FLORISTIC SURVEY, PLANT LIFE CHOROLOGY, AND LIFE FORMS IN THE SHAQRA REGION, SAUDI ARABIA

This study presents the first comprehensive assessment of floral composition, geographic distribution, ecological forms, and plant diversity in three specific regions of the Shaqra area in Saudi Arabia: Rawdah Ghislah, Al-Garaa Protectorate, and Rawdah Al-Qsour.The study identified 80 taxa from 66 genera and 24 families within Angiospermae.Asteraceae was the dominant family with 13 species, followed by Brassicaceae (11 species), Amaranthaceae (8 species), Fabaceae and Poaceae (6 species each), Zygophyllaceae (5 species), and Plantaginaceae, Caryophyllaceae, and Aizoaceae (3 species each).Chamaephytes had the greatest percentage of species (43%), followed by Therophytes (40%), Hemicryptophytes (11%), Geophytes (4%), with Phanerophytes being the least common life form type (3%).Chorological analysis revealed the dominance of the Bi-regional chorotype (45%), with Monoregional, Pluri-regional, and Worldwide categories contributing 36.3%, 15%, and 3.8%, respectively.The majority of the recorded taxa, specifically 43 species, are annuals, whilst 37 species were identified as perennials.The study found 29 species with a low occurrence rate, seven of which are classified as Least Concern (LC) by the IUCN.This study provides insights to guide the management and conservation of the examined geographical areas.