Flora of Jordan

FLORA OF JORDAN

The flora of Jordan constitutes a very important component of Jordan’s biological diversity. Conservation of such a national resource to ensure sustainability and development is listed high on the priorities of Jordan to conserve such a valuable resource.

The flora of Jordan is facing, like many areas of the Mediterranean region, a continued is facing continued deterioration because of one or more of the following factors:

- Cultivation: replacing the natural vegetation cover with cultivated crops utilizing modern agriculture machinery.

- Grazing: The carrying capacity of many of the vegetated areas is way below the actual number of grazing animals mainly goats and sheep many of the plant species that live in Jordan coevolved with grazing animals. In several areas, illegal grazing as well as overgrazing led to serious vegetation destruction, .Goat grazing which can lead to serious damage to plant growing points as well as high seedling mortality.

- Cutting Tree: This is mainly in the forested areas of the Badia area are particularly stricken by tree harvesting for firewood and charcoal production. That resulted from usage of plants for fire-wood and tree cutting in the forested areas. It is estimated that we loose around 1000 trees are lost annually, most of, which are old trees, which have a very significant contribution to genetic diversity.

- Urbanization: The spread of land use age for building houses, and opening highways and roads as well as encroachment of people on public and state owned land gradually led to a decrease of forested areas. Jordan is facing a population boom in which there leads to an increasing is demand for food and housing areas. Many cities, towns or villages have extended over their normal range and many agricultural zones are being shifted to become under city organized zones for further development residential zonest. -Off-road driving: Trampling of vegetation in transitional and fragile ecosystems by having most by off-road vehicles which is leading to the destruction of vegetation cover and soil erosion.

- Collecting: several plant species are threatened by unregulated collection. These include medicinal and ornamental plants of the genus Tulipa, Narcissus, Lupinusand Cyclamen. This practice target several plant species that put them under the threatened or endangered list because of specific needs, many species like Tulipa and Narcissuss as well as Lupinus and Cyclamenare collected for various reasons. Many Medicinal plants are collected for medicinal usage.