Diversity and Distribution of Salt-Tolerant Plants of the United Arab Emirates: Perspectives for Sustainable Utilization and Future Research

This chapter provides an overview of halophytic flora of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and efforts to conserve these genetic resources through seed banking. The halophytic vegetation of UAE is comprised of 74 species, belonging to 19 families, and distributed along the coastal and nearby inland saline areas in the country. The majority of these species belong to Amaranthaceae, followed by Cyperaceae, Poaceae, Fabaceae, and Zygophyllaceae. More information about habitat distribution, salinity tolerance, and other ecophysiological details of these species is needed. The conservation of halophytic species and assessment of viability are underway in SSBH, and so far great progress has been made to conserve their germplasm. The conserved germplasm in seed banks can be used for various research and development purposes including combating desertification, habitat restoration, and promoting greenery in the coastal as well as inland habitats in the hyper-arid deserts. Halophytes of the UAE could be sustainably exploited for an array of uses including chemicals, native plant landscaping, biofuel, medicinal, soil rehabilitation, and a number of other useful purposes.