Surviving The Desert

Despite its harsh climate and topography, the UAE is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna. These indigenous species are scattered in their distribution.

Indigenous trees

There are only about a dozen indigenous trees found in the UAE, and each of them plays an important role in maintaining the fragile desert ecosystem. Indigenous trees such as the Ghaf tree, Samur, Garath, Sidr, Nakhil, and Date Palm are widespread, whereas species like the Sodom’s apple, tecoma, figs, and arakh are relatively uncommon. All these trees survive in threshold conditions, meaning that even the slightest change to the environment can lead to rapid change or deterioration.

The great survivor

One wondrous species that can survive in the desert is the ghaf tree. It is especially suited to survive in a dry environment and is a habitat for many desert organisms. The tree has deep roots that can reach depths of 30 meters, allowing it to draw water from under the ground. However, this “king of the desert” faces an uncertain future with depleting water tables.

A plant for all

Another versatile plant that grows in the desert is the Arta. It grows all year round in the sand plains, dunes, and the roadside. Its leaves and stems are chewed to cure toothache. The young shoots are eaten as a green salad or powdered to flavour milk. The fruit can be eaten, while the woody stem is used to make smokeless fire.

Effects on plants

Fauna around the world is already feeling the effects of the heat. Trees are flowering earlier than usual, and leaves are falling before time, almost as if plants and trees are confused about seasons. Moreover, they may be lost forever to saltwater rise and warmer air and ocean temperatures.

As the planet heats, twenty-five percent of Earth’s species could vanish by 2050?