Environmental and Genetic Diversity of Rangeland Plant Species in Saudi Arabia

Rangelands in Saudi Arabia comprise about 75% of the country's total area of more than 175 Million Hectares; however, woodland forests occupy only 2.7 Million Hectares. The variability in the landscape has been reflected in variations in terrestrial plant species. Range vegetation and forest understory vegetation have a long history of grazing by livestock and wildlife herbivores. Many of the Rangeland plants in K.S.A. are a menace because of poor regeneration under multiple environmental stresses such as salinity and drought, and as a result of dense overuse, grazing and other human activities. According to these reasons, their preservation and improvement through molecular and biotechnology methods are unavoidable. In addition, investigations on the genetic and environmental variability among species and genera in the vegetation of K.S.A. are little. Therefore, the quantification of environmental and genetic variability is the primary goal in conservation efforts. This review will look over the studies that have investigated vegetation diversity and will discuss the current practices in Saudi Arabia to conserve rangeland variance as an important solution for grazing‎‎‎‎‎‎.