An overview of the geology and evolution of Wadi Mujib
Author Name
Abdulkader M. Abed
The rock units exposed in Wadi Mujib range in age from the Late Cambrian Umm Ishrin Formation (~ 500 million year (Ma)) ago, to Recent (Holocene). They represent a good percentage of the geological history of the country. The lower part of the geological column consists of about 600 m of sandstones (Umm Ishrin Formation and the Kurnub Group), while its upper part is dominated by about 700 m of carbonates, bedded chert and phosphorite.Volcanic rocks, 6 Ma old, are present on the southern side of the wadi. Tectonically, the Mujib is bordered from the west by the Dead Sea Transform fault (DST), a plate boundary separating the Arabian Plate, representing here by Jordan, from the small Sinai-Palestine Plate. Jordan moves to the NNE relative to Palestine along this DST 4-5 mm/y, with a total
displacement of Jordan the middle Miocene, of 107 k . The DST system caused the formation of the Dead Sea basin and its subsequent subsidence as well as the continuous uplift of the mountains on both sides of it. Both subsidence and uplift are still ongoing. Other major fault is the Sewaga faults, an E-W fault with a small dextral strike-slip movement along them, where the Shihan volcanics are associated with it. Wadi Mujib had started initiation by running water at 5-4 Ma ago along the fractured, E-W axial plane of Mujib anticline. Rate of erosion of the wadi ranges between 0.1-0.23 mm/y. The Mujib deepening is still ongoing because of the ongoing lowering of the Dead Sea basin and uplift of its area.
The biodiversity value of olive groves in Palestine
Author Name
Simon Awad and Omar Attum
Traditional olive groves and other forms of agriculture are a dominant
feature of the Palestinian landscape. However, the biodiversity value of
these areas needs to be better understood. This study compares the tree and bird richness of olive groves and field agricultural sites in Beit Sahour of Bethlehem, Palestine. A total of sixteen bird species were recorded, with fourteen species observed in olive groves and¬ six species observed in the field agricultural sites. Olive groves had significantly higher tree and bird richness than field agricultural sites. Our results corroborate other studies that suggest olive groves have biodiversity value as a cultural landscape.
The birds diversity of the wetland habitats in the Fifa Nature Reserve, Jordan
Author Name
Abdullah AlOshoush & Mohammed Al-Zoubi
The diversity of the bird communities of wetland habitats in the Fifa Nature Reserve was studied during August 2017 to March 2018. The methods used were direct observation and spot counts. A total of 81 species of 31 families was recorded, including 52 Species of migrants. The largest number of birds was recorded in January and the lowest in March. Little Egret, Cattle Egret, Gray Heron, Spur-winged Lapwing, Black winged-Stilt, Moorhen, Teal and Garganey were the most abundant migrant species. Dead Sea Sparrow, Laughing Dove, Crested Lark, Reed Warbler, and White Wagtail were the most common resident species.
A zoogeographical analysis of rodent fauna of Jordan
Author Name
Mohammad A. Abu Baker and Zuhair S. Amr
The rodent fauna of Jordan is highly heterogenous, totaling 28 species and originating from three zoogeographical affinities: Palaearctic, Afrotropical, and Oriental, in addition to several wide-ranging, Eastern Mediterranean and introduced species. The distribution of rodents in Jordan represents a reflection of their global distribution ranges and habitat preferences. For several species, Jordan lies at the edge of their distribution ranges (e.g. Apodemus sp., Nannospalax ehrenbergi), other have wide distribution (e.g. Jaculus jaculus), while some are represented by relict populations (e.g. Eliomys melanurus and Acomys russatus lewisi). Species associated with the temperate forest of northern Jordan includes Sciurus anomalus and two wood mice, Apodemus mystacinus and A. flavicollis, while non-forested areas are represented by Nannospalax ehrenbergi and Microtus guentheri. Strict sand dwellers include Gerbillus cheesmani and G. gerbillus. Petrophiles associated with sandstone or black lava deserts are exemplified by Acomys russatus, A. r. lewsi, H. indica and S. calurus. Others including: Jaculus jaculus, G. nanus, G. henleyi, Meriones crassus, and M. libycus are all desert-adapted species with a wide distribution occuring in areas of scarce vegetation, wadibeds, and marabs with clay, loess, or gravel surfaces. A single species, Gerbillus dasyurus, exhibits a wide range of distribution over diverse habitat types. Species composition is characterized by substantial variability of rodent assemblages due to habitat requirements and replacements of sibling species
Recent observations on snakes from Jordan
Author Name
Mohammad Al-Saraireh & Amr Ghyada
The status and distribution of the snakes of Jordan have been extensively documented over the past three decades. However, additional distributional data are important to better understand the true distribution and ecological preference of snakes. Field notes are useful in that they provide anecdotal, needed information that can provide more insight to the biology of these animals. In this communication, we provide additional distributional and ecological observations for 18 species of snakes.
First breeding record of Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus in northern Jordan
Author Name
Mohammed Al-Zoubi
The breeding distribution of the Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus extends over large areas of Eurasia, from Ireland (108W) to Kamchatka (1608 E) (Cramp and Simmons 1980, Ferguson-Lees and Christie, 2001). The Eurasian Sparrowhawk is the most abundant raptor species in Europe (BirdLife International 2018) with many northern populations migrating south to winter over a wide area including the Mediterranean, including Jordan and further south.
Further records of the Sand Cat, Felis margarita, from the eastern desert, Jordan
Author Name
Nashat Hamidan and Nader Al-Gheyyath
The Sand Cat, Felis margarita, was recorded from Jordan based on an observation made by Mountfort (1965) in Wadi Rum during the Second Jordan International Expedition. Later, its presence was substantiated in Wadi Rum by finding a skull (Hemmer, 1978). Bunaian et al. (1998; 2001) reported a specimen around Qasr Burqu. It is currently considered rare, probably due to its largely nocturnal lifestyle and secretive habits, however it may well be more widespread than what records suggested.
