The AlUla County in the north-western region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, covering approximately 22.500 km2, is characterized by its significant natural and cultural heritage, which has been shaped by thousands of years of interactions between human populations and their environment. The region is characterized by a pronounced landscape heterogeneity, encompassing a wide range of habitats such as rocky mountainous terrains with varying altitudinal ranges, extensive sandy plains, volcanic landscapes, and dry river valleys (locally known as wadis). As a paradigmatic example of the considerable habitat heterogeneity of AlUla County, wadis can be composed of variable seasonal hydrological dynamics, diverse soil properties, and distinct vegetation communities, contributing to the ecological complexity of the area. The heterogeneity of habitats within the region has been categorised in multiple projects using different approaches, incorporating remote sensing analyses, characterization of vegetation communities and identification of soil types. 

The main objective of this project is to obtain a final Habitat Classification System for AlUla County, including the production of a habitat manual providing a conceptual and spatial catalogue of the existing habitats in the region, derived from the harmonization of methodologies used in previous projects and following defined and reproducible habitat classification guidelines. 

This project results from a collaboration between Associação BIOPOLIS, the Centre for Middle Eastern Plants (CMEP) of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) and VALORHIZ, and is funded by the French Agency for AlUla Development (AFALULA).  

PI: João Campos

Period: 2025-2026

← Back to Research Projects