Spatial Distribution of Grain Size Within Nitraria retusa Coppice Dune in Kuwait

Abstract

Nabkhas are desert and sabkha perennial plants that form stabilized dunes. A total of 23 sediment samples were taken from the surface and subsurface (30 cm depth) of nabkha that formed around Nitraria retusa as the dominant perennial plant species in Ghudai-Kuwait. The morphological and ecological functions of sabkha nabkha are distinguishable. The existence of shallow fresh groundwater that floats atop the saline water bodies and is recharged by rainwater and surface drainage routes is due to the presence of thriving nabkhas within a salty sabkha environment. the selected non-protected Nitraria nebkhas have an elongated dome shape with a height of 1.30 m and an average length of 11.80 m. also, the greatest distances between isolated nabkhas are found in Nitraria dominated coppice dunes. There are three types of Nitraria dominated coppice dunes, namely: single (one plant), coupled (two plants), and complex (three or more). Nitraria is considered one of Kuwait’s most effective plant species for trapping mobile sand, Nitraria can to tarp to 21 m3 of mobile sand and dust. The variations in grain size sediments in Nitraria retusa between surface and root zone, border and crest, upwind and downwind, are efficient for retaining water. Furthermore, Nitraria retusa from the sabkha environment is the most effective in collecting mobile sand in the region.