Qatar is a peninsula country, an off-shoot from the Eastern Arabian Peninsula. It covers an area of 11,581 km2, with 563 km of coastline, a 60-km land border to Saudi Arabia and sea borders in the Arabian Gulf with Bahrain, Iran, and UAE.
Climatically, Qatar is a hot, hyper-arid desert indicated by its Aridity Index of 0.03. This score out of a maximum of 1, is suggestive of low rainfall (average annual 76.3 mm) and high evaporation rates (average 6 mm per day), in addition to high temperatures which can reach to more than 50 °C in summertime. Al Shamal sand storms contribute to the high evaporation rates as well. Another extreme that characterizes this desert country, is the high Global Horizontal Irradiance that can reach a yearly total of 2,020 KW/m2, compared to 1,000 KW/m2 of northern Denmark for example. Average rainfall and GHI create a dichotomy between North and South, being higher in the north, while the rocky hill range along the Qatar anticline splits the country into East and West.
Qatar, as all the Arabian deserts, is a shield-carbonate platform type, where ancient mountains or hills are surrounded by sloping erosional plains and aeolian (windblown) sands. The underlying geology, is a very significant determinant of landforms or ecosystems that develop on the surface and paint the landscapes with a pallet of black and brown tones, white, green, yellow and even pink and purple. In turn, each ecosystem supports an often-distinct community of organisms, both migratory and resident, whose shared feature is a set of behavioral and physiological adaptations to the drastic daily fluctuations of desert extremes. In general, life follows the rain, giving the desert a starkly different appearance with the blooming greenery and buzzing activity of newborns in the winter, contrasted with the cracked earth browns and limited diurnal activity of summers.
On an east-to-west transect, usually, sand dunes boarder the coast, followed by sequences of raised rocky desert alternating with low-lying widyan, rawdat and sinkholes, ending in rocky hills which border with the coast to the west. Of course, ecosystem boundaries are not squarely delineated, and different arrangements may be observed depending on location.
© Chatziefthimiou AD. 2019. Terrestrial Environment. Qatar e-Nature.
Sources:
Batanouny KH, 1981
Whitford W, 2001
Edgell HS, 2006
Norton J et al, 2008
Leblanc J, 2013
Struthio camelus camelus
Acrocephalus agricola
Rodospiza obsoleta
Anas platyrhynchos
Phylloscopus inornatus
Mycteria ibis
Oenanthe deserti
Oenanthe leucopyga
Luscinia svecica
Gymnoris xanthocollis
Remiz pendulinus
Streptopelia turtur
Coracias garrulus
Egrets and Heronsta alba
Athene noctua
Anthus (novaeseelandiae) richardi
Saxicola rubetra
Ptyonoprogne (fuligula) obsolete
Upupa epops
Bubo ascalaphus
Accipiter nisus
Jynx torquilla
Grus grus
Bubulacus ibis
Falco subbuteo
Plegadis falcinellus
Buteo rufinus
Ptyonoprogne rupestris
Lanius isabellinus
Lanius collurio
Carduelis spinus
Turdus merula
Phylloscopus collybita
Falco tinnunculus
Lanius vittatus
Oenanthe albonigra
Turdus atrogularis
Sylvia mytacea
Phylloscopus neglectus
Otus brucei
Anthus campestris
Coracias benghalensis
Anthus pratensis
Anthus spinoletta
Oenanthe chrysopygia
Emberiza rustica
Streptopelia decaocto
Sylvia atricapilla
Emberiza caesia
Carpodacus erythrinus
Oriolus oriolus
Turdus torquatus
Asio otus
Recurvirostra avosetta
Milvus migrans
Alauda arvensis
Motacilla cinerea
Acrocephalus scripaceus
Pastor roseus
Monticola solitarius
Tyto alba
Sylvia crassirostris
Oenanthe picata
Ciconia ciconia
Emberiza (cineracea )semenowi
Cursorius cursor
Emberiza melanocephala
Aquila clanga
Emberiza cineracea
Saxicola caprata
Motacilla flava
Ficedula semitorquata
Falco concolor
Ficedula parva
Otus scops
Gallinago gallinago
Falco peregrinus
Lanius minor
Lanius nubicus
Oenanthe monacha
Galerida cristata
Milvus (migrans) lineatus
Sylvia barin
Luscinia luscinia
Hirundo rustica
Circus pygargus
Melanocorypha bimaculata
Ciconia nigra
Pernis apivorus
Anser anser
Iduna pallida
Glareola pratincola
Tachymarptis melba
Caprimulgus aegyptius
Apus apus
Phylloscopus humei
Cuculus canorus
Saxicola rubicola
Apus pallidus
Oxylophus jacobinus
Ammomanes deserti
Hippolais icterina
Emberiza calandra
Asio flammeus
Aquila pennata
Pterocles exustus
Falco biarmicus
Psittacula eupatria
Erithacus rubecula
Pycnonotus leucotis
Oenanthe xanthoprymna
Pycnonotus cafer
Alaemon alaudipes
Locustella naevia
Acridotheres tristis
Pandion haliaetus
Oenanthe pleschanka
Lanchura malabarica
Accipiter brevipes
Emberiza striolata
Fringilla coelebs
Falco columbarius
Chlamydotis macqueenii
Pavo cristatus
Glareola nordmanni
Ploceus manyar
Bucanetes githagineus
Gallinula chloropus
Carpospiza brachydactyla
Oenanthe isabellina
Merops persicus
Passer hispaniolensis
Merops apiaster
Aquila heliaca
Corvus splendens
Lucinia (megarhynchos) golzii
Lymnocryptes minimus
Turdus philomelos
Neophron percnopterus
Buteo buteo vulpinus
Caprimulgus europaeus
Sylvia nana
Acrocephalus stentoreus
Prinia gracilis
Motacilla citreola
Anthus trivialis
Phylloscopus sibilatrix
Columba livia
Falco (penegrinus) pelegrinoides
Francolinus pondicerianus
Oena capensis
Threskiornis aethiopicus
Luscinia megarhynchos
Spilopelia senegalensis
Psittacula krameri
Irania gutturalis
Cecropis daurica
Eudynamys scolopaceus
Riparia riparia
Circus aeruginosus
Lanius senator
Hypocolius ampelinus
Anthus cervinus
Sylvia nisoria
Falco cherrug
Lanius (meridionalis)pallidirostris
Oenanthe lugens
Sylvia communis
Passer domesticus
Cercotrichas podobe
Phylloscopus trochilus
Muscicapa striata
Phoenicurus ochruros
Cercotrichas galactotes
Delichon urbicum
Clamator glandarius
Eremopterix nigriceps
Oenanthe finschii
Sylvia curruca
Sturnus vulgaris
Saxicola maurus
Sylvia althaea
Calandrella branchdatyla
Monticola saxatilis
Oenanthe oenanthe
Emberiza hortulana
Callendrella rufescens
Ammomanes cincturus
Acrocephalus arundinaceus
Acrocephalus schoenobaenus
Oenanthe (hispanica) melanoleuca
Elanus caeruleus
Phoenicurus phoenicurus
Hippolais languida
Circaetus gallicus
Circus macrourus
Circus cyaneus
Lanius (isabellinus) phoenicuroides
Falco naumanni
Coturnix coturnix
Iduna rama
Aquila nipalensis
Lanius meridionalis
Motacilla alba
Phoenicurus erythronotus
Turdus ruficollis
Locustella lusciniodes
Falco amurensis
Acrocephalus palustris
Sylvia minula
Gerbillus cheesmani
Camelus dromedarius
Mellivora capensis
Mus musculus
Felis margarita harrisoni
Vulpes rueppellii sabaea
Meriones crassus
Taphozous nudiventris
Oryx leucoryx
Otonycteris hemprichi
Asellia tridens
Vulpes vulpes arabica
Canis aureus
Jaculus jaculus
Gerbillus nanus
Rattus norvegicus
Rattus rattus
Lepus capensis
Gazella subgutturosa marica
Felis silvestris
Paraechinus aethiopicus
Coranus aegyptius
Platypleura arabica
Phyllocnistis citrella
Hallodapus costae
Utetheisa lotrix ssp. Lepida
Diaphania indica
Prionotheca coronata ssp. ovalis
Phaiogramma faustinata
Pyrrhocoris apterus
Spilostethus pandurus
Oxycara (Symphoxycara) hansbremeri
Spoladea recurvalis
Thriptera kraatzi
Prodilamus mandli
Tenebrio molitor
Calliardia n. sp.
Paraplatyope arabica ssp. arabica
Penthicus (Penthicus) oblongopunctatus
Phtora apicilaevis
Pimelia (Pimelia) arabica
Macrosiphum euphorbiae
Prochroma (Oxypistoma) bucculenta
Proscheimus arabicus
Tentyrina palmeri ssp. thomasi
Tribolium castaneum
Liorhyssus hyalinus
Nemausus sordidatus
Trachyderma parvicollis
Zophosis (Septentriophosis) complanata
Coccinella (Coccinella) septempunctata
Diplacodes lefbvrei
Musca domestica
Blatta Orientalis
Acheta Domesticus
Coccinella (Spilota) undecimpunctata
Dacus (Didacus) ciliatus
Myriochila (Myriochila) melancholica
Periplaneta Americana
Labarrus Lividus
Megacephala (Grammognatha) euphratica
Ammocleonus Aschabadensis
Colias croceus
Orthetrum Sabina
Calomera aulica
Agrius convolvuli
Tropidopola Cylindrica
Blattella Germanica
Cheirodes (Cheirodes) sardous
Gonocephalum (Gonocephalum) patruele
Sphodromantis viridis
Autoserica insanabilis
Cheirodes (Pseudanemia) brevicollis
Scarites (Parallelomorphus) terricola ssp. Aethiopicus
Oxycara (Oxycara) buettikeri
Iranobrium davatchii
Sitona (Sitona) ocellatus
Junonia [= Precis] orithya
Hybosorus illigeri
Jebusaea hammerschmidti
Opatroides punctulatus
Rhynchophorus ferrugineus
Apentanodes arabicus
Erodius (Eodirosis) sauditus
Chrysopela CF. Carnea
Morphacris fasciata
Akis spinosa
Adesmia (Osteralis) khaliensis
Aiolopus puissanti
Adesmia (Macradesmia) cancellata
Scarabaeus (Scarabaeus) bannuensis
Falsocatomulus euphraticus
Cheirodes (Histiaea) asperulus
Pentodon algerinum ssp. dispar
Oryctes (Rykanoryctes) agamemnon ssp. arabicus
Hyles lineata
Lacon modestus
Lampides boeticus
Gonocephalum (Gonocephalum) setulosum
Lixus pulverulentus
Hyperops (Belutschistanops) pygmea ssp. arabica
Necrobia rufipes
Eucymatodera senegalensis
Caryedon serratus
Algarobius prosopis
Mesostena (Mesostena) puncticollis
Blepharopsis mendica
Anthia duodecimguttata
Julodis euphratica
Hemianax ephippiger
Poecilus (Ancholeus) wollastoni
Gryllotalba gryllotalba
Anaphaeis aurota
Centorus (Centorus) csikii ssp. bagdadensis
Latheticus oryzae
Gonocephalum (Gonocephalum) prolixum
Danaus (Anosia) chrysippus
Campalita olivieri
Papilio demoleus
Oryctes (Rykanoryctes) elegans
Acherontia atropos
Myrmeleon hyalinus
Gryllus bimaculatus
Acrotylus longipes
Alphitobius diaperinus
Mocis frugalis
Clitobius (Clitobius) oblongiusculus
Earias vittella
Imatismus arabicus
Phaleria (Epiphaleria) prolixa
Stenohippus mundus
Pseudoseriscius griseovestis
Acrotylus insubricus
Opatroides vicinus
Blaps kollarii
Scymnus (Scymnus) nubilus
Vanessa [=Cynthia] cardui
Gonocephalum (Gonocephalum) consobrinum
Microdera (Tentyrodera) marginata ssp. deserticola
Dilamus (Dilamus) arabicus
Leucinodes orboralis
Eremiaphila sp.
Gonocephalum (Gonocephalum) besnardi
Parkinsonia aculeata
Taverniera spartea
Alhagi maurorum
Senna occidentalis
Vaccaria hispanica
Calligonum comosum
Tamarix aucheriana
Vicia monantha
Hordeum vulgare
Hymenocarpos circinnatus
Asphodelus tenuifolius
Beta vulgaris
Oxalis pes-caprae
Cynodon dactylon
Parietaria alsinifolia
Cenchrus setigerus
Rumex vesicarius
Stachytarphaeta angustifolia
Hyparrhenia hirta
Pennisetum divisum
Bromus madritensis
Dipcadi erythraeum
Plantago coronopus
Urtica urens
Ricinus communis
Casuarina equisetifolia
Anagallis arvensis
Bromus scoparius
Stellaria media
Ziziphus spina-christi
Galium tricornutum
Bassia eriophora
Digitaria sanguinalis
Oxalis corniculata
Parapholis incurva
Lasiurus scindicus
Monsonia nivea
Taverniera aegyptiaca
Spergularia diandra
Phoenix dactylifera
Mollugo cerviana
Scrophularia deserti
Lycium shawii
Stachytarphaeta angustifolia
Fagonia bruguieri
Geranium molle
Trigonella glabra
Medicago sativa
Fagonia tenuifolia
Ficus carica
Chloris barbata
Pennisetum setaceum
Cenchrus ciliaris
Phyla nodiflora
Acacia nilotica
Bassia muricata
Chrysopogon plumulosus
Polygonum argyrocoleum
Arundo donax
Veronica cymbalaria
Seetzenia lanata
Plicosepalus acaciae
Solanum villosum
Centropodia forsskaolii
Astragalus annularis
Orobanchaceae
Chrysopogon gryllus
Cullen plicatum
Anabasis setifera
Indigofera intricata
Ochthochloa compressa
Melilotus albus
Melilotus indicus
Tetraena qatarensis
Lotus glinoides
Senna alexandrina
Lawsonia inermis
Dodonaea viscosa
Lotononis platycarpa
Tetraena simplex
Aeluropus lagopoides
Cymbopogon commutatus
Dichanthium annulatum
Indigofera oblongifolia
Teucrium polium
Abutilon fruticosum
Monsonia heliotropioides
Scorpiurus muricatus
Erodium glaucophyllum
Ziziphus nummularia
Chenopodium murale
Astragalus sieberi
Althaea ludwigii
Astragalus corrugatus
Rumex dentatus
Malva nicaeensis
Cocculus pendulus
Forsskaolea tenacissima
Malva parviflora
Euphorbia arabica
Euphorbia granulata
Stellaria pallida
Eragrostis barrelieri
Abutilon pannosum
Cutandia memphitica
Echinochloa colona
Frankenia pulverulenta
Hordeum murinum
Hordeum murinum
Corchorus depressus
Corchorus olitorius
Medicago laciniata
Trigonella anguina
Trigonella anguina
Dactyloctenium aegyptium
Aristida mutabilis
Bromus danthoniae
Rhynchosia minima
Emex spinosa
Brachypodium distachyum
Portulaca oleracea
Haloxylon persicum
Hippocrepis multisiliquosa
Hippocrepis unisiliquosa
Ochradenus baccatus
Plantago amplexicaulis
Plantago psyllium
Astragalus tribuloides
Salvadora persica
Juncus rigidus
Salvia aegyptiaca
Oligomeris linifolia
Trifolium resupinatum
Linum strictum
Lolium rigidum
Neurada procumbens
Datura innoxia
Aristida adscensionis
Acacia ehrenbergiana
Chenopodium album
Spergularia bocconei
Chamaesyce serpens
Cyperus laevigatus
Senna italica
Sesbania sesban
Ononis reclinata
Ononis sicula
Reseda arabica
Tribulus arabicus
Fagonia ovalifolia
Avena sterilis
Fagonia indica
Ziziphus mauritiana
Solanum elaeagnifolium
Haplophyllum tuberculatum
Chloris virgata
Eragrostis pilosa
Rumex cyprius
Oxalis debilis
Leptochloa fusca
Trigonella stellata
Eragrostis cilianensis
Phyllanthus niruri
Chrozophora tinctoria
Chrozophora oblongifolia
Tamarix aphylla
Panicum turgidum
Silene conica
Silene villosa
Hippocrepis areolata
Misopates orontium
Cistanche tubulosa
Enicostema verticillatum
Corchorus trilocularis
Physalis angulata
Aristida abnormis
Eragrostis ciliaris
Polygala erioptera
Ammi majus
Erodium laciniatum
Polycarpon tetraphyllum
Cichorium pumilum
Blepharis ciliaris
Cuscuta chinensis
Andrachne telephioides
Convolvulus cephalopodus
Prosopis juliflora
Erucaria crassifolia
Haloxylon salicornicum
Salsola villosa
Acacia tortilis
Seidlitzia rosmarinus
Lathyrus inconspicuus
Typha domingensis
Cleome noeana
Prosopis cineraria
Cuscuta pedicellata
Anchusa hispida
Cenchrus pennisetiformis
Sinapis arvensis
Lotus halophilus
Cuscuta pentagona
Reichardia tingitana
Stipagrostis obtusa
Pulicaria sicula
Launaea mucronata
Xanthium spinosum
Launaea capitata
Pulicaria undulata
Urospermum picroides
Stipagrostis ciliata
Laphangium luteoalbum
Stipa capensis
Tripleurospermum auriculatum
Sporobolus spicatus
Koelpinia linearis
Pulicaria gnaphalodes
Ifloga spicata
Pluchea dioscoridis
Sonchus oleraceus
Paspalidium desertorum
Gymnarrhena micrantha
Sonchus
Picris aspleniodes
Sphenopus divaricatus
Glebionis coronaria
Sonchus
Sonchus tenerrimus
Sorghum x drummondii
Pentanema divaricatum
Senecio vulgaris
Pallenis hierichuntica
Sorghum halepense
Rhanterium epapposum
Setaria viridis
Filago desertorum
Brassica rapa
Matricaria chamomilla
Arnebia decumbens
Erigeron bonariensis
Matricaria aurea
Setaria verticillata
Arnebia hispidissima
Launaea nudicaulis
Schismus barbatus
Schismus arabicus
Heliotropium zeylanicum
Heliotropium ramosissimum
Cleome brachycarpa
Eruca vesicaria
Rostraria pumila
Schimpera arabica
Cleome amblyocarpa
Polypogon monspeliensis
Eremobium aegyptiacum
Poa annua
Raphanus sativus
Capparis spinosa
Carrichtera annua
Matthiola longipetala
Phragmites australis
Zilla spinosa
Brassica tournefortii
Lepidium sativum
Sisymbrium orientale
Phalaris paradoxa
Sisymbrium irio
Phalaris minor
Lepidium didymum
Anastatica hierochuntica
Moltkiopsis ciliata
Eclipta prostrata
Centaurea sinaica
Carthamnus eriocephalus
Calendula tripterocarpa
Calendula arvensis
Atractylis carduus
Artemisia inculta
Erucaria hispanica
Lepidium aucheri
Sclerocephalus arabicus
Polycarpaea spicata
Polycarpaea repens
Paronychia arabica
Herniaria hirsuta
Herniaria hemistemon
Dipterygium glaucum
Cleome noeana
Sisymbrium erysimoides
Aaronsohnia factorovskyi
Leptadenia pyrotechnica
Glossonema varians
Mesembryanthemum nodiflorum
Mesembryanthemum cryptanthum
Aizoon hispanicum
Aizoon canariense
Ephedra foliata
Ophioglossum polyphyllum
Zaleya pentandra
Aerva javanica
Amaranthus graecizans
Nerium oleander
Torilis nodosa
Foeniculum vulgare
Bupleurum semicompositum
Anethum graveolens
Amaranthus viridis
Amaranthus hybridus
Calotropis procera
Silene arabica
Mercurialis annua
Convolvulus pilosellifolius
Convolvulus glomeratus
Convolvulus arvensis
Flaveria trinervia
Conocarpus lancifolius
Helianthemum kahiricum
Traganum nudatum
Citrullus colocynthis
Cucumis prophetarum
Euphorbia retusa
Euphorbia peplus
Euphorbia dracunculoides
Cerastes gasperettii
Stenodactylus arabicus
Phrynocephalus arabicus
Acanthodactylus opheodurus
Bunopus tuberculatus
Pristurus rupestris
Mesalina brevirostris
Spalerosophis diadema cliffordi
Walterinnesia aegyptia
Varanus griseus
Scincus mitranus
Rhamphotyphlops braminus
Trachylepis septemtaeniata
Pseudoceramodactylus khobarensis
Mesalina adramitana
Hemidactylus robustus
Malpolon moilensis
Stenodactylus doriae
Hemidactylus persicus
Cyrtopodion scabrum
Acanthodactylus schmidti
Stenodactylus slevini
Uromastyx aegyptia microlepis
Diplometopon zarudnyi
Trapelus flavimaculatus
Hemidactylus flaviviridis
Coluber ventromaculatus
Psammophis schokari schokari
Eryx jayakari
Eirenis coronella coronella
Lytorhynchus diadema
Echis carinatus sochureki