Ecological study on native plant diversity in Kuwait desert ecosystem

Abstract The scarcity and irregularity of rainfall and the prevalence of strong northwesterly winds in Kuwait have a significant influence on the stability of the fragile ecosystem. The Aeolian landforms constitute most of the landscapes in Kuwait. Naturally grown native shrubs and trees can provide potential shelter to the soil surface in desert areas. To identify the characteristics of dominant perennial plant species, sediments of desert and saline (sabkhas) nabkha formed around different types of desert and halophytes plants are studied. Haloxylon salicornicum, Nitraria retusa, Cyperus conglomerates, Panicum turgidum, Rhanterium epapposum, Calligonum polygonoides, Stipagrostis plumosa Lycium shawii, Astragalus spinosus, Convolvolus oxyphyllus, Tamarix aucheriana, Halocnemum strobilaceum, and Citrullus colocynthis are landmarks characterizing the Arabian deserts and coastal salt marshes. The analyses of soil samples around the native plants showed that each native plants has its characteristics. The sediments of desert nabkhas differ from coastal nabkhas (Nitraria sp., Halocnemum sp., and Tamarix sp.). The sediments of coastal nabkha were characterized by lower pH, higher moisture content, total dissolved salts, and conductivity levels than desert nabkhas. Maximum mobile sediments were trapped by N. retusa, T. aucheriana, H. salicornicum, C. colocynthis, and L. shawii because of their ability to develop wider and longer nabkhas than other native plants. The vegetated dunes can trap maximum mobile sediments from 0.5 to 10.5 tons thus cost-saving per plant is estimated to be from 0.3 to 7.3 USD.