Abstract
Prosopis species were introduced to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) region for desert greening. However, the species now pose a great threat to the native plant diversity. This study used high-resolution satellite imagery (1990–2019) to understand the history and current distribution of Prosopis species and their impact on fresh groundwater. The results show that the Prosopis invasion in the study area reached its maximum expansion rate in 2019 and covered an area of about 16 km2 compared to 0.2 km2 in 1990. The areas near Sharjah Airport, Umm Fannan, and Al Talla, located at a lower elevation of the sand dune area, are heavily invaded. Prosopis groundwater requirement derived using evapotranspiration shows that groundwater consumption has changed drastically after 2010 and consumed about 22.22 million m3 of groundwater in 2019, which is about a 7372% increase in groundwater consumption from the year 1990 to 2019. The results can be useful for setting up a management plan for the sustainable use of this species in the UAE region in particular and other similar countries in the arid land regions that are suffering from freshwater depletion because of Prosopis invasion.
Highlights
The groundwater in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is limited and deteriorating due to overconsumption in the agricultural and industrial sectors
This approach demonstrated an effective use of the remote sensing data and spatial analysis for vegetation studies: a combination of digital satellite images, geographic information system (GIS) cartographic tools, and methods of spatial analysis of vegetation coverage are highly suitable and efficient for the monitoring of highly heterogeneous landscapes located in an area of intensive anthropogenic activities [47]
The results show that dispersed Prosopis slightly invade the area near Al Minzah thisThe study, the direction
Summary
The groundwater in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is limited and deteriorating due to overconsumption in the agricultural and industrial sectors. Russell et al [2] quantified the patterns of hydraulic redistribution by mesquite and assessed how this affects tree water use and productivity They found that Prosopis juliflora (mesquite) switches between shallow lateral and deep taproots, which allow them to extract more groundwater. The ability of the plant to grow on sand dunes with scarce vegetation indicates that it can combat desertification and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change [7] It is used as timber, fuelwood, shelter, building materials, and furniture for local farmers in many regions. In India, Prosopis species have provided up to 70% of fuelwood for local households in some dry region villages [22] These plant species provide some benefits, the problems caused due to their invasive nature are far more severe. The higher rainfall in addition to shallower groundwater in the northern and western Emirates make these regions even more suitable for the invasion of P. juliflora [33,34].
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