Sphaerocoma hookeri | UAE National Red List of Vascular Plants

Taxa
Sphaerocoma hookeri | T.Anderson
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
Within the UAE, it is known to occur to the northeast of Taweela (G. Brown pers. comm. 2019) and along the coast in the northern Emirates (G.R. Feulner in litt., MEW 2010), in addition to offshore islands (G. Brown and S. Sakkir pers. comm. 2019). Although it was previously recorded from Jebel Hafeet, this record is thought to be erroneous due to possible confusion with Gymnocarpos decandrus (Brown et al. 2007). The estimated EOO for this species is 18,168 km<sup>2</sup> and it is thought to occur at between 6-10 threat-based locations according to ongoing development. Globally, the native range of this species spans from Egypt and north-east Africa to Sinai and the Arabian Peninsula (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).
Habitats and Ecology
Ecological system type
Terrestrial system
No
Freshwater system
No
Marine system
No
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
It is a perennial dwarf shrub which can reach up to 0.85 m in height (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Karim and Dakheel 2006, Brown et al. 2007). The plant has a woody stem, small fleshy leaves arranged in whorls and small white flowers which are present between February and June (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Karim and Dakheel 2006). This species grows within coastal, salty sand habitats, including sand dunes and coralline sand, in addition to white sand habitats; it is also highly salt tolerant (Karim and Dakheel 2006, Perry 2008).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Assessed status
Asessment status in full
Vulnerable
Assessment status abreviation
VU
Assessment status criteria
B1ab(iii,iv,v)
Assessment rationale/justification
This species is restricted to a specific length of coastline, and its surrounding desert area, within the UAE. Its estimated Extent of Occurrence (EOO) is around 18,168 km<sup>2</sup>, which falls within the threshold for Vulnerable under criterion B1. It is thought to occur at between 6-10 threat-based locations. Within its range, development along the coast is inferred to be reducing the population of this species due to conversion and loss of habitat. Therefore, it is assessed as Vulnerable (VU B1ab(iii,iv,v)) as a result of ongoing habitat decline and restricted distribution.
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
Not_assigned
Endemism Notes
Is an endemic?: Not_assigned
Conservation
Threats listed in assessment
This species is threatened by development within coastal areas, including its range (G. Brown pers. comm. 2019). This threat has led to the loss of at least one locality for this species: Taweela.
Conservation Measures

Conservation measures:
Conservation measures notes:
Required conservation measures:

Further information
History
In 1996 it would have been assessed as Least Concern, but due to ongoing development and loss of certain areas, such as Taweela, it is now listed as Vulnerable.
Scientific Name Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus
Sphaerocoma hookeri Plantae Tracheophyta Magnoliopsida Caryophyllales Caryophyllaceae Sphaerocoma