Nearly 70% of Saudi Arabia (170 million hectares) can be classified as rangelands.  Before the turn of the century, a delicate balance existed between the components of rangeland ecosystem. The natural pendulum pattern of resources balance was often combined with judicious tribal ownership and management of range resources by protection of certain grazing areas (Hema) at certain times of the year. Rangelands were viewed then as a source of life and a national heritage. Today, rangelands throughout the country are declining in both condition and productivity. Rangelands are regarded and will continue to be regarded as imperative renewable resources. King Saud University realizes the vital role of natural resources in general and rangelands in particular in the economy of the country and maintenance of environmental health. The Rangeland Research Group activities at the Plant Production Department date back to early eighties of the last century and considered as one of the most active group of the department.  

Objectives

As a group of scientists and technical staff, we are working within the Plant Production Department, with a mission to develop new knowledge of ecosystem processes as a basis for management and remediation of desert rangelands of Saudi Arabia. We focus on four general research objectives and provide expertise and disseminate scientific research results that contribute to national rangeland policies:

• To assess and monitor rangelands at local, regional and national scales
• To develop ecological -based strategies for livestock management
• To explore potential uses of desert range plant species
• To develop ecologically-based technologies for restoration of degraded rangelands  

 

                             Common grazing is usually practiced in rangelands of Saudi Arabia

 

Research Team

Prof. Abdulaziz M. Assaeed	Range Ecology		assaeed@ksu.edu.sa
Dr. Saud L. Al-Rowaily	Range Ecology & Management		srowaily@ksu.edu.sa
Dr. Abdulaziz A. Al-Qarawi	Range Ecology & Improvement		alqarawi66@yahoo.com
Dr. Al-Sayed H. Mohammad	Range Soil Microbiology

 Facilities

Rangeland research unit make use of wide range of facilities. These include:

• Rangeland fields at the Agricultural Research & Experiment Station
• Open rangeland sites near Riyadh city such as Raudhat Khuraim and Raudhat Al-Khafs as well as protected areas such as Thumamah of NCWCD
• A well equipped laboratory, department greenhouses and growth chambers
• An herbarium that serves for educational purposes

 

Ziziphus nummularia community	Achillea fragrantissima	Acacia tortilis community

Current Research & Projects

I.  Survey of Rangeland Resources in Saudi Arabia

Awarding Institute: Ministry of Agriculture
Principle Investigator: Dr. Saud L. Al-Rowaily
Co-Investigator: Prof. Abdulaziz M. Assaeed, Prof. Sulaiman A. Al-Khateeb and Dr. Abdulaziz. A. Al-Qarawi.

                  

Results

Al-Saud, T. bin Saud, S.L. Al-Rowaily, F.S.N. Al Arifi, A.M. Assaeed, S.A. Al-Khateeb, A. Al-Mahari, and A.A. Al-Qarawi. 2005. Rangeland survey in Saudi Arabia. Remote Sensing. International Conference on Advanced Remote Sensing for Earth Observation Systems. International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS), May 7-11, 2005, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

 

Al-Rowaily, Saud L.R and A.M. Assaeed. 2003. Vegetation of Hail-alQassim regions of Saudi Arabia. 22^nd Annual meeting, Saudi Biological Society. Al-Qassim, Dec. 16-18, 2003. pp.88-89. 

Al-Saud, Turki bin Saud, S.A. Al-Khateeb, S.L. Al-Rowaily, F. S.N. Al Arifi, A.M. Assaeed, A.A. Al-Qarawi. 2007. Rangeland of Eastern Region. The International Conference on the Arabian Oryx in the Arabian Peninsula, The 23^rd meeting of the Saudi Biological Society, Riyadh, 21-23 April, 2007. pp. 51.

 

II.  Management and Control of Argemone sp. in Taif Region
 

Awarding Institute: King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Ministry of Agriculture.
Principle Investigator: Prof. Abdulaziz M. Assaeed
Co-Investigator: Dr. Saud L. Al-Rowaily, Prof. Khalid F. Al-Mutalq, Prof. Turky I. Al-Turky, and Mr. A. Al-Dawod.

 

 

III.  Genetic Diversity within and between Different Populations of Capparis decidua in Saudi Arabia
 

Awarding Institute: Research Center of the College of Food & Agric. Sciences.
Principle Investigator: Prof. Abdulaziz M. Assaeed
Co-Investigator: Dr. A. L. Abdel-Mawgood.

 

IV.  Autecology of Rhazya stricta
 

Awarding Institute: Research Center of the College of Food & Agric. Sciences.
Principle Investigator: Prof. Abdulaziz M. Assaeed
Co-Investigator: Dr. Ali A. Al-Derfasi (Plant physiologist).

 

 Results

 

Assaeed, A.M. 2006. Germination Ecology of Rhazya stricta. 1st. European Congress of Conservation Biology. 22-26 August, 2006  Eger – Hungary.

 

Assaeed, A.M. 2007. Seed Production and Dispersal of Rhazya stricta. The International Association for Vegetation Science 50th Annual Symposium, 23-27 July, 2007, Swansea, UK.

V.  Biological Recycling of Agricultural by-product of Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera) by Using Edible Oyster Mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus

Awarding Institute: Deanship of Scientific Research, SABIC
Principle Investigator: Dr. Abdulaziz. A. Al-Qarawi
Co-Investigator: Dr. Abdulhakeem M. Motee. 
 

VI. The Relationship Between Symbiotic Fungi-Roots (Mycorrhizae) and Heavy Metals in the Soil

Awarding Institute: Deanship of Scientific Research King Saud Univ., SABIC
Principle Investigator: Dr. Saud L. R. Al-Rowaily
Co-Investigator: Dr. Abdulaziz. A. Al-Qarawi and Dr. Saud S. AL-Oud

 

Ficus salicifolia	Capparis cartilaginea	Rhanterium epapposum

 

Graduate Students

Student	Advisor	Thesis Title	Graduation Date
A. A. Al-Qarawi	A.M. Assaeed	Effect of amount and distribution of rainfall on seedling establishment of three populations of Hammada elegans and Achillea fragrantissima - a simulated study.	1996
Ghalib A. Al-Garni	A.M. Assaeed	Seasonal variation in the nutritional value of some range plant species in the Riyadh area.	1998
Khalid A. Al-Ageel	A.M. Assaeed	Ecological studies on germination and seedling growth, survival and establishment of Atriplex halimus L.	2002
I. A. Al-Mohaisin	A.M. Assaeed	Evaluation of seasonal production of some browse species under different levels of supplementary irrigation.	2002
Ali A. Nimazi	A.M. Assaeed	Secondary metabolites in four Different Populations of Capparis decidua	Continuing
M. S. .Al-Musalem	A.A. Al-Qarawi	Effect of Three Grazing Levels on Soil Seed Bank in Thumama Area	Continuing

Publications

Peer-Reviewed Journal Papers

Al-Qarawi A.A., A.A. Al-Doss and A.M. Assaeed 1997. Effect of amount and distribution of rain on seedling growth characteristics of  Hammada elegans (Bge.) Bostch.  Arab Gulf J. Sc. Res. 15: 805-824 (Arabic).

Al-Qarawi A.A., A.M. Assaeed and A.A. Al-Doss 1996. Effect of time of sowing  on emergence and seedling growth of Achillea fragrantissima. Egypt. J. Appl. Sci. 11: 168-175 (Arabic).

Al-Qarawi, A.A., A.A. Al-Doss and A.M. Assaeed 1998. Effect of amount and distribution of rain on seedling survival and establishment of Hammada elegans (Bge.) Botsch. Arab Gulf Sc. Res. 16: 207-222 (Arabic).

Al-Doss, A.A., A.M. Assaeed and A.A. Al-Qarawi 1997. Autecological studies on the effect of temperature and the initial amount of rainfall on germination and seedling emergence of Haloxylon salicornicum and Achillea fragrantissima. Agric. Res. Center, Res. Bull. No. 73. pp. 28. (Arabic).

Al-Doss, A.A., A.M. Assaeed and A.A. Al-Qarawi 1997.  Multivariate analysis of seedling survival and establishment and their related attributes in Hammada elegans. J. King Saud Univ., Agric. Sci. 9: 247-256.

Assaeed, A.M. and A.A. Al-Qarawi 1996. Effect of fuel-cutting on Calligonum comosum L’Her and associated range vegetation in Al-Qassim, Saudi Arabia. Biol. Sci. 4: 39-49 (Arabic).

Al-Saud, T. bin Saud, S. L. Al-Rowaily, F. S. N. Al Arifi, A. M. Assaeed, S.A. Al-Khateeb, A. Al-Mahari, and A. A. Al-Qarawi. 2005. Rangeland survey in Saudi Arabia. Remote Sensing. International Conference on Advanced Remote Sensing for Earth Observation Systems. International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS), May 7-11, 2005, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 

Walker, John, W., Scott L. Kronberg, Saud L. Al-Rowaily and Neil E. West. 1994. Comparison of sheep and goat preferences for leafy spurge. J. Range Manage. 47(6):429-434.

Al-Rowaily, Saud, L.R. 1999. Rangeland of Saudi Arabia and the "Tragedy of commons". Rangeland 21(3):27-29.

Al-Rowaily, S.L.R. 2001. Effects of storage duration and scarification on germination of three indigenous shrubs on northern Saudi Arabia. Alex. Sci. Exch. 22(4):423-430.

Al-Rowaily, S.L.R. 2003. Present condition of Rangelands of Saudi Arabia: Degradation steps and management options. Arab Gulf Journal of Scientific Research  21(3):188-196.

Al-Rowaily, Saud L.R. and Al-Hathlool, Haifa A. S. 2004. Phenology and nutrient content of Rhanterium epapposum on a rangeland site in northern region of Saudi Arabia. Advances in Agricultural Research 9(3):551-561

 

Symposium Proceedings

Al-Rowaily, S.L., N.E. West and J.W. Walker. 1996. Effect of simulated defoliation and plant competition on flowering and seed yield of leafy spurge. p. 6-7 In: N.E. West (ed.) Rangeland in a Sustainable Biosphere – Proceedings of the fifth International Rangeland Congress. Vol. 1. Society for Range Management, Denver, Co.

 

Walker, J.W., S.L. Kronberg, S.L. Al-Rowaily and N.E. West. 1996. Managing noxious weeds with livestock: studies on leafy spurge. p. 586-587. In: N.E. West (ed.) Rangeland in a Sustainable Biosphere – Proceedings of the fifth International Rangeland Congress. Vol. 1. Society for Range Management, Denver, Co. 

Al-Saud, T. bin Saud, S. L. Al-Rowaily, F. S. N. Al Arifi, A. M. Assaeed, S.A. Al-Khateeb, A. Al-Mahari, and A. A. Al-Qarawi. 2005. Rangeland survey in Saudi Arabia. Remote Sensing. International Conference on Advanced Remote Sensing for Earth Observation Systems. International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS), May 7-11, 2005, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

 

Al-Rowaily, S.L., and  N.E. West. 1994. Effects of polyacrylamide on establishment and growth of crested wheatgrass seedlings and sagebrush tubelings. pp. 275-280. In: Proceedings – Ecology and management of annual rangelands. U.S. Dept Agric., Forest Service, Intermountain Res. Sta. Gen.  Tech. Rep. INT-313. 

Al-Rowaily, S.L.R. and S.E. Al-Mutairi. 2000. Performance of sheep grazing on natural range conditions and irrigated range shrubs. pp. 97-106 In: Malik et al. (eds) Sheep Production in Hot Arid Zones. Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, Kuwait.

 

Published Abstracts

Al-Rowaily, Saud L., J. W. Walker and N. E. West. 1995. Influence of defoliation and competition on growth of leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula l.) and associate vegetation over a three year period. 48^th Annual meeting, Society for Range Management. Phoenix, Arizona. P. 1. 

Al-Rowaily, Saud L., N.E. West, J. W. Walker and N. E. West. 1994. Response of leafy spurge to defoliation and competition. Abstracts from Leafy Spurge Symposium, Bozeman, Montana. July 26-29. P. 1.

Walker, J.W., S.L. Kronberg, S.L. Al-Rowaily, and N.E. West. 1994. The role of livestock in integrated leafy spurge management. Leafy Spurge Symposium, Bozeman, Montana. July 26-29. P. 42.

 

Walker, J.W., S.L. Kronberg, S.L. Al-Rowaily, and N.E. West. 1994. Factors affecting leafy spurge preference by livestock. Leafy Spurge Symposium, Bozeman, Montana. July 26-29. P. 41. 

Ferguson, M.E., G. Al-Hadrami, S.L.R. Al-Rowaily, A. Al Hajoj and J.M. Peacock. 1999. Desert forges of the Arabian Peninsula - a solution for enhancing conservation and combating desertification. The 3^rd Conference on Desertification and Environmental Studies Beyond the year 2000. King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

 

Al-Rowaily, Saud L.R and A.M. Assaeed. 2003. Vegetation of Hail-alQassim regions of Saudi Arabia. 22^nd Annual meeting, Saudi Biological Society. Al-Qassim, Dec. 16-18, 2003. pp.88-89.

 

Al-Rowaily, Saud L.R. 2003. The concept of carrying capacity and its applicability to Saudi Arabia rangelands: A viewpoint. 22^nd Annual meeting, Saudi Biological Society. Al-Qassim, Dec. 16-18, 2003. pp. 90. 

Alzaber, F.M., S. L. Al-Rowaily, F. S. Al Arifi, and A. A. Al-Qarawi. 2007. The Influence of Edaphic Factors on Distribution of Vegetation Communities in Raudhat Khuraim. The International Conference on the Arabian Oryx in the Arabian Peninsula, The 23^rd meeting of the Saudi Biological Society, Riyadh, 21-23 April, 2007. pp. 52.

 

Al-Saud, Turki bin Saud, S.A. Al-Khateeb, S. L. Al-Rowaily, F. S. N. Al Arifi, A. M. Assaeed, A. A. Al-Qarawi. 2007. Rangeland of Eastern Region. The International Conference on the Arabian Oryx in the Arabian Peninsula, The 23^rd meeting of the Saudi Biological Society, Riyadh, 21-23 April, 2007. pp. 51.  

Al-Qarawi, Abdulaziz A., Saud L. Al-Rowaily, and  Mobark Al-Musalem. 2007. Effect of Complete Protection on Soil Seed Bank. The International Conference on the Arabian Oryx in the Arabian Peninsula, The 23^rd meeting of the Saudi Biological Society, Riyadh, 21-23 April, 2007. pp. 53