL.:..J1 ,.; ~.)I ~l+J1 tly)Ol <':'.Jli.. ":,,c,.J ' ,~ ~ .~~ are found in similar habitats in Arabia, particularly the '~rJ I oJ-'-.:r.J I ~ .;. l+i)4i. C:" u->~I OJ-'..? .;. ~I 4b..W I ~~I ~ 4b..WI ,jbL.:..J1 .;. ~\...;".J ,ofo ~L.::...; ~.Ji W..boo.J eastern coasts of Saudi Arabia and Qatar. ..;hi U.J~ .J ~~~I ~rJl w...J~ Keywords: Bahrain, Coastal lowlands, vegetation, Habitat types

Introduction Several studies have been carried out on the plant ecology and vegetation of Bahrain (Abbas et ai, Coastal habitats are highly stressful 1991 a & b; Abbas and EI-Oqlah, 1992; EI-Oqlah environments where salinity and the water-holding and Abbas, 1992; EI-Oqlah and Abbas, 1994; Abbas capacity of the substrate are the dominant abiotic and EI-Oqlah, 1996; Abbas, 1998). However, none of the previous studies have dealt exclusively with influences (Deil, 1998). These stressful conditions the coastal vegetation. Abbas and EI-Oqlah (1992) are aggravated in the Arabian Peninsula by high and EI-Oqlah and Abbas (1992) included mangrove temperature, reaching more than 45°C in summer. and the supralittoral vegetation as paJ1 of a more Many studies have been carried out on the coastal comprehensive survey of the vegetation of Bahrain. vegetation in Arabia. Coastal vegetation in Saudi The present study deals exclusively with the Arabia (Frey et al. 1984; EI-Demerdash et al. 1995), coastal vegetation of Bahrain Island, as reflected in Yemen (AI-Gifri and AI-Subai, 1994), Oman a number of habitats, and compares the Bahrain (Ghazanfar and Rappenhoner, 1994), United Arab coastal vegetation with the coastal vegetation of Emirates (Deil and MUller-Hohenstein, 1996), Qatar Arabia. (Abdel-Razik and Ismail, 1990; Abulfatih et al. 2001), and Kuwait (Halwagy and Halwagy, 1977) Study Area has been documented with some detail. Bahrain is an archipelago of 33 islands located in the mid-western part of the Arabian Gulf about 25 km east of Saudi Arabia. The largest of these J A. Abbas islands is Bahrain Island, with a total area of 612 Deanship ofScientific Research km2. Five physiographic zones characterize the University ofBahrain, topography of Bahrain (Doornkamp et al. 1980) P.O. Box 32038, Kingdom ofBahrain which are: (i) the central plateau and jabals; (ii) the Tel:(+974) 782357, 782307,683310 interior basin; (iii) the escarpments; (iv) the Fax: (+974)683278 backslopes; and (v) the coastal lowlands (Fig. 1). Email: [email protected]

87 88 Coastal Vegetation

50"20 The diagram Bahrain shows that the dry extends ~ay to 2S" October and the wet extends November to April. The mean annual rainfall is 74 mm, with a mean monthly rainfall in summer of than 1 mm and of 15 mm in winter. Relative humidity is generally high. The highest mean daily maximum relative humidity is (October),

Skm and the mean daily I I minimum humidity is 40% (~ay). Methods

Seven in the coastal lowlands of Bahrain Island were selected. The included mangrove, salt marshes, dune coastal soils), reclaimed areas, agricultural wastelands, and coastal '-­ ______---' plantations (Fig. 1). Each

1. ~ap of the physiographic zones and the was at least habitat types Physiographic zones: 1 == central plateau and once and the of a 2 == interior 3 == 4 backslopes; 5 coastal minimum of three stands per lowlands. Habitats: (d) == mangrove; salt marsh; dune; (0) == habitat was visually. coastal sabkha; (0) == == coastal plantations; (0) Species each habitat were wastelands. identified to - ~andaville and The coastal lowlands surround the central were kept in the Department of Biology core of Bahrain extending the base of the Herbarium at the of Bahrain. backslope, where the elevation is approximately 10 m, to sea The coastal lowlands consist largely Results of superficial laid of marine and Aeolian 1. This covers an area approximately swamps are located around the muddy 275 Km2 (Doornkamp et al. 1980). shores of the northeastern part the island {Tubli where a and two the bay. The of the zone and mainland Arabia, in the North the of the tidal channels are t1r.fnfr."rp·t1 by African-Euroasian dry climate province A vicennia marina Vierh. It contributes to (~cGinnies, 1979). According to climatic norms more 90% of the cover. Intertidal species obtained the Civil Aviation associated with plant are found in a zonation (Bahrain), the climate is characterized These include Arthrocnemum of mild winters and very hot summers. (~oric.) ~oris & is with a June Salicornia europaea L., Suaeda maritima maximum of January minimum and Arthrocnemum macrostachyum (~oric.) ~oris & (see, Table 1). Abbas J A 89

2. Salt Marsh are Limonium axillare O. Kuntze, At the northwestern the island, where Tamarix arabica DC. south sabkha, the cultivation ends near the coast, seawater intrusion, dominant species is H. pelfoliata. with with the borders of streams ditches through are A. macrostachyum, Halocnemum ridges, forms areas of salt marsh. Soils are strobilaceum (Pall.) M. Bieb., S. vermiculata, Z. characteristically sandy, and saline, often qatarense, and S. rosmarinus the southern with high water-table levels of the island (see, Table I). (Doornkamp et al., 1980). are mainly halophytic and found streams and ditches. 5. Areas Phragmites australis (Cav.) Steud and A number of coastal areas in the }uncus rigidus Desf. vegetation. island have been Other species include L., Alhagi urban and industrial projects. In such areas, maurorum Medikus, and littoralis the seawater were filled with sand and other (Gouan) ParI. (see, Table 1). dumping materials. Therefore, the soil is mainly unconsolidated sand. Dominant 3. in such new habitats are Sesuvium verrucosum Raf. Further inland and away northern and and Salsola villosa Del. ex Roem. northwestern coasts, and include Sporobolus spicatus (Vahl) the backs lope, dunes can Anabasis Moq., and Fagonia Burm. be seen. Relatively high dunes are found in the Table 1). northwest and southwest. The dunes are composed of quartoze sands, but in the gypsum 6. content of the sands may be et at., 1

In these areas, ''''''• .lU rosmarinus Druce, Convolvulus arvensis L., and Sporobolus ioclados ex Trin.) Dactyloctenium (L.) WiUd. (see, Table lagopoides (L.) and Suaeda 1). vermiculata Forssk. ex J.F. Gmelin dominate the Table 1). 7. Agricultural Many areas show the remnants of dead P. 4. Coastal Sabkha dactylifera. These areas are mainly saline and thus The coastal sabkhas are in the occupied in by dense thickets of S. and in the south. Extensive vermiculata. species frequently sabkha are to seen in such include Cressa cretica L., H. inundation. The soil is composed of strobilaceum, P. In laminated, poorly graded, medium- wasteland with low other species were calcareous quartose sand. A. found, including Aizoon canariense Heliotropium qatarense, Halopep/is crispum Desf., and P. farcta Table 1). ex Aschers., and S. sabkha. Scattered these 90 Coastal Vegetaion of Bahrain

Table 1. The seven habitats and their related species.

Habitat Species composition

Mangrove A vicennia marina, Arthrocnemum salicornicum, Salicornia europaea, Suaeda maritima, Arthrocnemum macrostachyum

Salt Marsh Phragmites australis, ]uncus rigidus, Cyperus rotundus, Alhagi maurorum, Aeluropus littoralis

Dunes Leptadenia pyrotechnica, Calligonum comosum, Zygophyllwn qatarense, Panicum turgidum, Pennisetum divisum, Cyperus conglomeratus, Helianthemum kahiricum, Cynomorium coccineum, Seidlitzia rosmarinus, ]uncus rigidus, Sporobolus ioclados, Aeluropus lagopoides, Suaeda vermiculta

Coastal Sabkha Aeluropus lagopoides, Zygophyllum qatarense, Halopeplis peifoliata, Sporobolus ioclados, Limonium axillare, Tamarix arabica, Arthrocnemum macrostachyum, Halocnemum stobilaceum, Suaeda vermiculta, Seidlitzia rosmarinus

Reclaimed Areas Sesuvium verrucosum, Salsola villosa, Sporobolus spicatus, Anabasis seti/era, Fagonia indica

Coastal Plantations Phoenix dactyli/era, Capparis spinosa, Phragmites australis, Alhagi maurorum, Euphorbia peplus, Prosopis /arcta, Centaurium pulchellum, Convolvulus arvensis, Dactyloctenium aegyptium

Agricultural Wasteland Suaeda vermiculta, Cressa cretica, Halocnemum stobilaceum, Phragmites australis, Alhagi maurorum, Aizoon canariense, Heliotropium crispum

Discussion and Conclusion identified 22 halophytes in a survey of the coastal zone of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, most of Most of the habitats of the coastal lowlands of which are reported in the present study. Bahrain have an electrical conductivity ranging One of the distinctive habitats of Bahrain and the from 6.8 to 76.6 mS cm-1 (Abbas and EI-Oqlah, whole region is that of the mangrove where A vicennia marina is dominant. A vicennia marina 1992), which is above the 4 mS cm-1 reported by occupies muddy habitat protected from strong wind Gorham (1993) as the limit that separates by a variety of natural or artificial barriers. This is glycophytes from halophytes. In such habitats the seen in the Gulf of Aqaba (Danin, 1983), the eastern key species are either obligate halophytes or salt coast of the Red Sea (Mahmoud et al. 1985), Yemen tolerant species, including Avicennia marina and (Al-Hubaishi and MUller-Hohenstein, 1984), Oman Arthrocnemum salicornicum in the mangrove; (Ghazanfar and Rappenhoner, 1994), United Arab ]uncus rigidus and Aeluropus littoralis in the salt Emirates (Boer and Gliddon, 1998), and Qatar marsh; Aeluropus lagopoides and Sporobolus (Abdel-Razik, 1991; Abulfatih et al. 2001). ioclados in the coastal sabkha; and Suaeda Associated species with A vice/mia marina in these vermiculata and Halocnemum strobilaceum in the mangrove habitats vary from one place to another. agricultural wastelands. Most of these species are Nevertheless, species with relatively wide represented in the coastal vegetation in the saline phytogeographical distribution may be found in habitats of Arabia (Deil, 1998) and to a certain most of these places, such as Halopeplis peifoliata extent in some of the Mediterranean coasts (Shaltout and Seidlitzia rosmarinus (Freitag, 1991), and and EI-Ghareeb, 1992). Boer and Gliddon (1998) Abbas J A 91

Halocnemum is a Damn, . A• ( 0+'J Israel and Sinai. regional in Can a Jerusalem. MediterraneanlSaharo-SindianlIrano-Turanian Doornkamp, J.C., Brunsden, D. and Jones, D.K.C. phytochoria (Dei!, 1998). (1980) Geology, Geomorphology and Pedology Bahrian. Geo Abstracts Norwich. The exception to Deil, U. and Milller-Hohenstein, K. (1996) An outline species in the studied habitats is the of the of Dubai (UAE). Verhandungen der sand forms and plantations, which have Gesellschaftfur Okologles 25: 77-95. low saline solis. The majority Deil, U. (1998) Coastal and sabkha vegetation. In: habitats are glycophytes, Ghazanfar, S.A. and Fisher, M. (eds.) Vegetation where salinity is the Arabian Peninsula. Geobotany 25. Kluwer It is worthwhile to Academic Publishers, Netherlands, pp. 209-228. coastal lowlands EI-Demerdash, M.A., Hegazy, A.K. and Zilay, M.A. similarity to that of the (1995) Vegetation - soil relationship in Tihama Saudi Arabia and coastal plains of Jazan region, Saudi Arabia. J. ofArid Environments 30: 161-174. EI-Oqlah, A.A. and Abbas, J.A. (1992) Preliminary studies on the natural flora and vegetation of Bahrain. Dirasat 19: 123-137. Abbas, (1998) Distribution and structure of EI-Oqlah, A.A. and Abbas, J .A. (1994) A checklist of Zygophyllum qatarense communities in Bahrain vascular plants of Bahrain. Dirasat 21: 95-118. Island. Arab Res. 16: 555-568. Freitag, H. (1991) The distribution of some prominent Abbas, J.A., Mohammed, S.A. and M.A. ( Chenopodiaceae in SW Asia and their Edaphic factors and plant distribution in a phytogeographical significance. Flora et Vegetatio protected area in the desert of Bahrain Island. Mundi 9: 281-292. Vegetatio 95: 87-93. Frey, W., Kurschner, H., E.-Sheikh, A.M. and Abbas, M.A. and S.A. Migahid, A.M. (1984) Zonation and (1991 b) Plant communities of a of halophytes on the Red Sea coast near desert of Bahrain Island. 1. Tawwal Arabia). Notes from the Bot. 21-42. Garden Edinb. 42: 45-56. Abbas, J.A. and "".··'V'I....'" Distribution and Ghazanfar, S.A. and D. communities of "-"-r".1 in Bahrain. 1. Vegetation and flora of the Islands of Masira and Arid Environments 22: 205-2 J8. Shagaf, Sultanate of Oman. Arab 1. Scient. Abbas, J.A. and A.A. (1996) Distribution of Res. 12: 509-524. plant across Bahrain Island. 1. Arid Gorham, J. ( Mechanisms of salt tolerance of Environments 34: 37-46. halophytes. In: Advanced course on Abdel·Razik, M.S. and A.M. (1990) utilization in agriculture. of a marine salt marsh in Qatar in Halwagy, R. and Halwagy, M. (1977) relation to factors. 1. Sci. 1:85-88. on the desert of Kuwait. m. The vel;er:amm M.S. (1991) Population structure and salt marshes. J. of the mangrove A vicennia 73. Vierh. on the Arabian Gulf coast of Mahmoud, A., EI-Sheikh, Youssef, M.M. and Environments 20: 331-338. AI-Tom, M. ~~'H~t"J of the littoral salt marsh Abdel Bari, E.M., Alsubaey, A. and vegetation at Gulf of Ibrahim, Y. (2001) Vegetation of Qatar. The Saudi Arabia. Arab Res. 3: 145-163. Research Center, University of Mandaville, J.P. (1990) Flora Kegan Paul International A.N. and AI·Subai, M.G. (1994) Vegetation McGinnies, W.G. ( General between Abyan and Modia (Abyan Governate, areas. In: Goodall, D.W. and Feddes 105: 229-234. Arid-land 1, IBP 16. Cambridge A. and :\oHmer-Hohenstein, K. (1984) An University pp.5-19. Introduction to the of Yemen. Ecological Shaltout, K. and R. (1992) of the Floristic Composition, Human Influence. salt marsh communities in the western Deutsche Gesellschaft filr Technische Mediterranean of 1. of Univ. ofKuwait Eschborn. (Science) 19: 75-83. D. (1998) Mapping of coastal Pf',...<:,,·<:tpm<: and halophytes study of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Mar. and Freshwater Res. 49: 297-301. 2211111999, in form 11/05/2002