Supplementary Information
topographic forms – mountains, hills, plains and vast desert areas – have contributed to the creation of distinct ecosystems with rich fauna and flora. There are nearly 4 000 species of flowering plants in the country, of which 22 are Ptyeridophytes, 10 are Gymnosperms and the remainder are Angiosperms. About 300 of the country’s plant species are endemic. There are 2 500 species of animals, of which 62 per cent are insects, 15 per cent birds, 6 per cent reptiles and amphibians, and 5 per cent mammals; and there are 641 species of fungus, 55 bacteria, and 754 algae. About 354 bird species have been recorded in Syria, of which 161–194 species breed in the country and 156 are migratory. Marine flora is estimated at 660 species of algae from 7 phyla, and 4 species of marine plants belonging to the phylum Spermatophyta. Marine fauna include 1 027 species from a range of different animal phyla (single celled, Spongia, Cnidaria, Ctenaria, Nematoda, Annelida, Arthropoda, Mollusca, Echinodermata, Chaetognatha, Tunicata, and Vertebrata).
Source: The National Study on Biological Diversity (1998); (Saad 2009) Biodiversity in Jordan
Jordan has an extraordinary fauna and flora species composition due to its location at the cross-border of three main continents – the African, Oriental and Palearctic. There is a total of 13 vegetation types in Jordan, where 2 622 plant species have been recorded so far. More than 100 species are considered endemic, including Iris nigricans, Origanum petraeum and Crocus moabticus. In addition, several rare orchid and other iris species have been recorded.
The fauna of Jordan is represented by more than 644 animal species, excluding invertebrates. This includes 83 species of mammals including globally threatened species such as Capra nubiana, Gazella dorcus, Gazella subgutturosa, Gazella gazelle and Oryx leucoryx. Avifauna composition is especially rich in Jordan with 436 species recorded so far. The richness in birds is due to Jordan’s geographic location associated with the Great Rift Valley and because it lies on a major bird migration route. Freshwater diversity is also high, with 15 species of fish recorded, including the endemic Aphanius sirhani. Further, Jordan hosts 110 species of herpeto-fauna
including three species of amphibian and 107 species of reptile: 37 snakes, one tortoise, one terrapin and 68 species of lizard including the flagship species Uromastyx aegyptia and Varanus griseus.
Source: Al Eisawi 1996 14.
Application of ecosystem approach to the management of the world heritage site in Bahrain (Pearling, Testimony of the Island):
Pearls of Bahrain have been regarded since antiquity as the best in the world due to their great beauty and remarkable purity. A project aimed at improving the environmental, cultural and socio-economic management of global cultural heritage pearling areas in Bahrain through the application of ecosystem-based management approach was carried out during the period 2012 to 2014. The project was implemented as collaboration between the Supreme Council for Environment, the Ministry of Culture of the Kingdom of Bahrain and the United Nations Environment Program- Regional Office for West Asia (UNEP-ROWA). The project , which is considered the first of its kind in the region, centered on the application of ecosystem-based management approach to enhance environmental protection of oyster beds that were declared as a World Cultural Heritage Site in 2012. Several national workshops were organized with the participation of a wide range of national stakeholders, including governmental and academic institutions, and representatives of private sector and civil society. Specialized studies including ecological and socio-economic characterizations for the oyster beds areas were conducted. These studies helped in developing the strategic, ecological and operational objectives for the protection and specifying target indicators and monitoring programs.
Source (Supreme Council for Environment, Bahrain 2015) Dust and sand storms
Dust storms are increasing in frequency in the Arabian Peninsula. They are generated in regions where soil cover is
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