Guide to the Naturalized, Invasive and Potentially Invasive Plants of Socotra, Yemen

By: Arne Witt and Ahmed Said Abdullah

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Synopsis: The Socotra Archipelago, in the northwest Indian Ocean near the Gulf of Aden, is a Natural World Heritage Site, ranked among the richest island systems in the world in terms of biodiversity with a rich and distinct flora and fauna. Of the ca. 850 plant taxa known from the archipelago, 37% are endemic, while 90% of its reptile species and 95% of its land snail species do not occur anywhere else in the world. As such it is often referred to as "the Galápagos of the Indian Ocean." However, this extraordinary biodiversity is threatened by, among other factors, the spread of invasive alien species (IAS). One of the major barriers to effective management is the lack of information on the presence, impact and management of IAS. This Field Guide has been developed to help address this issue. Species that are not yet present on the archipelago, but naturalized and/or invasive in the Arabian Peninsula, have also been included.