Data Zone
Country/territory: Jordan
IBA criteria met: A3, B2, B3 (2000)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 200,000 ha
| IBA conservation status | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment (most recent) | State (condition) | Pressure (threat) | Response (action) |
| 2013 | not assessed | medium | low |
| For more information about IBA monitoring, please click here | |||
Site description (1994 baseline)
An isolated tract of huge, precipitous, sandstone and granite mountains, ranging up to 1,754 m (Jabal Rum, the highest point in Jordan), separated from each other by flat, sandy 'corridor'-wadis (at 800 m), and surrounded by a desert of extensive siltflats and mobile dunes. The predominant desert vegetation is a scanty shrub-steppe of Haloxylon, Anabasis, Retama, Artemisia and Acacia tortilis bushes. Amygdalus arabicus bushes are common in sandy wadis and in gorges leading into the mountains. Vegetation on the high and inaccessible peaks of the mountains is poorer than in wadis, including scattered Acacia tortilis and Juniperus trees, which also occur along seepage lines in Wadi Rum at the base of Jabal Rum, together with patchy, remnant vegetation of Pistacia, Ficus, Olea and Phoenix palms. The main land-uses are nomadic pastoralism (sheep, goats and camels), a Ministry of Agriculture irrigation project on the siltflats (centred on Disi and Abu Suwana) and 'wilderness tourism'.
Key biodiversity
See box for key species. An unusually varied assemblage of desert and mountain birds. As well as species listed below, possible or known breeders include Circaetus gallicus, Buteo rufinus, Aquila chrysaetos (outside the Reserve), Aquila verreauxii, Hieraaetus fasciatus, Falco pelegrinoides, Alectoris chukar, Bubo ascalaphus, Pycnonotus xanthopygos, Oenanthe lugens, O. leucopyga, Nectarinia osea, Corvus rhipidurus and Emberiza striolata. Quite large numbers of migrating Buteo buteo have been seen irregularly (max. 100, April). Two key species, now apparently extinct, are the globally threatened Chlamydotis undulata (formerly a rare winter visitor) and the regionally threatened Gypaetus barbatus (formerly a rare resident).
Non-bird biodiversity: Mammals: Felis margarita (rare), Capra nubiana (I) and Gazella subgutturosa (rare).
Acknowledgements
Data-sheet compiled by Ian J. Andrews, with comments by Dr Marco Masseti.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Hisma Basin - Rum (Jordan). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/hisma-basin--rum-iba-jordan on 22/11/2024.