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Vegetation and Soil analysis
Of the areas of Haranah, Amra, Azraq
Wetland Reserve and Shumari Reserve.
Aman Assasah
Mariam Al- Husseini
Nisreen Saeed Thaher
Shadin Baddar
Ala’ Mahmood Abdullah
0011519
0010854
0011772
0011670
0011515
Ecology
Dr. Saeed Damhooriya
April, 25th, 04
Introduction:
Geography:
Jordan encompasses 91,860 square kilometers and can be divided
longitudinally into three topographic regions (Ham, 2003), namely:
 The Jordan Valley
 The East Bank Plateau
 The desert
The fertile lands of the Jordan Valley along the river of Jordan- part of
the Great Rift Valley of Africa-characterize Western Jordan. The valley
extends from the borders of Jordan with Lebanon and continues along the
borders with Syria past the salty depression of Dead Sea all the way down to
reach Aqaba and the Red Sea.
The river of Jordan is 251 Km and is fed from sea of Galilee (lake Tiberias),
The Yarmook River and the valley streams of the high plateaus to the east
and west.
The East Bank Plateau includes main centers of population: Amman,
Irbid, Zarqa and Karak. The plateau ends at Ras-Al-Naqab south where a
fairly rapid drop leads down to the Red Sea and port of Aqaba.
About 80% of Jordan is comprised of Desert, mostly in the south and
east. Wadi Rum is one of the most fantastic desert landscapes in the world
and boasts Jebel Rum at 1754 m, the highest peak in Jordan (Ham, 2003).
Climate:
Jordan hosts an extraordinary rage of climates considering the small
size of the country. Temperatures are highly affected by the topography and
latitude of the different parts of the country (Al-Eisawi, 1985).
In the Jordan Valley we can find very oppressive heat in the summer, around
36º and has been recorded as high as 49º. The rainfall is low, less than 200
mm annually.
In Amman, the average daytime maximum temperature ranges between
12.6º in Jan. to 32.5º in August. Snow is not unheard of, even Petra gets the
occasional fall.
The area around Aqaba has much warmer and drier weather. The average
daytime maximum temperature is 20º in Jan. and 38º in August.
The desert is characterized by extreme weather conditions with
temperatures ranging in the 40s. Yet some winter days are cold with winds
blowing from central Asia. This area has negligible rainfall, which is less
than 50mm per year.
Soil
There is a relation between the soil type and texture in relation to
the vegetation type present (Al-Eisawi, 1985).
The soil in Jordan doesn’t show mature profile except in some places at the
Mediterranean region and under forest vegetation.
The most fertile soil is the Terra Rossa and Rendzina- red and yellow
Mediterranean soil respectively. They are both used for cultivation and
support the best natural vegetation in the country.
This soil type occurs under maximum amount of rainfall and the least mean
annual minimum and maximum temperature.
Loess and calcareous soil are dominant in the Irano-Turanian regions and the
sandy, saline and hammada soil are found in the desert region. These soil
types are considered to be poor and support little vegetation. They occur at
regions of low precipitation and high temperature.
Vegetation Regions:




Four regions are present in Jordan. (Al-Eisawi 1985)
The Mediterranean Region
Irano-Turanian Region
Saharo-Arabian Region
Sudanian Region
The Mediterranean region includes almost all mountain ranges from the
north of Irbid down to the south in Ras-Al-Naqab. The mean annual rainfall
ranges around 300 mm. And the soil types are: Terra Rossa and Rendzina
which are the richest in the country.
Surrounding the Mediterranean region- except at the north- is the IranoTuranian Region. It has a mean annual rainfall of 150mm. The soil is poor
and mostly eroded and of the calcareous or loess types. Vegetation is mostly
small shrubs and bushes like those of Reatama reatum and Zizphus lotus.
The majority of Jordan comprises the Saharo-Arabian region with a mean
annual rainfall of over 50mm. The soil is poor and mostly of hammada type
with some sandy hammadas, saline soils or mud flats. The vegetation is very
poor and sometimes nonexistent, especially in mudflats.
The Sudanian region comprises the Rift Valley south of Deir Alla including
the Dead Sea, Wadi Araba, Aqaba and the granite mountains. The mean
annual rainfall is less than 50mm. And the soil is sandy, sandy hammada,
some granite fragments and saline soil. The vegetation is mostly of tropical
varieties.
Ecology and Environment:
According to the international Environment sustainability index of
2002 (as cited in Ham, 2003) Jordan ranked the highest of any Arab country
at 53rd out of 142 nations, higher than Belgium and eight places behind the
United States.
As an impressive step, the Jordanian parliament passed the Law of The
Protection of the Environment in 1995 that included refusal of mining
licenses in protected areas on environmental ground.
Jordan is anything but free of environmental problems, most importantly is
its water shortage due to the growing population, excessive wastage and
agricultural exploitation.
 Water
Jordan has one of the lowest water-per-capita ratios in the world- 200
cubic meters of renewable water per capita per year and expected to fall to
90m² by 2025 (Ham, 2003). Some estimate that Jordan will run out of water
in 20 years since it uses 30% more water than it receives from natural
sources.
The major reason for this problem is mismanagement. Farmers consume
almost 75% of the water often inefficiently. And one report says that half
the water consumed in Amman is lost in leakage (Ham, 2003).
Jordan’s only sources of water are the Jordan and Yarmook Rivers and
subterranean aquifers, which are overexploited. Jordan has suffered
drought for five years in 1998/99 that was the worst in 50 years.
 Marie Life
Reefs off the coast at Aqaba are a treasure trove of marine life, but
everyday thousands of tons of phosphates are dumped at the port of Aqaba.
 Desertification
Desertification is the spread of desert to previously fertile land.
According to RSCN (the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature)
millions of hectares of fertile land have become unfertile which means less
livestock pastures. This problem is caused by: Overgrazing, deforestation
and overuse of off-road vehicles, wind erosion and drought (Ham, 2003).
Flora:
Over 2500 species of wild plants and flowers are found in Jordan.
Spring is the best time to see wild flowers and Wadi-Al-Seer near Amman is
especially beautiful.
Pine forests in the north give way to cultivated slopes of the Jordan Valley
where cedar, olive and eucalyptus trees are dominant.
In the desert, cacti are the only plants that grow unless heavy rain falls.
The national flower of Jordan in the Black Iris- best seen on the eastern wall
of Jordan Valley at Pella and Wadi-Al-Seer.
Fauna:
Jordan in not renowned for the quantity or variety of wildlife. In the
eastern and southern deserts we can find red foxes, sand rats, mountain and
desert hares, wolves, jackals and species of rodents. In Shumari Reserve:
Oryx- which was formerly prevalent- is reared for possible reintroduction for
wild.
In the Jordan Valley and forested hills of northern Jordan (which are
scarcely inhabited) lives the ill-tempered wild boar, marbled polecat, jungle
cats, crested porcupines, Ibexes and hedgehogs.
Bird life:
There are 365 bird species recorded in Jordan including vultures,
eagles and partridge in the eastern and southern desert. Dan Nature Reserve
boasts an extraordinary number of bird species including the warbler,
partridge, vulture and falcon (Ham, 2003).
Nature Parks and Reserves in Jordan: (Ham, 2003)
 Azraq Wetland Reserve:
It has an area of 12 sq. km. And home to 300 bird species, buffalos, semiwild horses, jackals and gerbils.
 Dana Nature Reserve
It covers an area of 320 sq. km. and has diverse ecosystems including 600
species of plants and 200 species of birds and over 40 species of mammals.
 Shumari Reserve
It covers an area of 22 sq. km. it is more of a zoo and specific for Oryx
reintroduction and blue-necked and red-necked ostriches.
 Wadi Mujib Reserve
It covers an area of 212 sq. km. and hosts the captive breeding of Nubian
Ibexes.

Wadi Rum protected Area
 Zai National Park
It is composed of small and dense pine forests and lots of green views.

Zubia Reserve (12 sq. km.)
Population and people:
The population of Jordan stood at 5.3 million in 2001, 1.8 million of
which live in the capital Amman and 700,000 in neighboring Zarqa and
suburbs.
80% of the population lives in urban centers and 98% of the population are
Arabs.
Small communities of Circassians, Chechens, Armenians and western
expatriates live in Jordan.
Bedouins were originally desert dwellers and form majority of indigenous
population, although today there are no more than 40,00 Bedouins who are
truly nomadic.
Arabian Desert and Jordan’s Saharo-Arabian Shrub land
Located on the Arabian Peninsula, the Arabian Desert and East
Saharo-Arabian Xeric Shrub lands is a desert eco-region, one of the most
continuous bodies of sand in the world. This eco-region holds little
biodiversity, although a few endemic plants grow here. Many species, such
as the striped hyena, jackal and honey badger have become extinct in this
area due to hunting, human encroachment and habitat destruction. Other
species have been successfully re-introduced, such as the endangered white
Oryx and the sand gazelle, and are protected at a number of reserves.
Overgrazing by livestock, off-road driving, and human destruction of habitat
are the main threats to this desert eco-region. (www.worldwildlife.org)
Location and General Description
This is the largest eco-region of the Arabian Peninsula, stretching
from the Yemeni border to the Arabian Gulf and from Oman to Jordan and
Iraq. Within this area lies a vast wilderness of sand. It is probably the
biggest continuous body of sand anywhere in the world, with an area of over
500,000 km2, or about the size of France. Egypt’s Sinai desert falls within
this area, as well as much of southern and eastern Jordan, western Iraq, and
northern Saudi Arabia. Bordering the Arabian Gulf, there is an extension into
Qatar and, further east, the region covers almost all of Abu Dhabi in the
United Arab Emirates (UAE). The Rub’al-Khali crosses over from Saudi Arabia
into western Oman and eastern Yemen. (www.worldwildlife.org)
You might think that the world's largest body of sand would be a humdrum
landscape. But this eco-region holds more than a few surprises. Stretching
across one part of the region is a 480 mile (800 km) arc of limestone cliffs,
plateaus, and canyons called the Tuwayq escarpment, which has been
sculpted by the wind and sand. The Rub' al-Khali desert features a variety of
dunes, including colossal dune mountains colored an incredible orange-red
by iron oxide. Elsewhere in the eco-region is the famous quicksand of Umm
al Samim, and an isolated sea of sand on the coast of Oman. Needless to
say, most of this region is extremely dry. Temperatures oscillate between
extreme heat and seasonal nighttime freezes.
Wildlife
Although vegetation is extremely sparse in this eco-region, and trees are
limited to just a few areas, many animals make it their home. Hoofed
animals of the region include Arabian tahrs, Nubian ibex, sand gazelles,
mountain gazelles, Arabian Oryx, and Arabian gazelles. Striped hyenas, red
foxes, Arabian wolves, and sand cats are among the region's carnivores.
Small rodent-like mammals called jerboas jump across the sand. Houbara
bustards fly overhead and greater flamingos recently began breeding in Abu
Dhabi for the first time since 1922. After a rain, you may see a sudden
explosion of wildflowers carpeting the ground. And you might even spy a
crustacean that lies dormant for years until a rainstorm causes it to hatch,
molt, and grow to full size in the space of several days!
(www.worldwildlife.org)
Common threats to biodiversity in this eco-region are wildlife poaching,
overgrazing, and damage to vegetation caused by off-road driving.
Agricultural projects, oil and gas surveys, and roads are also potential
threats.
The Saharo-Arabian Region Of Jordan
The Eastern Desert of Jordan occupies the majority of the country
and links with the Arabian Desert at the borders with Syria at the north, Iraq
at the east and Saudi Arabia at the south.
The sandy, saline and Hammada soils are the dominant soils in this region.
They are considered to be poor and correlate with the poor vegetation and
low amount of precipitation and high temperature of the region (Al-Eisawi,
1985).
The mean annual rainfall is almost over 50-mm. The vegetation is very poor
and sometimes nonexistent, especially in the mud flats. Most of the plant
cover is restricted to the watershed in the wadis where enough soil moisture
is available to hold some vegetation. The most common plant species of this
region are: Artemisia herba-alba, Achillea fragrantissima, Stipa and
Trigonella (Al-Eisawi, 1985).
Most of the Saharo-Arabian region in Jordan is of hammada type of
vegetation which comprises 50 percent of the total area. Three subdivisions
of hammada may be observed:

Run off hammada: the vegetation here is mainly confined to the
wadis and water accumulation. Some of the leading species are:
Retama raetum, Atriplex halimus and Tamarix spp.

Pebble and gravel hammada: this kind of vegetation consists only of
lichens covering the black stones with white gray growth. The pebble
covers a vast area between Mafraq and up to the borders of Syria.
Some annuals mostly cover the gravel hammada.

Sandy hammada: most common along the borders with Iraq and Saudi
Arabia and in Al-shumari reserve. The leading species include:
Atriplex spp. Seidlitzia rosmarinus and Artemisia herba-alba.
Mud flats are also common in the eastern desert of Jordan. These are places
in the desert where water accumulates and soil is made of very fine
particles, mainly of clay and silt. After the water evaporates the soil
becomes solid and very hard, which does not help any plant to germinate
and survive.
Flora and fauna in the eastern deserts of Jordan are threatened by
overgrazing. Socio-economic changes involving livestock subsidies and the
introduction of water tankers have resulted in increased herd sizes and a
more sedentary lifestyle amongst the Bedu. (wildlife.com)
In Jordan, the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) is the
body responsible for the creation and management of protected areas.
Within this Saharo region, the Shaumari Wildlife Reserve protects
vegetation, Gazelle spp., and the re-introduced onager (Equus hemionus).
In 1978, this reserve was one of the first re-introduction sites in the Arabian
Peninsula for Oryx leucoryx. In southern Jordan, the RSCN is working to
establish a Wadi Rum Nature Reserve.
Jordan’s deserts are dotted with ancient castles, farming estates, forts,
hunting lodges and caravansaries. They are referred to in Arabic though as
palaces and not castles. The castles are widely varied in function,
architectural style and creative embellishment. Most of these castles date
back to the seventh and eighth centuries. In our trip we have visited Qasr
Amra and Qasr Al Harranah, which will be discussed below.
Qasr Al Haranah:
Stuck in the middle of a treeless plain (23 kilometers to the northeast
of Amman), this mighty two-story edifice (Photo 1) clearly looks like a
fortress, but historians are divided: the narrow windows are probably for air
and light rather than for shooting arrows and it probably wasn’t a
caravanserai, because it wasn’t located on any popular trade route. The
most recent supposition is that it was a meeting room for Umayyad rulers
and local Bedouin. Although small (35 sq m), the castle has been nicely
restored. (Ham, 2003)
The carved medallions set around the top of walls, and the frescoes in the
upstairs rooms give the Haranah its unexpected elegance and expression.
The castle walls are one meter thick and there is an open roof for clear view
in every direction.
The area of Haraneh is part of the Saharo-arabian region. Upon
arriving we noticed the high temperature and dryness of the place.
Noticeable was the pebble and gravel hammada, mostly black stones with
white-gray growth with little to no vegetation that is also related to the low
rainfall in this region (50 mm.).
Qasr Amra:
Qusair Amra is one of the best preserved of the desert buildings of
the Umayyads (Photo 2); the attractions are the rooms plastered with
fascinating frescoes covering some 350 sq m. (Photo 6). It was part of a
greater complex that served as a caravanserai, with baths and hunting
lodge, possibly in existence before the arrival of the Umayyads (Ham, 2003).
Outside the walls of the building, the green vegetation of the Wadi Buttom,
which still sports a few hardy oak tres, was once a natural environment for
wild animals, such as lions, deer, gazelle, onagers, hares and other animals
of prey.
A hydraulic system next to the bathhouse includes a 40-meter deep pool, a
14 cubic meter tank and pipes to take the water into the baths. This series
of small cisterns allowed the inhabitants of Amra to cultivate a large area of
land within a walled enclosure.
The area of Amra belongs to the run off hammada where the vegetation is
confined to wadis and water accumulation. Amra falls within the area of
Wadi Al Buttom, which although lies within the sahara region, is featured by
the Steppe vegetation which includes shrubs and bushes with no tree
vegetation (photo 3).
Azraq Basin and Azraq Wetland Reserve:
Al Azraq Oasis is an ancient desert valley in eastern Jordan, near
Amman. For hundreds and hundreds of years the Azraq oasis was a rich,
wet, and bountiful haven that hosted an exuberant display of animals, birds,
insects, and plants. The oasis was fed by a deep spring of water created
eons ago. In fact, the word "Azraq" means blue in Arabic. Its waters once
persisted year round and mud flats flanked the area during the rainy season.
But as the human population grew, especially during the last century,
people needed more and more water. Water from the Azraq oasis was
siphoned off for the growing population of Amman and for farmers trying to
grow crops in the parched landscape. Worse, the water supply was, by
definition, unsustainable because the underground springs had been created
by fossil reserves. By the early 1990s the city of Amman had taken so much
Azraq water that the area had completely dried up. In fact, it became so
dry that wildfires burned in what was once lush desert oasis.
But now the people of Jordan are re-evaluating the way they take water
from the earth. And Azraq is staging a spectacular recovery.
(http://www.studyworksonline.com)
The Azraq Wetland Reserve- founded by the RSCN- is home to around 370 species of birds,
220 of which are migrant and stop in the reserve during their annual trip between Europe
and Africa. This wetlands area is rich in animal and plant life and is semi-covered by
aquatic plants such as Typha and Tamarix. Wolves, red foxes, striped hyenas, Asiatic
jackals and several species of insects and reptiles–including five very poisonous snakes–live
in the area. (http://www.kinghussein.gov.jo)
Shumari Reserve:
Shumari Reserve was established in 1975 and was the first of its kind
in Jordan. It is small, with an area of 22 sq km. Its aim was to reintroduce
wildlife that has disappeared from the region, most notably the Arabian
Oryx.
The Arabian oryx, a large straight-horned antelope that had been extinct in
Jordan since the 1920s, and in the Middle East since 1972, was reintroduced
in the Shumari Reserve in 1978. The breeding program has been an
unqualified success. After introducing eight heads to Jordan in 1978, the
Shumari Reserve now hosts around 200 Arabian oryx, together with other
endangered animal species (www.kinghussein.gov.jo).
Shumari is home to four main types of wildlife: The Arabian Oryx (41 now in
the reserve); the blue-necked and red-necked ostrich, which was long ago
hunted to extinction in the wild in Jordan, gazelles and the Persian onager
or wild ass.
Nearly 250 species of birds have been identified, including raptor, golden
eagle and Egyptian vulture. The best time to see birds and wildlife is spring
(Ham, 2003).
Methods:
In each of the three areas visited (Naur, Adasiyah and Dead Sea) we
took photos plant samples of the species present. In both Naur and Adasiyah
we took three line transects and did a vegetation analysis accordingly. We
determined the abundance, frequency and density of each plant species as
follows:
 Frequency= no. of quadrates in which species occurs/ total no. of
quadrate sampled *100
 Abundance= total no. of species in all quadrates/ total no. of
Quadrates in which the species occurred
 Density= total no. of individuals of each species / total no. of all
quadrates studied
Three soil samples were taken from each of the three areas and the
following tests were made to determine the physical properties of soils in
each area:
Granulometry: We passed the soil samples through screens of known
diameter to determine the particle composition of our three soil samples.
Gaseous Volume: it refers to the volume of pore space in soil per unit area
and it changes with the depth and origin of sample.
Procedure:
1. We placed our sample in a cylindrical glass and measured 10 cm in
length.
2. We pressed the soil sample firmly then leveled it to the top.
3. Water was added from graduated container until the soil was
saturated.
4. We determined the water Volume and expressed it as percentage of
the total container volume in this manner:
G.V= Volume of water (ml)/ Volume of soil (ml) *100
Permeability:
1. We obtained a cylindrical glass and put a soil sample of 10 cm in it.
2. From a graduated vessel we added 50 ml of water to the soil sample
and measured the time it needed for the whole water to pass down
the soil sample.
3. Permeability was calculated as follows:
P= volume of water/ Unit area of soil. Time = ml / (3.14r²) cm². Min
Capillarity: it is the tendency of water to move through soil by capillarity
means.
Procedure:
1. We took a cylindrical glass and blocked one side with a compressed
cotton ball and filled the rod with soil sample of 10 cm height.
2. We placed the cylinder in a container having few centimeters of
water in the bottom
3. We observed the rise of water and measured the time it takes for the
water to rise to the surface.
Organic Matter: Procedure:
1. We grounded the sample to pass 0.5 mm screen.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Transferred one gram of dried soil to 500 ml conical flask
Added 10 ml of NK2Cr 2O7
Added 20 ml of concentrated Sulfuric Acid.
We shook it for 1 min. then placed it on boiling water bath for 15
min.
Cooled it and added 200 ml of distilled water
Added 10 ml of phosphoric acid
We did titration by adding Ferrus Sulfate Burette, until solution is
blue.
continue by adding Ferrus Sulfate in small quantities until color is
green
one ml normal dichromate is equivalent ot 3 mg of carbon.
The % carbon present is calculated by
% organic matter= 0.003 (100) (V1 – V2) wt
where V1= Volume of dichromate (ml)
V2- Volume of Ferrus Sulfate (ml
Wt- weight of soil
Note: each test was done on soil samples of the three quadrates and the
average value was determined.
Results:
For the area of Amra, six samples of plant species present in the area
were collected and quantitative analysis of the plant communities for the
area of Amra was done on three Quadrates to determine the number of each
species in three different Quadrates (Table 1).
Percentage occurrence of each plant species collected was determined for
the three Quadrates by calculating the frequency (Figure 1). Some species
were present in all three quadrates while other didn’t occur in any of our
three quadrate units studied.
The abundance of each plant species collected was calculated for the three
Quadrates studied and expressed as Plant/Quadrate (Figure 2).
The density of each plant species found was calculated (Plant/Quadrate) to
give us a clear idea of the numerical strength of each plant species present
in our area of study (Figure 3).
For each of the three quadrate units studied in Amra, we estimated the
percentage vegetative cover and determined the maximum height of the
plant species present in this quadrate (Table 2).
Comparing the vegetative cover of three quadrates taken in Amra, show
relatively low amount of vegetation cover in this area (Figure 4).
The physical properties of the soil samples collected from the three areas of
Haranah, Amra and Shumari were determined by the appropriate tests. The
composition of soil particles of each soil sample was determined by the
granulometry test for each of the three areas (Table 3).
Figure 5 compares the composition of soil particles in all three regions.
For the areas of Haranah, Amra and Shumary the gaseous volume,
permeability, capillarity and organic matter of the soil samples collected
was determined (Table 4).
Comparing the results of the three different areas: The gaseous volume of
the area of Haranah was found to be the largest (Figure 7). Accordingly, the
permeability of Haranah was the highest of the three areas (Figure 6), while
Amra (Figure 8) had the highest capillarity value. The amount of organic
matter in the soil of Shumari area was the highest (Figure 9) followed by
Haranah and then Amra.
Discussion:
Considering the results of our vegetation analysis and visual
observation of the areas visited we conclude that these areas belong to the
Saharo-arabian region with very poor and sometimes nonexistent
vegetation.
In Haranah, which belongs to the pebble and gravel hammada, no
vegetation existed especially at the areas covered with volcanic black rocks
and pebbles that physically prevent the growth of plants.
Amra-, which belongs to the Run off hammada- had a vegetation of mainly
shrubs and bushes with no trees present. This confirms with its location in
wadi al buttom and having the steppe vegetation type despite the fact that
it belongs to the saharo-arabian region.
Shumari area belongs to the sandy hammada (although the hardness of the
ground prevented us from reaching deep to collect our soil samples, which
resulted in them consisting mainly of the rocky surface). The area had poor
vegetation and low permeability of the soil sample.
The three soil samples collected from the areas showed low amount of
organic matter which correlates with the hammada soil type and thus
supports little vegetation.
Literature Sited:
Al-Eisawi, Dawud. Studies in the history and Archeology of Jordan
“Vegetation in Jordan”. 1985
Ham, Anthony, et al. 2003. Lonely Planet Guide to Jordan, 5th
edition. Lonely planet Publication ltd. Melbourne, pp. 19-26.
Haviv, Itai. 2000. Trekking and Canyoning in the Jordanian Dead Sea
Rift., 1st edition. Desert Sea Press.
"the Arabian Desert and East Saharo-Arabian Xeric Shrub lands"
www.worldwildlife.org
“Al Azraq Oasis”.http://www.studyworksonline.com
"Jordan Geography and Environment". http://www.kinghussein.gov.jo
Tables and Figures:
Table 1 Quantitative Characteristics of plant communities in Amra. Three quadrates
were taken.
Species
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
Quadrate
unit
number
1 2 3
Total
No. Of
Frequency Abundance Density
number of quadrates
%
individuals
of
of each
occurrence
species
13 1 46
60
3
100
20
20
4 0 4
8
2
66.7
4
2.7
0 0 0
0
0
0
0
0
1 4 4
9
3
100
3
3
0 0 0
0
0
0
0
0
0 0 0
0
0
0
0
0
Figure 1Frequency of the different species found at Amra area taken from three
quadrates.
Figure 2 Abundance of the different species found at Amra area taken from three
quadrates.
Figure 3 Density of the different species of plants found at Amra area taken from three
quadrates.
Table 2 Maximum height and percent vegetative cover of the plants present in each of
three quadrate units studied at Amra area.
Quadrate unit number
1
2
3
Max. Height (cm)
24
48
82
Vegetative cover %
40
20
65
Figure 4 Comparison between the average percent vegetative cover in the three
quadrates studied in the area of Amra.
Table 3 Composition of soil samples from the three areas of Haranah, Amra and
Shumari.
Diameter of
Classification
Particle (mm)
<0.125mm
Mixture of
silt&clay
0.125Fine sand
0.25mm
0.25-0.5mm Medium sand
0.5-0.7mm
Coarse sand
0.7-1.7mm
Fine Gravel
1.7-3.35mm Gravel
>3.35mm
Stone
Haranah
Amra
Shomary
19.5
2.5
3
18.5
5.5
6
17.5
12
21
7.5
3.5
4
20
13.2
15
38.2
10
10
17
15.5
38
40
35
30
25
Weight gm 20
15
10
5
0
<0.125mm
0.125-0.25mm
0.25-0.5mm
0.5-0.7mm
0.7-1.7mm
1.7-3.35mm
>3.35mm
Haranah
Amra
Shomary
Figure 5 Comparison between the composition of soil samples from Haranah, Amra and
Shumari, according to soil particle diameter. Side legend shows color-coding of
different soil particle diameter.
Table 4 Physical properties of soil samples taken from the three areas of Haranah, Amra
and Shumari.
Region
Haraneh
Amra
Shumarri
Gaseous
Volume %
39.5
32.0
33.9
Permeability
(cm/min)
0.089
0.062
0.048
Capillarity
(min)
6.5
45
34
Organic
matter %
2.7
2.46
3.3
Figure 6 Measurement of Permeability for soil samples from Haranah, Amra and Shumari
Figure 7 Gaseous Volume percent of soil samples collected from Haranah, Amra and
Shumari
Figure 8 Measurement of Capillarity in soil samples collected from Naur, Adasiyah and
Dead Sea.
Figure 9 Percentage of organic matter present in soil samples collected from Naur,
Adasiyah and Dead Sea.
Pictures:
Photo 1 A view of Harranah region with Harranah castle apparent at a distance
Photo 2 A photo of Amra Castle with the vegetation cover type apparent.
Photo 3 An photo showing an overview of the area of Amra and the bushy vegetation of the area.
Photo 4 One of the characteristic plants of Amra, part of the run off hammada vegetation.
Photo 5 A picture of one of the quadrates we took from the area of Amra.
Photo 6 Paintings on the ceiling of Qaser Amra showing pictures of animals that no longer reside
in the area.
Photo 7 A picture of Azraq Wetland Reserve showing the water and Reed plants growing in
them. One of the fishes living in this pool is the endemic kili fish, which is found in Azraq and no
where else in the world.
Photo 8 An overview of the water and plants present in Azraq Wetland Reserve.
Photo 9 A photo showing the nets using to catch migrating birds for the process of ringing.
Photo 10 The Dried up Ain Al Sowda water reservoir. This spring used to feed and maintain that
water supply before it dried up completely.
Photo 11 a photo showing the Reed plants that dominated the area. Also apparent are the
decreasing amount of reed by the introduction of the water buffalo to feed on it.
Photo 12 A close up on the Reed plants that have dominated the area and are considered
unwelcome due to their density which prevents the migrating birds form spotting water while
flying. It also forms a restraint on the migrating birds’ movements.
Photo 13 A picture taken in Shumari Reserve showing the ostriches that are one of the reserve
inhabitants.
Photo 14 Some of the displays in the Shumari Reserve.
Photo 15 A photo showing a hedgehog present in the Shumari Reserve.