New Threatened Species Publication
A new CMEP publication in Oryx has assessed the endemic Saudi Arabian species Douepea arabica as Critically Endangered. Along with partners in the Saudi Wildlife Commission, CMEP’s Matthew Hall and Tony Miller conducted field surveys of one of Arabia’s rarest plants and used the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Criteria to assess its conservation status.
Douepea arabica was previously only know from a single valley in the Qaraqir Mountains in the NW of Saudi Arabia. The first field surveys for two decades uncovered a new locality for this endemic plant species but also confirmed that population numbers are very low. Douepea arabica is strongly associated with available water sources and the dominant Nerium oleander shrubland in the wadi channels. These are both threatened by increasing agricultural activities and road building in the area.
In order to conserve this endemic Saudi Arabian species, this new publication recommends a number of strategic conservation actions, including: limiting agricultural impacts, reducing land pressures through local incentives and limiting road building until full environmental impact assessments have been undertaken.
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