ABSTRACT
The interior parts of the Arabian Peninsula are characterised in large measure by the prevalence of ‘sand seas’, large areas of now largely-stable sand which cover approximately one third of the total region. The harsh environment of these sand seas strongly impacts on all life forms and human activities within the region. However, since sand seas still are commonly thought of as a lifeless environment, many aspects of their vegetation and ecology have been largely neglected by scientists: they have in particular received little consideration and attention from botanists, ecologists, and conservationists, even those who have attempted to investigate the ecology and phytogeography of Saudi Arabia on a wider scale.
