Status and trends of biodiversity, including benefits from biodiversity and ecosystem services
The content of this biodiversity profile is still draft. The text below has been prepared by SCBD and remains subject to final approval by the Party concerned.
Due to Jordan’s varied terrain, it is host to diverse ecosystems. From its four major ecosystems— desert, scarp and highland, sub-tropical, and freshwater—can be classified several sub-ecosystems, many of which are unique to Jordan, like that of the Dead Sea Basin (which is the lowest point on Earth) or the Harrat and Hammada deserts. Within the Great Rift Valley, including the ecozones of the Jordan River Basin, Dead Sea Basin, and the Gulf of Aqaba, is the sub-tropical ecosystem. These three ecozones are each host to a number of endemic species like the Serhani fish (Aphanius serhani) and the Dead Sea gara (Gara ghorenensis). The marine resources of the Gulf of Aqaba are of great economic value in terms of tourism, and the gulf itself, as Jordan’s only outlet to the sea, is important for transport and industry. To the east of the rift is the scarp and highland ecosystem, including forest ecosystems, grasslands, urban ecosystems, landscapes, and mountain ecosystems. It contains the largest remaining areas of natural woodland in Jordan, dominated by Pinus halepensis at higher elevations and by Quercus calliprinos and Q. ithaburensis at lower elevations where the original pine has been degraded. The flora and fauna of Jordan, but particularly of this ecosystem that contains 80% of Jordan’s cities, are facing continuous deterioration. The eastern three-quarters of Jordan is comprised of the desert ecosystem, with hammada (gravel/chert plains), harrat (basalt rock fields), sand dune deserts, and clay pans in closed drainage basins of the desert forming temporary lakes after heavy rains. The freshwater ecosystem of the country includes the Azraq Oasis, designated as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention, and other smaller wetlands within the valley and seasonal ones within the desert.
The diversity of Jordan’s flora and fauna are indicative of their many origins. At the intersection of three continents, Jordan encapsulates four bio-geographical regions: the Mediterranean, Irano-Turanian, Saharo-Arabian and Sudanian penetration, however the country also has many endemic species. Of its 2,500 recorded species of vascular plants, representing about 1% of world flora, 100 are endemic, including Iris petrana, Jordan’s floral emblem, Cousinia dayi, Plantago maris-mortui, Crucianella transjordanica, Centaurea procurrens, Scrophularia nabataerum, Tamarix tetragyn, and T. palaestina. Medicinal plants are particularly important in Jordan, with a total of 485 species with curative or preventive health values. There are a total of 78 mammal species, and 425 bird species in Jordan. Its avifauna is especially rich because of its geographical location by the Great Rift Valley, lying en route for migratory north palearctic waterfowl. However, because of water over-extraction and habitat degradation in recent years, birds that used to stop at the Azraq Oasis on their migratory route no longer do so, instead spreading themselves out over the Jordan Valley as well. The Gulf of Aqaba hosts more than 1,000 species of fish, 250 species of coral, in addition to sponges, snails, crabs and sea turtles. Twenty percent of the mollusks and echinodermata are endemic. Jordan also hosts 102 species of herpetofauna, the majority of which are reptiles. Although invertebrates are estimated to form more than 70% of Jordan’s total number of faunal species, due to lack of comprehensive research, the exact number is unknown.
Over the last 120 years, many native Jordanian species have been lost and become nationally extinct, and plant diversity is facing a dramatic decline. In total, Jordan hosts 47 globally threatened species, as classified by the IUCN Red List. Out of its 78 species of mammals, 12 species are globally threatened, including the Arabian Oryx, Nubian Ibex and its three gazelle species, Dorcas Gazelle, Goitered Gazelle and one recently thought to be nationally extinct: the Mountain Gazelle Gazella gazelle. The Arabian Oryx has become nationally extinct due to excessive hunting and the Nubian Ibex was about to follow suit, but its population was brought back through captive breeding programs. There are also 15 globally threatened bird species present in Jordan, the most notable of which are the Houbara Bustard Chlamydotis undulate and the Saker Falcon Falco cherrug. There are 375 rare or very rare species of plants, 150 species are endangered, 18 of which are globally endangered on the IUCN list, and 75 are considered extinct. In the Gulf of Aqaba, many of the coral species are globally endangered and protected by several international conventions and treaties, such as the red and black corals.
Agriculture in Jordan is regionally focused on rain-fed wheat and barley on the plateau, and olives in the mountain areas, whereas intensely managed agricultural lands are situated in the Jordan Valley. However, rainfall has been declining over the past few years and has affected the amount of rain-fed agriculture available. Instead, underground water sources are becoming more prominently used and even over-pumped, supplying an increasing area of irrigated lands but leading to many cases of habitat degradation. Seasonal marshes in the Disi and Jafr areas are also being degraded by seasonal harvesting of barley and wheat. The growing of traditional cultures is decreasing, with several local breeds and varieties becoming rare and some, like the Jordanian native cattle breed, native Arabic horse, native chicken and Syrian donkey, Jordanian tomato, cucumber, squash, wheat, lentils, and barley, even being threatened. Conservation plans put in place for these native land races of cereal and field crops are doing well; however, native livestock species are not faring as well.
Main pressures on and drivers of change to biodiversity (direct and indirect)
The content of this biodiversity profile is still draft. The text below has been prepared by SCBD and remains subject to final approval by the Party concerned.
Threats to biodiversity in Jordan are largely induced by anthropogenic activities. These include intensive agricultural practices, use of agrochemicals, over-grazing, excessive hunting, unplanned development, urbanization, and pollution. They have led to the destruction of natural habitats and ecosystems, afflicting large mammal populations the most, as well as plant diversity due to species being isolated, and thus losing their genetic diversity and facing a higher risk of extinction. The First World War was the most destructive period for Jordan. A railroad was built across the country, greatly affecting the surroundings and also requiring timber for train fuel. During the Second World War, repeating rifles and vehicles were introduced, facilitating hunting to the point of depleting some wildlife to extinction. In some cases, animals left their natural environments but moved to other environments incapable of hosting such high populations. This was the case for deer, which fled the eastern desert to areas away from humans but that could not provide a suitable habitat.
As a scarce resource in the area, water is constantly in high demand—a trait which has not been beneficial to Jordan’s environment. The tip of the Gulf of Aqaba hosts the only sea port of Jordan and has therefore been engulfed by many anthropogenic activities in the last 50 years. A few cases are known where the coral reefs have been damaged because of algal blooms, pollution and human impact. Although the marine Aqaba Reserve, spanning the only “natural” 7 km left of the coast, has been established, legislation is not yet clear or enforced enough for coastal conservation. The Azraq Oasis, which used to be a major stopping point for migratory birds, was pumped dry in 1992, and has lost much of its biodiversity and ecological value. However, conservation efforts have been in place to resupply the oasis with water, attracting back a fraction of the biodiversity that used to be present.
