Quantitative Analysis of the Flora of Jordan and its Conservation Status

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• published: 01 Jun 2014
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As yet there is no descriptive flora of Jordan, though a revised checklist of the plants of Jordan has been recently published (Al-Eisawi 2013). Through the BOT-ERA project, an effort to update and produce an annotated checklist of the plants of Jordan is being done. Species records are databased from information obtained from several national and international herbaria, and published sources. A quantitative analysis of the flora shows ± 2625 species (including unresolved names) in 810 genera belonging to 113 families of vascular plants. The families Leguminosae (±280 spp), Asteraceae (±277 spp), Poaceae (±226 spp), Brassicaceae (±145 spp), Liliaceae (±124 spp), Lamiaceae (±116 spp) and Caryophyllaceae (±110 spp) are the largest with more than 100 species in each. An analysis of the distribution of the flora in the different ecogeographic regions shows the northern and southern mountains of Jordan to be the most species rich. Jordan is influenced by two major phytochoria, the Irano-Turanian and Saharo-Sindian, both subdivided into regional phytochoria specific to the Middle Eastern region (Leonard 1989). Species richness and endemism is high in the Mediterranean part of the Irano-Turanian region of Jordan. Endemism is restricted mainly to the southern Mediterranean and Irano-Turanian regions as the southern mountains have been isolated by large wadis in the north and west. Biodiversity Surveys carried out by RSCN in the designated Nature Reserves show Ajloun and Dana Nature Reserves to be the most species rich. There are seven species endemic to Jordan and ± 106 near endemics, (viz endemic to Palestine, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Sinai). The endemic and near endemic species constitute about 2.5% of the total flora. Through the BOT-ERA project, Conservation Assessments of 931 species have been made. Using the IUCN Regional Categories and Criteria, one species, Salvia fruticosa, is recorded to be Regionally Extinct (Region-Jordan), 19 species are Critically Endangered, 54 Endangered, 34 Vulnerable, and 11 species Near Threatened. Threats to biodiversity and habitats in Jordan include urbanization, wood cutting, overgrazing, and extractor mining. A National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan and a Wild Socioeconomic Plant Conservation Strategy for the protection and conservation of species and crop wild relatives are in preparation. Presentation by Dr. Shahina Ghazanfar at the International Conference on the Conservation and Use of Socio-Economically Important Wild Plants in the Fertile Crescent organized by the Royal Botanic Garden of Jordan in Amman on April 8 and 9, 2014. Dr. Shahina A. Ghazanfar has worked in the Sultanate of Oman (Sultan Qaboos University), West Africa (Bayero University, Nigeria), Fiji (University of the South Pacific) and Pakistan (Pakistan Agriculture Research Council), and has made major contributions to the study of the floras of those countries. She joined the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, UK, in 2001, initially as co-editor for the Flora of Tropical East Africa (2001 to 2008) and then as Head of the Temperate Regional Team, and Editor of the Flora of Iraq. She has a particular interest in the restoration, conservation and biogeography of the Arabian Peninsula; her interests and research extend to the study of medicinal plants and plants of economic importance, and salt loving plants of Arabia and tropical Africa. She has authored several books, chapters in edited books, and written peer-reviewed papers on the Arabian flora and vegetation. Her major contributions are as editor and author of Vegetation of the Arabian Peninsula (1998: Kluwer), Handbook of Arabian Medicinal Plants (1994: CRC Press) and Flora of the Sultanate of Oman (2003: Vol. 1; 2006: Vol. 2, Vol. 3 (in press) of four volumes, with distribution maps, vernacular names, accompanying CD-ROM of species photographs, published by the National Botanic Garden of Belgium). She has written several papers on the vegetation and ecology and conservation status of the flora of Oman. Dr. Ghazanfar contributed towards a major plant family, Scrophulariaceae, for Flora of Tropical East Africa (Kew: 2008), and is currently preparing a working checklist of plants of the Arabian Peninsula and halophytes (salt tolerant plants) of SW Asia. For the last five years she has been involved in major restoration and conservation projects in the UAE and advises on native plants that have potential for restoration of degraded habitats, and those that have potential for landscaping and horticulture. Shahina A Ghazanfar (1), Hatem Taifour (2), Ahmed Al-Oqlah (3) and Renata Borosova (1) 1 Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, UK 2 Royal Botanic Garden, Jordan 3 Department of Biological Sciences, Yarmouk University, Jordan More info: www.boterajordan.org www.royalbotanicgarden.org www.facebook.com/RBG.RoyalBotanicGarden.Jordan www.twitter.com/botanicgardenjo