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Publications (100)
Conservation translocation - the movement of species for conservation benefit - includes reintroducing species into the wild, reinforcing dwindling populations, helping species shift ranges in the face of environmental change, and moving species to enhance ecosystem function. Conservation translocation can lead to clear conservation benefits and ca...
Native to East Africa, the giant African snail Lissachatina [=Achatina] fulica (Bowdich, 1822) is a tropical crop pest and one of the world’s top 100 invasive species. It is now present in at least 52 countries worldwide, with an actively expanding range. Lissachatina fulica was first introduced to India in 1847, but subsequent arrivals in India an...
It is intuitive that the health status of wildlife might influence conservation translocation outcomes, however, health as a topic has received limited attention in the conservation translocation literature. We determined the forms and frequency of disease and other biological problems reported in translocated animals and plants, and in populations...
Conservation translocations, defined as population reinforcement, reintroduction, assisted colonization or ecological replacement, have become a popular tool in efforts to restore wildlife populations and their wider ecosystems. Given that conservation translocations remain challenging to undertake, and positive outcomes are not guaranteed, we shou...
Malvastrum coromandelianum subsp. capitato‐spicatum is reported as a new record for the United Arab Emirates. Current information on the occurrence of the genus Malvastrum in the Arabian Peninsula is discussed. A key to the subspecies of Malvastrum coromandelianum and a description and illustration of the subspecies capitato‐spicatum are provided.
Biodiversity is under enormous pressure from multiple threats including climate change, land use change, habitat alterations and hunting pressure. One way to ease this pressure on biodiversity and to mitigate the effects of above-mentioned threats, is to establish protected areas. Importance of protected increases many folds in regions that are con...
We report a collection of Bidens pilosa L. from an urban habitat in Abu Dhabi. This represents a new generic record of Bidens L. for the emirate. The species has most likely been accidentally introduced and has the potential to affect the native flora because of its fast rate of growth. The new record expands the geographic distribution of the spec...
Pitfall trapping is an efficient self-sampling method for capturing epigeal arthropods for ecological and faunistic studies. During the present study, conducted between March 2009 and March 2015, pitfall trapping was undertaken in five study sites of different habitats in Abu Dhabi Emirate. During the study period a total of 94 monitoring visits we...
The number of amphibian reintroductions and other conservation translocations has increased in recent decades. Clearer guidance to plan, implement, and obtain resources for amphibian reintroductions is needed to improve conservation outcomes. The vast diversity within Class Amphibia, which contains 8000+ species, makes generalisations difficult, bu...
Some conservation prioritization methods assume that conservation needs overwhelm current resources and not all species can be conserved; therefore, a “conservation triage” scheme (that is, when the system is overwhelmed, species should be divided into three groups based on likelihood of survival, and efforts should be focused on those species in t...
Effective biodiversity conservation planning starts with genetic characterization within and among focal populations, in order to understand the likely impact of threats for ensuring the long-term viability of a species. The Wonder Gecko, Teratoscincus keyserlingii , is one of nine members of the genus. This species is distributed in Iran, Afghanis...
We present evidence confirming the presence of Caracal Caracal caracal in Abu Dhabi Emirate. Camera trap deployment into areas likely to harbour elusive species revealed the presence of at least one male individual with 37 records in 683 camera trap days over a seven-month period. These records represent the first confirmed presence of Caracal in A...
The rapidly spreading Giant African Snail Lissachatina [=Achatina] fulica (Bowdich, 1822) has been introduced to many parts of the world since the 1800s and is one of the world’s most invasive species. We compared cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) sequences from four invasive ranges: India, United Arab Emirates (UAE), China and West Africa. Sixtee...
Human activity affecting the welfare of wild vertebrates, widely accepted to be sentient, and therefore deserving of moral concern, is widespread. A variety of motives lead to the killing of individual wild animals. These include to provide food, to protect stock and other human interests, and also for sport. The acceptability of such killing is wi...
Wetlands play an important role in ecosystem function, and are known to support rich biodiversity, this becomes even more pronounced in hyper-arid climates. The Al Wathba Wetland Reserve in Abu Dhabi Emirate is a wetland mosaic that boasts both brackish and freshwater pools. The levels of nitrate, nitrite, phosphate and total organic carbon is much...
The Arabian Gulf Coast of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, consists of highly productive seagrass (Halodule universis, Halophila ovalis and Halophila stripulacea) and mangrove (Avicennia marina) habitats that are essential breeding and non-breeding areas for vast numbers of waterbirds. Due to their dependence on these coastal habitats, waterbirds s...
This is a Guide to the common native, naturalized and introduced grasses and grass like species of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Researching grasses and grass like species in the UAE needs a lot of interest and many different habitats such as wadis, wetlands, gardens, gravel plains and the desert have to be monitored and it takes many years of de...
In the present study we use an unprecedented database of 5,535 distributional records to infer the diversity, ecological preferences and spatial distribution of the 60 species of terrestrial reptiles of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and use the 57 native species to test the effectiveness of the protected areas’ network in conserving this unique v...
Spatial data of the terrestrial reptiles of the UAE.
Appendix including the spatial data of all the 60 species of terrestrial reptiles of the UAE in shapefile format.
(ZIP)
Main taxonomic groups observed.
Pie charts showing higher taxonomic composition of the UAE terrestrial reptile species (A) and the number of observations for each of the taxonomic groups used in this study (B). Numbers in parenthesis are the number of species (A) and observations (B).
(TIF)
List of calibration points.
List of the 13 calibration points used to calibrate the phylogenetic tree of Squamata and including all the UAE terrestrial species. Each calibration point includes the author and all the parameters used to implement the calibration point in BEAST.
(PDF)
Observations map.
Map with all the 5,535 occurrence points of UAE terrestrial reptiles used in the present study. Credits: OpenStreetMap contributors, SRTM.
(TIF)
Species richness maps of the medically important venomous species.
A) Venomous species richness by emirate inferred with the occurrence point data; B) Venomous species richness by a 10 arc-min grid inferred with the occurrence point data; C) Venomous species richness by emirate inferred with the species distribution models; D) Venomous species rich...
Time calibrated tree of Squamata obtained with BEAST.
Time calibrated tree based on the concatenated dataset of 15 genes and 146 species of Squamata including all 60 UAE terrestrial reptiles (highlighted in green) and one outgroup inferred with BEAST. The 13 calibration points are indicated as red circles and are labelled as in S2 Appendix which gi...
List of all the 146 species of reptiles included in the phylogenetic analyses.
For the UAE species the table includes species name, the country and specimen code.
(PDF)
Information on the 60 species of UAE terrestrial reptiles for the whole country and independently for each emirate.
Number and percentage of the total number of species, threatened species and medically important venomous species based on presence data.
(PDF)
Loadings, eigenvalues, and variance explained by the two first components retained from the principal component analysis (PCA) performed on the 19 bioclimatic variables used in this study.
BIO1 = Annual Mean Temperature, BIO4 = Temperature Seasonality, BIO5 = Max Temperature of Warmest Month, BIO6 = Min Temperature of Coldest Month, BIO7 = Temperat...
Topoclimatic characterization of the UAE.
A) Map of annual mean temperature in °C (BIO1); B) Map of annual mean precipitation in mm (BIO12); C) Map of land cover types (as of 2008); D) Graph of the frequency of elevations divided into 100-m bins. Credits: OpenStreetMap contributors, SRTM.
(TIF)
Maximum likelihood (ML) tree obtained with RaxML.
Phylogenetic tree based on the concatenated dataset of 15 genes and 146 species of Squamata including all 60 UAE terrestrial reptiles (highlighted in green) and one outgroup. Asterisks highlight the three introduced species.
(TIF)
Correlation between species richness and phylogenetic diversity.
Points in the graph are cells of the 10 arc-min grid. The regression line was fitted using a linear model.
(TIF)
Information on the dataset used for the phylogenetic analyses.
Gene composition, fragment lengths, partitions, models and run specifications for the different phylogenetic analyses are shown.
(PDF)
Area of occupancy (AOO) and species potential distribution (SPD) at 4 km2 of all 60 terrestrial reptiles of the UAE.
Number of occupied 4 km2 cells for each approach, area occupied by each species for each approach. Asterisks highlight the three introduced species.
(PDF)
Atlas of the terrestrial reptiles of the UAE.
An appendix showing photographs, distribution and ecological preferences of the 60 species of terrestrial reptiles of the UAE. Species distribution models (SDMs) inferred for each species are also included. Credits for maps: OpenStreetMap contributors, SRTM.
(PDF)
Political map of the UAE.
Map showing the political borders of the UAE and among the seven emirates. Credits: OpenStreetMap contributors, SRTM.
(TIF)
Checklist of the 60 species of UAE terrestrial reptiles.
Table containing all the species recorded in this study grouped by families and higher taxa. The table contains information regarding the regional IUCN conservation category (yet unpublished) for all the species and indicates if they are endemic to the UAE and if it is a medically important v...
Information from the gap analysis with distribution records with the AOO approach.
List of all 60 UAE species, showing their regional IUCN conservation category, their area of occupancy, area of occupancy inside protected areas, and the percentage of area of occupancy inside protected areas. Asterisks highlight the three introduced species. The int...
Information from the gap analysis with distribution records with the species potential distribution (SPD) approach obtained with species distribution modeling (SDM).
List of all 60 species of the UAE, showing their regional IUCN conservation category, their SPD area, the SPD area inside protected areas, and the percentage of the SPD area inside pro...
Evolutionary distinctiveness (ED) of each of the 60 species of UAE terrestrial reptiles.
The numbers show the evolutionary uniqueness of each species with respect to other UAE reptiles in millions of years. Asterisks highlight the three introduced species.
(PDF)
Information on the protected areas of each emirate.
The table contains: the name of each emirate, the area of each emirate in km2; the number of protected areas that are inside each emirate; the area in km2 that is protected inside each emirate and the percentage of protected areas by emirate.
(PDF)
The taxonomic identity of an unknown Artemia population inhabiting the Al Wathba Wetland Reserve in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E., was determined using phylogenetic analysis of the mitochondrial marker Cytochrome Oxidase Subunit 1 ( COI ). The results showed that the examined population belongs to an exotic invasive species, Artemia franciscana . Based on the...
reintroductions worldwide
An assessment of alien species was carried out by the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi using fieldwork data, questionnaires and networking with relevant stakeholders. The initial assessment in 2015 showed a total of 146 alien species in the UAE which comprised 49 invertebrate species, five freshwater fish species, one amphibian species, six reptile s...
Al Wathba Wetland Reserve (AWWR) lake, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), is an artificially created water body in a natural wetland region that experienced seasonal flooding before the establishment of the lake. The lake is mostly fed by treated waste water, and became a protected wetland reserve after the Greater Flamingo started to successfully...
Epipactis veratrifolia is recorded for the first time from Jebel Hafeet, a mountain in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE). This species had been previously recorded from the northern part of the UAE and other areas on the Arabian Peninsula. The occurrence of E. veratrifolia in Jebel Hafeet expands the eastern distribution limits of the species a...
The world is facing a biodiversity crisis and populations of surviving species have substantially declined. This has led to small and fragmented wildlife populations that are then at greater risk of extinction from intrinsic population factors and chance events. Conservation translocations can counter and reverse some of these effects by demographi...
Data on flora and vegetation of 14 off-shore islands representing different habitat types were studied for investigating floristic composition, vegetation types and correlation with their habitats and ecosystem. The results demonstrate considerable plant distribution and diversity among the islands within the limited spectrum of species; encompassi...
The National Forum for the Arabian Tahr was convened to develop a National Conservation Strategy framework for the UAE, encompassing the in‐situ and ex‐situ populations.
The main planned outcomes to be achieved by this National Forum were to:
1. Develop a Vision statement.
2. Formulate an Arabian Population Management Plan to coordinate development...
We provide confirmed sightings of the elusive Arabian sand cat (Felis margarita harrisoni) using trail camera traps in Baynouna Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. A total of 46 photographs were obtained using five camera traps, during 278 trap nights, between March and December 2015. A total of three individuals were recorded of which one was confirm...
These Guidelines are designed to be applicable to the full spectrum of conservation translocations. They are based on principle rather than example. Throughout the Guidelines there are references to accompanying Annexes that give further detail.
Agile frogs (Rana dalmatina), found throughout much of Europe and northern Turkey, are listed on Appendix II of the Bern Convention, Appendix IV of the EU Habitats Directive, and as Least Concern in the IUCN Red List. The Channel Island of Jersey (117 km2) is towards the northern edge of the species' range, and hosts the only agile frog population...
A summary of re-introduction case-studies from around the globe. This fifth issue has 54 case-studies.
Little is documented on the alien terrestrial and freshwater species in the United Arab Emirates. To address this, an assessment of terrestrial and freshwater alien species was conducted using various techniques such as a questionnaire, fieldwork data, networking with relevant people, and a detailed literature review. The results of the initial ass...
Little is documented on the alien terrestrial and freshwater species in the United Arab Emirates. To address this, an assessment of terrestrial and freshwater alien species was conducted using various techniques such as a questionnaire, fieldwork data, networking with relevant people, and a detailed literature review. The results of the initial ass...
Little is documented on the alien terrestrial and freshwater species in the United Arab Emirates. To address this, an assessment of terrestrial and freshwater alien species was conducted using various techniques such as a questionnaire, fieldwork data, networking with relevant people, and a detailed literature review. The results of the initial ass...
Abstract: Little is documented on the alien terrestrial and freshwater species in the United Arab Emirates. To address this, an assessment of terrestrial and freshwater alien species was conducted using various techniques such as a questionnaire, fieldwork data, networking with relevant people, and a detailed literature review. The results of the i...
Humans depend on biodiversity in myriad ways, yet species are being rapidly lost due to human activities. The ecosystem services approach to conservation tries to establish the value that society derives from the natural world such that the true cost of proposed development actions becomes apparent to decision makers. Species are an integral compon...
INTRODUCTION Through history and local knowledge it was known that the Arabian tahr (Arabitragus jayakari) occurs on Jebel Hafit Mountains of Al Ain in the Abu Dhabi Emirate with other mammals such as red fox, feral goats, and Blanford's fox. With new camera trapping technology and efforts of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) Terrestrial Mar...
Abstract
Invasive species are organisms, usually transported by humans that successfully establish, and then thrive, in new environments. Invasive alien species are a threat to biodiversity, food security, health and economic development of a country. These species are causing enormous damage to biodiversity and the valuable natural agricultural sy...
Reintroductions and other conservation translocations are an important but often controversial form of wildlife management. Some authors have suggested the low success rates may reflect poor planning and decision-making. In this study, we used examples of herpetofaunal reintroductions, published in four volumes of the IUCN's Reintroduction Speciali...
This document deals with the selection process and baseline requirements to determine the ideal reintroduction site for the release of the Arabian tahr on Sir Bani Yas Island.
The rate of biodiversity loss is not slowing despite global commitments, and the depletion of animal species can reduce the stability of ecological communities. Despite this continued loss, some substantial progress in reversing defaunation is being achieved
through the intentional movement of animals to restore populations. We review the full spec...
A field guide to common invertebrate, reptiles, birds, mammals and plants of Al Wathba Wetland Reserve in Abu Dhabi Emirate, UAE.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and northern Oman have two species of native am-
phibians, the regionally endemic Arabian Toad, Duttaphrynus arabicus (Heyden, 1827),
and the Dhofar Toad, Duttaphrynus dhufarensis (Parker, 1931) (Cunningham &
Feulner, 2005; Gardner, 1999). Both were formerly classified in the genus Bufo (Van
Bocxlaer, Biju, Loader, &...
This is a summary of re-introduction projects from around the world. This issue has 52 re-introduction case-studies.
The amphibian disease chytridiomycosis, caused by the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), is known to have impacted on more than 350 species of amphibians worldwide and is found on all continents expect Antarctica (Fisher et al. 2009). It has further been found that Bd associated with amphibians consists of three deeply diverged lin...
The amphibian disease chytridiomycosis, caused by the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), is known to have impacted on more than 350 species of amphibians worldwide and is found on all continents expect Antarctica (Fisher et al. 2009). It has further been found that Bd associated with amphibians consists of three deeply diverged lin...
This paper provides an updated checklist of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) native and alien herpetofauna. The UAE, while largely a desert country with a hyper-arid climate, also has a range of more mesic habitats such as islands, mountains, and wadis. As such it has a diverse native herpetofauna of at least 72 species as follows: two amphibian spec...