Read at : Google Alert – desertification
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article563409.ece
Human activities threaten Riyadh area oases
A large number of visitors flock to oases in Riyadh province during vacations. There are more than 100 oases with 45 varieties of plants in deserts in the province.
By ARAB NEWS
RIYADH: A number of oases are facing extinction by desertification combined with other factors including the carelessness of humans.
City people love to visit and spend days in desert oases away from their crowded life. Carelessness on the part of visitors harms the flora and fauna of the desert. However, the Ministry of Agriculture is trying its best to maintain oases in collaboration with other related government departments.
Most trees and plants in the oases have the capability to withstand the rigors of desert summers and winters including droughts. They become lush green in the spring and rainy seasons. Desert dwellers use the oases for pastures and seasonal crops. Trees are felled for fuel, making weapons and camel howdahs.
More than 45 varieties of plants are commonly found in the more than 100 desert oases in the Riyadh province. They include palm tree, willow, acacia, lotus tree, African rue, Achillea fragrantissima, wormwood tree, grass and cactus besides many other pastoral trees and bushes, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
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