Transcript Biodiversity of Jordan - Forum Internationale Wissenschaft

Biodiversity conservation in Jordan :
Achievements and challenges
Dr. Amani Alassaf
Environment and natural resources Economist
University of Jordan
[email protected]
Reflecting Biodiversity – Holistic approaches and regional adaptation
12 – 15 September 2014, Bonn
 Jordan is located in the Eastern Mediterranean region
between 29˚ 20' to 32˚N and 34˚ to 39˚ E.
 Despite its small area (about 89.287 km2),
Jordan’s
location at the crossroads of climatic and botanic regions
has endowed the country with a rich variety of plant and
animal life.
 climate
of the country is arid to semi-arid and
characterized by dry hot summers and mild wet winters
with extreme variability in rainfall within and among
years.
Reflecting Biodiversity, 12-15 Sep. 2014, Bonn
 More than 90 % of the country's land, known as the
Badia, receives less than 200mm average annual
rainfall.
 Variation in the climate and topography in Jordan
lead to a wide variation in ecological habitat and flora
that comprises approximately 2500 adapted species
to local conditions.
 Most species adapted to dryer parts of Jordan
so, these species are of great importance and hence
their uses as a source of food for human , feed for
animals , medicinal, soil fixing…etc ( Jordan
biodiversity, 2001).

Reflecting Biodiversity, 12-15 Sep. 2014, Bonn
BIOGEOGRAPHICAL
REGIONS OF JORDAN
Four biogeographically
regions recognized in the
country. These regions
are in sequence from east
to west:
 Saharo–Arabian
(Badia).
 Irano – Turanian.
 Mediterranean.
 Sudanian (Tropical).
Reflecting Biodiversity, 12-15 Sep. 2014, Bonn
Jordan Biodiversity
 Wild plants: The total number of plant species recorded in
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Jordan exceeds 2500 species of which 100 are endemic.
These species represent 152 families and about 700 genera.
Several species have ornamental or medicinal value.
Medicinal Plants :
source of preventive and/or curative health value (people &
livestock)
A total of 485 species of medicinal plants, which belong to 330
genera and 99 families, are reported from Jordan
Those identified medicinal plants are herbs, shrubs and trees.
Reflecting Biodiversity, 12-15
 Jordan has 47 globally threatened species.
 Of the 78 species and sub-species of mammals in
Jordan, comprising 24 genera and 7 orders,
 12 species are considered as globally threatened.
 425 species of birds, which are predominantly migratory
in Jordan,
 15 species are globally threatened.
Reflecting Biodiversity, 12-15 Sep. 2014, Bonn
 Jordan has 97 species of reptiles,
 5 species of amphibian pertaining to 4 groups: Bufonidae,
Hylidae, Ronidae and Pelobatidae, and 20 species of
freshwater fish.
 The Gulf of Aqaba is a host to more than 450 species of
fish, 150 species of hard coral, 120 species of soft coral in
addition to sponges, snails, crabs and sea turtles.
 several species of algae occurring in the Gulf may be
endemic.
 Of between 300-350 species of fish, which have been
recorded in Aqaba, 7 are recognized as endemic.
Reflecting Biodiversity, 12-15 Sep. 2014, Bonn
Biodiversity and community:
The most potential services of the ecosystems
1)The Range land as grazing.
2) Medicinal plants that used by local rural
people for treatment using traditional knowledge.
3) Many plant species as source of food used by
local people like Gundelia tournifortii, Rumex
sps., Malva sps. and Mentha sps, etc.
Reflecting Biodiversity, 12-15 Sep. 2014, Bonn
4) Ornamental plants that recently cultivated by nurseries like
black Iris Asphdeleous lutea and Lonicera sps.
5) Forest as a source of wood for fuel purposes, in addition to
Tourism and recreation. Climate Change increasing threat to
existing ecosystems.
 Rangelands
are continuing to deteriorate mainly
because ecosystem is so fragile , the grazing stock far
exceeds the carrying capacity of the land.
 Desirable range species have been slowly disappearing
and several important medicinal and forage plant
species have been destroyed.
Reflecting Biodiversity, 12-15 Sep. 2014, Bonn
Challenges :
(1)
Desertification in Jordan is a particular environmental
threat with the fact that almost 90% of the area of Jordan
is arid land, while forest comprises only 0.8% of the
country.
The great environmental challenge that Jordan faces
today is the scarcity of water.
 - Water resources in Jordan mainly depend on rainfall,
which is subject to great variability.
Limited financial resources
for conservation
Reflecting Biodiversity, 12-15 Sep. 2014, Bonn
Different Climate and Rainfall
Reflecting Biodiversity, 12-15 Sep. 2014, Bonn
Challenges :
(2)
 The main threats to species at risk
 The loss and degradation of habitats,
 over-exploitation of plant and animal species,
 extensive agricultural and unplanned developmental
activities, pollution, invasion of introduced species,
 overgrazing, water extraction, illegal hunting and
trading of species and intensive use of agrochemicals
Reflecting Biodiversity, 12-15 Sep. 2014, Bonn
Achievements
(1)
Threat Status of Ecosystems
Reflecting Biodiversity, 12-15 Sep. 2014, Bonn
:
Achievements
Protected areas
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(2)
:
Species rich areas
Achievements
(3)
:
 Establishment of national gene bank (In situ conservation )
 Promoting integrated land-use planning and water
resources development
 Steps towards a Biodiversity –oriented society
 Steps in economic valuation of biodiversity
 Legislation and Institutional Structure
 Public Awareness and Participation
Reflecting Biodiversity, 12-15 Sep. 2014, Bonn
Ecosystem Service approach in Jordan
 2011-2013: a research project was conducted “Classifying
and estimating the value of forest ecosystems
services in northern area of Jordan using
contingent valuation method”
 The purpose: to classify and estimate the economic value
of forest service’s for three forest types as a unique
ecosystem in Jordan,
 the approach is based on
1) classifying and estimating the benefits from the
Mediterranean forests in northern area,
2) while exploring the management of such ecosystem,
providing crucial information to policy-makers and land
use manger alike.
Reflecting Biodiversity, 12-15 Sep. 2014, Bonn
 The targeted forest types are:
 Pine forest dominated by pinus halepenis
 Evergreen Oak forest dominated by Quercus
coccifera
 Deciduous Oak forest dominated by Quercus
aegilpos
Reflecting Biodiversity, 12-15 Sep. 2014, Bonn
 Results:
We were able to :
 Identify and classify services and estimate the
economic value of forest's ecosystem
provisioning services: food collection and medicinal plant collection
Local people depend on wild plants for food and medicinal plants as part of
the traditional knowledge in Jordan
Estimate the economic value , social economic factors affect WTP
conservation
for
 Mapping social value of forest services
Spatial factors , Identifying forest ecosystem services through social ecological bundles
 Floristic features, distribution and ethnobotany of
plants gathered from the Mediterranean forest
Reflecting Biodiversity, 12-15 Sep. 2014, Bonn
Glaucium arabicum
Narcissus tazetta
Reflecting Biodiversity, 12-15 Sep. 2014, Bonn
Alcea setosa
Anthemis palaestina
Arum palaestinum
Asphodeline lutea
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Sternbergia clusiana
Tulipa agenensis
Lathyrus cicera
Erodium gruinum
Reflecting Biodiversity, 12-15 Sep. 2014, Bonn
Gynandriris sisyrinchium
Cyclamen persicum
Iris nigricans
Acanthus syriacus
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Salvia horminum
Echinops polyceras
Thank you..
Reflecting Biodiversity, 12-15 Sep. 2014, Bonn