A natural history of the Emirates / John A. Burt, editor

"This work was supported by New York University Abu Dhabi."

A Natural History of the Emirates : An Introduction / John A. Burt -- Part I. An Extreme Environment : Physical Setting of the Emirates -- Geography and Geology of the United Arab Emirates : a naturalist's introduction / Gary R. Feulner -- Climate of the United Arab Emirates : Present, Past and Impacts on Life / Francesco Paparella and John A. Burt -- The Marine Environment of the Emirates / John A. Burt and Francesco Paparella -- Part II. Ecosystems of the Emirates -- The Vegetation of the United Arab Emirates and Ecosystem Management Issues / Gary Brown and Gary R. Feulner -- The Mountain Regions of the United Arab Emirates : An Ecosystem Perspective / Gary R. Feulner -- Mangrove Ecosystems of the United Arab Emirates / Guillermo Friis and Mary E. Killilea -- Coastal Lagoons (Khors) of the Emirates / Daniel Mateos-Molina, Simon J. Pittman, Marina Antonopoulou, Stephen Carpenter, Mona Möller, Sabir Bin Muzaffar, and Ivonne Bejarano -- Seagrasses of the United Arab Emirates / Noura Al-Mansoori and Himansu Sekhar Das -- Seaweeds of the Emirates / David M. John -- Coral Reefs of the Emirates / John A. Burt -- Oyster Beds and Reefs of the United Arab Emirates / Ivonne Bejarano, Daniel Mateos-Molina, Sandra L. Knuteson, Nadia Solovieva, Fadi Yaghmour, and Fatin Samara -- Part III. Organisms and Their Environment -- The Vascular Flora of the United Arab Emirates / Gary Brown and Gary R. Feulner -- Terrestrial Mammals of the United Arab Emirates / Jacky Judas -- An Introduction to the Birds of the United Arab Emirates / Oscar Campbell -- Terrestrial Reptiles and Amphibians of the United Arab Emirates / Johannes Els, Salvador Carranza, and Andrew Gardner -- Terrestrial Arthropod Diversity in the United Arab Emirates / Brigitte Howarth -- Marine Mammals of the Emirates : Whales, Dolphins, Porpoises and Dugongs / Ada Natoli and Shamsa Al Hameli -- Marine Reptiles of the United Arab Emirates / Fadi Yaghmour, Johannes Els, Clara Jimena Rodríguez-Zarate, and Brendan Whittington-Jones -- Sharks and Rays of the United Arab Emirates / Aaron C. Henderson and Shamsa Al Hameli -- Fishes of the Emirates / Matthew D. Mitchell, Johannes Els, and Marie Seraphim -- Part IV. Human Interactions with the Environment -- Human-Environment Interactions in the United Arab Emirates : An Archaeological Perspective / Timothy -- Cities as Ecosystems in the Emirates / John A. Burt, Oscar Campbell, and Jacky Judas -- Part V. The Future Emirates -- The Emirates at 2050 : Balancing Development and Environmental Stewardship / John A. Burt, Noura Al-Mansoori, Ivonne Bejarano, Gary Brown, Oscar Campbell, Johannes Els, Gary R. Feulner, Guillermo Friis-Montoya, Aaron Henderson, Brigitte Howarth, David M. John, Jacky Judas, Daniel Mateos-Molina, Matthew Mitchell, Ada Natoli, Francesco Paparella, and Fadi Yaghmour

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"For many people, thoughts of the United Arab Emirates conjure images of ultramodern skyscrapers and rolling sand dunes. However, the Emirates are a rich mosaic of ecosystems and habitats that support surprisingly diverse communities of organisms, and there is growing awareness of the importance of these previously underappreciated natural assets. A Natural History of the Emirates provides a comprehensive overview of the unusual environmental setting of this young nation, and surveys the major ecosystems and the marine and terrestrial organisms occurring across the nation. From freshwater streams in the hyperarid Hajar Mountains to the world's most temperature-tolerant coral reefs, the UAE is home to an astounding variety of uniquely adapted organisms that are providing insights into climate change and how organisms cope with and respond to extreme environmental conditions. The book closes with a section on human interactions with this unique environment, and proposes initiatives to ensure the protection of these unique natural assets into the future."-- Publisher description