Taxon name
Pavonia arabica
Hochst. & Steud. ex Boiss.
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Pavonia arabica
Hochst. & Steud. ex Boiss.
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Plants
Flowering Plants
Species authority
Hochst. & Steud. ex Boiss.
Location and scope
Specific locality or subnational name or regional name
United Arab Emirates (the)
Scope (of the Assessment)
National
Countries included within the scope of the assessment
United Arab Emirates (the)
Does the assessment cover a marine EEZ area(s)?
Not_assigned
Conservation Status
Assessed as
Critically Endangered
Qualifying criteria (if given)
B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii); D
Criteria system used
IUCN
(see Assessment details)
Assessment rationale/justification
This species is restricted to a single location within the UAE. It is rare, with no more than 25 mature individuals seen, and is now thought to be threatened by human disturbance as a result of improved access to the area for leisure activities, such as hiking. Based on this, the species habitat is inferred to decline in quality. This decline, combined with an estimated extent of occurrence (EOO) and area of occupancy (AOO) of 4 km<sup>2</sup>, this species is assessed as Critically Endangered (CR B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii), D). The species is also considered threatened elsewhere in the Gulf region, and no regional rescue effect is applied.
Assessment details
Assessors/contributors/reviewers listed
UAE National Red List Workshop
Criteria system used
IUCN
Reference for methods given
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.
Further information
Endemism (according to assessment)
Endemic to region
Not assigned
Taxon distribution as listed in assessment
Within the UAE, this species has only been recorded from a single location: coastal sands close to Khor Fakkan, by G.R. Feulner (Jongbloed et al. 2003, MEW 2010). The estimated extent of occurrence of this species is 4 km<sup>2</sup>. Despite the locality undergoing change, the species persists (G.R. Feulner pers. comm. 2019). Globally, the native range of the species spans from Tanzania to Egypt and the Arabian Peninsula, to Pakistan and India (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Habitat and systems
Ecological system type
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
This plant is generally found growing in sand near the base of slopes or cliffs. It is a perennial species, covered with hair and glands and can reach up to 40 cm in height (Jongbloed et al. 2003). It has oval leaves with pointed tips and toothed edges, in addition to round mericarp fruits and solitary pink or white flowers, which can be seen between January and April (Jongbloed et al. 2003).
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
The site where this species is found has recently become more accessible to tourist activities and human disturbance (G.R. Feulner, in litt, MEW 2010), including management for amenity use. This may negatively impact the species, although it is unclear to what extent.
History
The population is thought to have always always been small (and hence qualify as CR), although the declines are more recent.
Publication
Allen, D.J., Westrip, J.R.S., Puttick, A., Harding, K.A., Hilton-Taylor, C. and Ali, H. 2021. UAE National Red List of Vascular Plants. Technical Report. Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, United Arab Emirates, Dubai.
