Introduction to the Ecology of the Littoral Halophytes of Yemen PDF

Keywords

Yemen, coastal belts, Red Sea

Abstract

The coastal belts of Yemen (about 1950 km) extend along the Red Sea coast (about 550 km) and the Gulf of Aden Coast (about 1445 km). In both coastal belts the climate is arid, hot and dry. Soil is of the aridisols type: sandy, saline and contains considerable amounts of calcium carbonates. The littoral halophytes of Yemen are grouped under six types: seagrasses, mangroves, salt marshes, sand dunes, reed swamps and palm groves. The common species of these types include: Cymodocea spp., Halophila spp. Halodule uninervis, Avicennia marina, Typha domingensis, Phragmites australis, Cyperus spp., Arthocnemum glacum, Halopeplis perfoliata, Suaeda spp., Salsola spp., Tamarix spp., Zygophyllum album, Halopyrum mucronatum, Hyphaene thebaica and Phoenix dactylifera