IMPORTANT PLANT AREAS IN THE ARABIAN PENINSULA: 4. JABAL AJA’

Abstract

Jabal Aja’ in Saudi Arabia is an Important Plant Area (IPA) in the Arabian Peninsula. This paper describes the flora of the Jabal Aja’ area and provides an up-to-date botanical checklist. It designates the site as an IPA due to the presence of endemic and biogeographically relict species and the function of the site as a bioclimatic refuge. In addition to these conservation assessments, this study discusses socio-economic issues, threats to biodiversity conservation on Jabal Aja’, and the future research required to build upon these preliminary studies.