biodiversity

Some main losses to the biodiversity of our planet – The Guardian report

Dr Raziq KakarLeave a comment

The faulty agriculture is the main cause of losse

We face what could be the greatest predicament humankind has ever encountered: feeding the world without devouring the planet. Already, farming is the world’s greatest cause of habitat destruction, the greatest cause of the global loss of wildlife and the greatest cause of the global extinction crisis. It’s responsible for about 80% of the deforestation that’s happened this century. Of 28,000 species known to be at imminent risk of extinction, 24,000 are threatened by farming. Only 29% of the weight of birds on Earth consists of wild species: the rest is poultry. Just 4% of the world’s mammals, by weight, are wild; humans account for 36%, and livestock for the remaining 60%.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/may/07/secret-world-beneath-our-feet-mind-blowing-key-to-planets-future?CMP=share_btn_tw

Native VS the Exotic Flora – Conserve Nature and Enrich Your Ecosystem

Dr Raziq Kakar4 Comments

Haloxyllon and Leptadenia as a natural live wall
Haloxyllon and Leptadenia as a live wall in Hili Alain United Arab Emirates.

Appeal and Out of the box thinking

I strongly appeal to all the people and municipalities of the world, especially the Arabian Peninsula to adapt the best solution and conserve nature by using native flora/shrubs for hedging, fencing, wall beautifications, herbariums, botanical gardens, lawns, and other vegetation projects because of many reasons. The idea is equally good for all the regions of the world but here my main focus is on the desert flora and Arabian Peninsula.

The native biodiversity of the Arabian Peninsula

In the following gallery, different plants and insects of the region are provided. The list is very long but here few important are provided.

Zygophyllum qatarense can grow taller up to 2 meters
The very important shrub of the aridlands, Tetraena is a hope of life in the desert ecosystems.
A robber fly is sucking the nectar of the The flower of Tetraena qatarensis.
The shrub is not only a source of food for the large animals but also for the flies, bees, beetles and other creatures in the drylands.
A flowering beautiful Helitropium bacciferum
A flowering beautiful Helitropium bacciferum
Crocodile in the desert - Making shapes
Crocodile in the desert – Making shapes of the wetlife
Desert is a heaven on the earth and the trees are the treasure
Desert is a heaven on the earth and the trees are the treasure
Tetraena qatarensis, commonly known as Harm or Hadiddi synonym Zygophyllum qatarense
Adapted desert flora, Tetraena qatarensis, commonly known as Harm or Hadiddi
Tribulus herb
Eremobium aegyptiacum, the wild ancestor of a wide range of vegetables like reddish, cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, oil plants, etc.
A wild brassicaceae shoot in Jable Hafeeth
A thorney shrub in Jable Hafeeth
Cyperus graas of Jable Hafeeth
Wild flower in Jable Hafeeth
A beautiful flowering shrub of Jable Hafeeth
A beautiful flowering shrub of Jable Hafeeth
Shrub in in Jable Hafeeth
Author with Prosopis cineraria in the desert of Alain Abu Dhabi
Calitropis plant – highly resistant and flowering all around the year. A very attractive bush for the sunbird
Flowers of Leptadenia, a very attractive flowering shrub in the desert. The people also make gum of its’ pods.
Close view of Zygophyllum qatarense
Highly adapted flora of the desert, Zygophyllum qatarense
Wild bee on the flower of Depterigium plant
Ladybug eating epids on the flower of the Tribulus
A dark red ladybug on the Tribulus plant
A desert flowering bush
The bolossom of Acacia Tortilis
Leptadenia can grow taller up to 4 meter and can be used for making life fencing.
Haloxyllon salicornicum, a very unique plant and the best food for the camels
Haloxyllon salicornicum, a very unique plant and the best food for the camels
Two types of Eremorium aegyptiacum in Alain
Family Brassicaceae, two types of Eremorium aegyptiacum in Alain.
A huge and widely spread Zygophyllum in Alain UAE.
A huge and widely spread Zygophyllum in Alain UAE. The botanical name is Tetraena qatarensis
The native flora provides habitat to the wildlife
The native flora provides habitat to the wildlife, a rodent’s home in the roots of the Haloxyllon salicornicum.
Haloxyllon salicornicum
A shrub of Haloxyllon salicornicum in Hili Alain
Gallary showing different flora of the United Arab Emirates. Such flora diversity can be used to achieve all the goals of municipalities beautification, personal lawns, research, and nature conservations.

The reasons behind the idea

  • No need for watering as the native flora are highly drought tolerant and can survive years without rains.
  • The native flora can be plant in any type of soil as they are highly salt tolerant in nature
  • Mostly, the native flora do not need an fertilizer, pesticides, or mineral suppliments
  • They do not need intensive care, saving a thousands of hours of labor time
  • A strong support to the flora and fauna biodiversity of the region
  • The native flora are ecofriendly, perform far better than exotic plants and better survive in climatic extremes
  • Also, native flora provides habitat to the mini-wildlife of the region, like honeybees, whisps, beetles, reptiles, birds, and many others
  • The additional but very important role can be fodder production for the camels and other livestock. The stalk trimmed for beautification can be a very good camel feed. The municipility like Abu Dhabi can produce thousands of tons of fodder for camels annualy and can save a huge volume of import expences
  • The municipality can save up to million of liter water annually which can be use for other environmental support projects
  • The native flora can be use for the herbal medication as the traditional knowledge using the herbs is still very strong in different region
  • Such projects will be a great support for nature conservation

We can form miniature herbariums, living walls, live-fencing, and botanical garden in the cities with the native flora

It is really a great theme to use the native flora (highly tolerant to the drought conditions and saline soil textures) for different vegetation projects like herbarium, botanical garden, living walls, living fencing, landscaping, lawns, and other plantation projects. The native plants can fulfill all the purposes with a very low input system.

Live wall, such wall can be formed by the native flora very easily
Author with a background of beauty wall in Alain. Such walls need a lot of water, almost everyday. If the same wall is made by Zygophyllum, can save thousands of liter of water and produce hundreds tons of food for the camels annually
beauty walls
Such large walls can be easily made with the Leptadenia shrub.
Such wooden fences can be made by Acacia tortillas.
Author with a Zygophyllum shrub in Alain, the shrub has climbed the wirefence
Author with a Zygophyllum shrub in Alain, the shrub has climbed the wirefence
Haloxyllon and Leptadenia as a live wall in Hili Alain United Arab Emirates.
Haloxyllon and Leptadenia as a live wall in Hili Alain United Arab Emirates.
Author with the Haloxyllon shrub live wall in Alain.
Author with the Haloxyllon shrub live wall in Alain.
Haloxyllon live wall in Alain
Haloxyllon live wall in Alain
Some pictures of the native flora with the live wall and natural fencing are provided in the gallary.

Alain Municipality has taken great initiatives alread

In many places of the Alain city, you will notice a lot of native flora have been used for the city beautification, like Leptadenia, and other plants (many from the Jable Hafeeth origin), which is really a very environment-friendly act. I would especially suggest flora like Haloxyllon salicornicum and Zygophyllum qatarense for making fences and walls as they can climb on support and get strengthen their stems with time.

Calligunum comosum
white Sauxal
Acacia tortillas in Blossom
Beautiful Shrubs for lawns that do not need any inputs

Some References for watching and reading

Exploring the desert penology

Conserve the nature with the change in ideas

A shift in the idea can bring a very big and positive change. Using the native flora will impact nature and the environment very positively.

You can find a lot for reading about sustainable farming for food.

Red jungle fowl in Arabian Peninsula

Dr Raziq KakarLeave a comment

Red jungle fowl is a very adaptable species of chicken diversity. You can find it anywhere in the world. The featured image was shot in UAE. The RJF is highly adapted and can survive all extremes of weather. The breed is highly sustainable and relies on local feedstuffs and kitchen wastes. #chicken #fowl

Here is some more valuable information about the chicken RJF. The information is copied from the ‘what-when-how tutorial site’
Main body parts of the RJF.

Some useful information can be read in the link here. https://what-when-how.com/birds/red-junglefowl-birds/

How does Tetraena qatarensis synonym Zygophyllum qatarense Support Wildlife and Livestock in the Desert?

Dr Raziq Kakar3 Comments

Desert biodiversity, ranging from flora to fauna, and the detritivores and micro-organisms are unique and important, playing pivotal roles as biotic players of the desert ecosystems. I have been exploring the role of Zygophyllum qatarense in the desert for many years and share interesting facts from time to time. https://arkbiodiv.com/2017/01/08/the-strong-and-resilient-plant-of-desert-zygophyllum-zygophyllum-qatarense/

How Zygophylum. q provides life supporting opportunities to other living creatures?

Zygophyllum qatarense provides not only food (leaves and twigs for livestock and wild animals), but also provide life support to the birds and insects. This plant is also an important source of water for camels & goats (the plant’s bulbs are full of water and minerals), the birds (migratory birds eat the bulbs for water and salts), flowers provide nectars for the butterflies and bees (ultimately provide prey for migratory birds), and the mature/fallen bulbs become the food for the detritivores. https://youtu.be/Izc8O6tdj5A

Migratory birds in the month of November enjoying the desert ecosystem and its food chain is supported by the Zygophyllum qatarense
A beautiful migratory bird sitting on the top of the Zygophyllum qatarense in Empty quarters desert, UAE

Zygophyllum qatarense is the only source of water in the extreme dry conditions of the EQ Desert

This is really a unique flora with almost 0 % water loss. It absorbs moisture from the atmosphere and the scatter roots in the sands absorb moisture from the due in the cooler hours of the night. I call this plant a water trap in the desert. The plant redirects or reabsorbs the moisture of the transpiration with the help of the tiny hairs. This plant is really very strange and unique. It is called Harram in Arabic. https://arkbiodiv.com/2021/11/14/leaves-and-twigs-of-zygophyllum-qatarense/

Liwa region, Abu Dhabi UAE
The mix of red and grey sands’ desert in Empty Quarters Desert with the blend of Zygophyllum q. provides a panoramic and fascinating view
Zygophyllum qatarense is the only source of water, trapping water from the atmosphere’s moisture and converting it into available water and mineral for the living creatures in the challenging desert’s conditions.

Zygophyllum is nomads’ medicine – An Additional Note

Zygophyllum qatarense is not only a source of food for desert creatures but had been used for the treatment of different ailments in the remote areas of the desert. The aqueous extract of the plant is used for;

  • Lowering of blood pressure
  • Acts as a diuretic
  • Pain killer and antipyretic
  • Local anesthesia (the extract is applied on the joints and longbone muscles)
  • Anti-histamine/antiallergic activity, stimulation
  • Anti-depression
  • Anti-constipatory
  • Contraction of the uterus (full of phytoenzymes) and
  • Vasodilation.
  • A good sunblock in the desert
  • Provides freshness to the skin
  • Remedy for certain types of dermititis