Important Plant Areas of Oman

A network of 43 IPAs have been identified in Oman covering approximately 47,000 Km2 or around 15% of the country’s total area. Over 70% of sites qualify as IPAs by meeting threshold levels of more than one criterion.

Biodiversity

For a largely desert country Oman has a surprisingly rich and varied flora. 1400 species have been recorded from the country including 79 endemic species of which 48 have been assessed as globally threatened under IUCN Red List criteria. Several globally unique vegetation types are found here including the fog woodlands of Dhofar and the Juniper woodlands of the Western Hajar. This floristic and vegetation diversity results from factors such as Oman’s topographic heterogeneity and its position at a biogeographic crossroads.

IPA Programme

Oman’s IPA programme was developed to provide botanical data to support the countries National Spatial Strategy, a framework for growth and environmental protection over the next twenty years. Particularly important in developing the IPA assessments has been the active fieldwork programme of the Oman Botanic Garden. Over the last decade they have identified 200 newly recorded species and at least 20 species new to science vastly increasing knowledge of the country’s flora.

Threats

All IPAs sites experience some degree of threat to their vegetation. Key amongst these include development, breakdown in traditional land management practices, invasive species and climate change.