Gymnarrhena micrantha | UAE National Red List of Vascular Plants

Taxa
Gymnarrhena micrantha | Desf.
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
This species has been recorded from Jebel Hafeet, where it was found near the lower radio tower (Jongbloed 1988). Jongbloed (1988) reported that the species is also known from adjacent parts of Oman, on Jebel Qatar. The species has not apparently been recorded by subsequent surveys on the mountain. The global range of this species is across North Africa, through much of the Arabian Peninsula (including the UAE) to Pakistan and central Asia (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
This small prostrate annual was found on silt among rocks (Jongbloed et al. 2003).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Assessed status
Asessment status in full
Critically Endangered
Assessment status abreviation
CR
Assessment status criteria
B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii)
Assessment rationale/justification
This species was recorded in 1988 from a single location on Jebel Hafeet, where it was found near the lower radio tower. The species has not apparently been recorded by subsequent surveys on the mountain. The species is considered to occur in a single location, based on the primary threat of grazing, and with a restricted area of occupancy and extent of occurrence estimated at just 4 km<sup>2</sup>, with a continuing decline in the quality of habitat as a result of grazing pressure. The species is assessed as Critically Endangered (CR B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii)), Regionally Possibly Extinct due to the extent of habitat conversion that has occurred in the area where the species was recorded. The species was reported (Jongbloed 1988) from adjacent parts of Oman, on Jebel Qatar, however the status of those populations is not known, and no regional rescue adjustment is applied.
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
The primary threat is from development (road construction and other works) and recreational use of the area. Grazing by wild (tahr and gazelles) and feral (goats) animals (Sakkir et al. 2018) is an additional threat.
Conservation Measures

Conservation measures:
Conservation measures notes:
Required conservation measures:

Further information
History
When first recorded, it was considered to be rare and Critically Endangered. Failure to rediscover this species since its initial discovery in 1988 has led it to be considered as 'Possibly Extinct' now, although in 1996 it may have been considered as still extant.
Scientific Name Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus
Gymnarrhena micrantha Plantae Tracheophyta Magnoliopsida Asterales Asteraceae Gymnarrhena