Feral Donkey Distribution and Ecological Impacts in a Hyper-Arid Region.

The feral donkey ( L.) is an invasive species in Saudi Arabia and can cause severe damage to natural and cultural heritage. Over the last 30 years, feral donkeys have become a serious problem, as their abundance and geographic distribution has increased drastically.

Phenotypic Plasticity Strategy of Grass in Response to Heterogenous Saline Habitats.

Understanding the response variation of morphological parameters and biomass allocation of plants in heterogeneous saline environments is helpful in evaluating the internal correlation between plant phenotypic plasticity mechanism and biomass allocation. The plasticity of plants alters the interaction among individuals and their environment and consequently affects the population dynamics and aspects of community and ecosystem functioning. The current study aimed to assess the plasticity of traits with variation in saline habitats.

Volatile Oils Discrepancy between Male and Female and Their Allelopathic Activity on .

Volatile oils (VOs) composition of plants is affected by several exogenous and endogenous factors. Male and female plants of the dioecious species exhibit variation in the bioactive constituents' allocation. The chemical variation in the VOs between male and female plants is not well studied.

Vegetation Composition of the Halophytic Grass Communities within Coastal and Inland Sabkhas of Saudi Arabia.

Sabkhas are unique, highly saline ecosystems, where specially adapted plants can grow. (L.) Thwaites is a halophytic forage plant growing in salt marsh habitats of inland and coastal sabkhas of Saudi Arabia.

Impacts of Graham Invasion on the Vegetation Composition and Soil: A Case Study of Taif, Western Saudi Arabia.

Invasive species are considered a serious problem in different ecosystems worldwide. They can compete and interfere with native plants, leading to a shift in community assembly and ecosystem function. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of Graham invasion on native vegetation composition and soil of the most invaded locations in the Taif region, Western Saudi Arabia, including Alwaht (WHT), Ar-Ruddaf (RDF), and Ash-shafa (SHFA).

Comparative Chemical Profiles and Phytotoxic Activity of Essential Oils of Two Ecospecies of (L.) C.A.Mey.

The Asteraceae (Compositae) family is one of the largest angiosperm families that has a large number of aromatic species. is a well-known medicinal plant that is used in the treatment of various diseases due to its essential oil (EO). The EO of both Saudi and Egyptian ecospecies were extracted via hydrodistillation, and the chemical compounds were identified by GC-MS analysis.

Assessment of morphological and molecular variability of some Solanum melongena L. cultivars and wild Solanum incanum L. in Saudi Arabia.

The genus Solanum exhibits a wide range of variability in morphology, flavor, and tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses. Phenotypic and genetic variability using ISSR and RAPD markers of Solanum incanum distributed in Al-Baha province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is assessed. Thirty samples are representing three different locations: Baljershy, Aqeeq, and Tohama, besides twenty-five samples representing five different commercial cultivars tested.

Influence of the invasive shrub Graham on the plant seed bank in various locations in Taif region, western of Saudi Arabia.

Invasive species have been considered as one of the most serious threats to the biodiversity of various ecosystems, particularly in arid regions. The present study aimed to assess the influence of the invasive shrub on the biodiversity of different habitats in Taif region, Saudi Arabia as well as to determine the highest habitat with seed bank of Soil samples were collected from three locations (Alwaht, Ash-shafa, and Ar Ruddaf), invaded with , and analyzed for the soil seed bank. A soil seed experiment was designed in a greenhouse, whereby emerged plant seedlings were left to grow for three months and identified as well as the species density and biodiversity were assessed under and outside the canopy of .

Phytotoxic Effects of Plant Essential Oils: A Systematic Review and Structure-Activity Relationship Based on Chemometric Analyses.

Herbicides are natural or synthetic chemicals used to control unwanted plants (weeds). To avoid the harmful effects of synthetic herbicides, considerable effort has been devoted to finding alternative products derived from natural sources. Essential oils (EOs) from aromatic plants are auspicious source of bioherbicides.

Essential Oil of : Comparative Chemical Profiles, Antimicrobial Activity, and Allelopathic Potential on Weeds.

Plants are considered green resources for thousands of bioactive compounds. Essential oils (EOs) are an important class of secondary compounds with various biological activities, including allelopathic and antimicrobial activities. Herein, the present study aimed to compare the chemical profiles of the EOs of the widely distributed medicinal plant collected from Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

Evaluation of the genetic diversity of wild Salvadora persica 'Arak' from Saudi Arabia.

Assessment of genetic diversity is crucial for efficient selection genotypes in plant breeding and improvement programs. Studies of genetic diversity of S. persica are rare relative to the large species diversity in Saudi Arabia, despite its valuable importance as one of the most popular medicinal plants.

Functional Traits Plasticity of the Invasive Herb Sweet in Different Arid Habitats.

Understanding the strategies and mechanisms of invasive species could guide their control and management especially in arid ecosystems. This study compares the vegetative and reproductive functional traits of the invasive Mexican poppy (), in seven habitat types, in southwestern Saudi Arabia. The results showed that the aboveground phenological attributes such as plant height, leaf area, and leaf dry mass attained the highest values in the wadi channels, whereas these attributes attained the lowest values in the mountain ranges.

L. Shrubs Provide Species-Specific Facilitation for the Understory Plants in Coastal Ecosystem.

Plant facilitation has a pivotal role in regulating species coexistence, particularly under arid environments. The present study aimed to evaluate the facilitative effect of L. on its understory plants in coastal habitat.

Essential oil of : Chemical characterization, antioxidant activity, and allelopathic effect on the weed .

The essential oil (EO) of shoots was extracted via hydro-distillation and then investigated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Thirty-four compounds were recognized for the first time from this plant, representing 100% of the total mass. Terpenoids represented the major components with 69.

Decomposition and organic amendments chemistry explain contrasting effects on plant growth promotion and suppression of Rhizoctonia solani damping off.

Organic Amendments (OAs) has been used in agroecosystems to promote plant growth and control diseases caused by soilborne pathogens. However, the role of OAs chemistry and decomposition time on plant growth promotion and disease suppression is still poorly explored. In this work, we studied the effect of 14 OAs at four decomposition ages (3, 30, 100, and 300 days) on the plant-pathogen system Lactuca sativa-Rhizoctonia solani.

Interspecific variations in the habitats of (L.) Roth leading to changes in its bioactive constituents and allelopathic activity.

is an annual plant growing in different habitats of the Egyptian deserts. Little is known about variation among the habitats occupied by this species, its distribution, chemical composition, and allelopathic activity. The present study aimed to (a) assess the vegetation composition of three different habitats (Western Coast, Delta Coast, and Wadi Hagoul) of in Egypt, (b) determine their correlation to soil factors, (c) identify the changes in the bioactive constituents of in the three regions, and (d) evaluate the allelopathic activity regarding the variation in the habitat.

Impact of off-road vehicles on soil and vegetation in a desert rangeland in Saudi Arabia.

Off-road vehicle driving is considered as main contributor to land degradation in arid regions. This study examined the impact of off-road vehicles (ORV) on soil and vegetation in a natural recreational desert meadow of Raudhat Khuraim, Saudi Arabia. Vegetation canopy cover and plant height away from road tracks were assessed.

Preponderance of Oxygenated Sesquiterpenes and Diterpenes in the Volatile Oil Constituents of Lactuca serriola L. Revealed Antioxidant and Allelopathic Activity.

Using synthetic chemicals in industry and agriculture has led to several environmental problems. Thus, plant products derived from volatile oils (VOs) could be a potential green source for bioherbicides. Little is known about the VOs of Lactuca serriola.

Volatiles Profiling, Allelopathic Activity, and Antioxidant Potentiality of Leaves Essential Oil from Egypt: Evidence from Chemometrics Analysis.

The essential oil (EO) of L. leaves (family: Asteraceae) was extracted by hydrodistillation, and then analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Forty-three essential compounds were identified.

Evaluation of genetic diversity of Forssk from Saudi Arabia.

The genetic diversity of 177 accessions of Forssk, representing ten populations collected from four geographical regions in Saudi Arabia, was analyzed using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers. A set of four primer-pairs with two/three selective nucleotides scored 836 AFLP amplified fragments (putative loci/genome landmarks), all of which were polymorphic. Populations collected from the southern region of the country showed the highest genetic diversity parameters, whereas those collected from the central regions showed the lowest values.

Molecular and phytochemical analysis of wild type and olive cultivars grown under Saudi Arabian environment.

This study aimed to assess genetic variability at molecular and phytochemical levels among the four most commonly grown olive cultivars and the wild-type olive of Saudi Arabia. Sixty-six and 80 amplicons were generated from 9 random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and inter simple sequence repeats (ISSR) primers, each, producing an average of 95.9 and 86.

Effects of open grazing and livestock exclusion on floristic composition and diversity in natural ecosystem of Western Saudi Arabia.

Livestock grazing is one of the main causes of rangeland degradation in Saudi Arabia. Fencing to exclude grazers is one of the main management practices used to restore vegetation and conserve biodiversity. The main objectives of this study were to investigate the changes in plant diversity and abundance, floristic composition and plant groups of the major life forms in response to thirty-five years of grazing exclosure in western Saudi Arabia.

Use of spatial analysis to test hypotheses on plant recruitment in a hyper-arid ecosystem.

Mounds originating from wind-blown sediment accumulation beneath vegetation (nebkhas) often indicate land degradation in dry areas. Thus far, most nebkha research has focused on individual plants. Here, we aimed to explore population-scale processes (up to scales of about 100 m) that might explain an observed nebkha landscape pattern.