Schweinfurthia imbricata | UAE National Red List of Vascular Plants

Taxa
Schweinfurthia imbricata | A.G.Mill., M.Short & D.A.Sutton
Publication
UAE National Red List of Vascular Plants
Location
Countries in Assessment
United Arab Emirates
Country ISO code(s)
ARE
Does the assessment cover a marine EEZ area(s)?
Off
Scope (Assessment)
National
Taxon
Taxonomic Group
Plants
Taxonomic Group Level 2
Flowering Plants
Assessed taxon level
Species
Taxon distribution as listed in assessment
Jongbloed et al. (2003) presented only a single record (Wadi Siji) for the UAE, with MEW (2010) recording three unspecified sites. However, since then the species has been found at numerous sites within the Hajar Mountains. Records include Wadi Wurayah National Park (WWNP; Feulner 2016, Judas 2016), the gravel outwash on the UAE side of the border from Wadi Agram (Gardner 2009), from the gravel plains in the vicinity of Jebel Hafeet (Sakkir and Brown 2014, EAD 2018) and Wadi Helo (El-Keblawy et al. 2016). Mahmoud et al. (2018) found the species in gravel plains and wadis in their recent study of dams along the western slopes of the Hajar Mountains, without specifying the localities. The Sharjah Seedbank & Herbarium holds six records from the UAE: Wadi Al Nahwa (Nahwa), Sharjah-kalba Road and Shawka (Ras Al Khaimah), Sayh Mudayrah (Ajman), Al Khudairah, Al Dhaid (Sharjah) and Fili. In the WWNP, the two specimens were found in synanthropic areas (the picnicking area below the Wadi Wurayah waterfall and in the silt behind the Wadi Wurayah dam; Feulner 2016), meaning the origin of the species in the park may require confirmation. Due to the absence of precise locality data for some records, it is difficult to accurately estimate the EOO and AOO. However, it is suggested that the EOO is likely to be less than 5,000 km<sup>2</sup> and the AOO less than 100 km<sup>2</sup>. This species is endemic to Oman and the UAE (Patzelt 2014). Within Oman, it is found in the north (Western and Eastern Hajar Mountains) and in the centre, on Masirah Island.
Habitats and Ecology
Ecological system type
Terrestrial system
No
Freshwater system
No
Marine system
No
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
This is a prostrate, spreading, annual species with round, dark green, overlapping leaves (Feulner 2016). It is found on sandy and gravelly plains and in the lower parts of wadis and wadi outwashes.
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Assessed status
Asessment status in full
Endangered
Assessment status abreviation
EN
Assessment status criteria
D
Assessment rationale/justification
This species is endemic to Oman and the UAE, and in the UAE, it is restricted to the southern parts of the Hajar Mountains and to the gravel plains around Jebel Hafeet. Whilst Jongbloed et al. (2003) presented only a single record (Wadi Siji) for the UAE, the species has since been found at numerous further sites within the country in the Hajar Mountains. Overall, there are estimated to be less than 250 mature individuals within the UAE, which meets the thresholds for Endangered under Criterion D. It has a restricted area of occupancy (AOO) and extent of occurrence (EOO), in addition to undergoing a decline in the extent and quality of habitat. However, as it is considered to occur at ten threat-based locations, it exceeds the thresholds for Endangered under Criteria B1 and B2. Therefore, this species is assessed as Endangered according to its small population size. Although there are populations of this species in adjacent parts of Oman (e.g. south of Hatta to at least Wadi Jizzi in Oman), it is not know if there are significant immigration of propagules to the UAE population. Therefore, no regional adjustment is required.
About the assessment
Assessment year
2019
Assessors/contributors/reviewers listed
UAE National Red List Workshop
Affliation of assessor(s)/contributors/reviewers listed on assessment
Government
IGO
Assessor affiliation specific
Government|IGO
Criteria system
Criteria system specifics
IUCN v3.1 + Regional Guidelines v4.0
Criteria system used
IUCN
Criteria Citation
IUCN. 2012. IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria: Version 3.1, Second edition. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. iv + 32pp pp. And IUCN. 2012. Guidelines for Application of IUCN Red List Criteria at Regional and National Levels: Version 4.0. Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK: IUCN. iii + 41pp.
Endemism
Endemic to region
No
Endemism Notes
Is an endemic?: No
Endemism specifics: This species is endemic to Oman and the UAE
Conservation
Threats listed in assessment
MEW (2010) found that road construction will likely impact one known site. Gardner (2009) found the Wadi Agram site to be heavily degraded by gravel extraction and by camel grazing, with numerous camel farms in the area. Grazing is likely to be a common threat across the range of Schweinfurthia imbricata, with other threats including off-road driving and general development pressure.
Conservation Measures

Conservation measures:
Conservation measures notes:
Required conservation measures:

Further information
History
The situation of this species in 1996 is considered to be similar to the current situation. It is considered to have remained as 'Endangered' due to its small population size.
Scientific Name Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus
Schweinfurthia imbricata Plantae Tracheophyta Magnoliopsida Lamiales Plantaginaceae Schweinfurthia