Abstract
The effect of topsoiling on the vegetation communities of Abu Dhabi coastal desart rangelands with sand taken from an inland area of rangeland supporting a different vegetation community, was investigated. The study was carried out on ghanada Island, an inshore desert island which had been extensively topsoiled in the previous 5 years. Parts of the island also had been drip irrigated. Perennial vegetation communities on Ghanada were markedly different on topsoiled areas compared to non-topsoiled areas. However not all the species common in the topsoil source area were subsequently found to be common on the topsoiled areas. Zygophyllum hamiense, thought to be a colonizer of disturbed soil in the source areas, was common on the topsoiled areas. Annual plant species richness was greater on topsoiled areas compared to untreated native soil indicating (i) that the source areas had a greater annual species richness than Ghanada, and (ii) annual species propagules successfully survived the processes of topsoiling. Annual and perennial species richness was not significantly different between irrigated and non-irrigated areas. The perennial percentage cover was greatest on drip irrigated areas and the perennial which benefited the most was Heliotropium kotschyi, probably due to its rhizomous growth habit.
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