Ajloun Forest Reserve
Encyclopedia
The Ajloun Forest Reserve is a nature reserve
located in the Ajloun Governorate
in north-west Jordan
. Established by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature
in 1988 in the area around the village of Umm Al-Yanabi, it comprises an area of 13 square kilometres (5 sq mi). The reserve is houses a captive breeding
programme for the locally extinct roe deer and has been declared an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International
. There are also a number of hiking trails for tourists.
The reserve is home to a wide variety of plants and animals. The following animals can be found at the Reserve:
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
located in the Ajloun Governorate
Ajloun Governorate
Ajlun Governorate is one of the governorates of Jordan, located north of Amman the capital of Jordan. Ajlun Governorate has the fourth highest population density in the kingdom of Jordan with a population density of 335 ppkm2...
in north-west Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
. Established by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature
Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature
The Royal Society for The Conservation of Nature is an independent voluntary organization devoted to the conservation of Jordan's natural resources established in 1966 under the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Noor with the late King Hussein as Honorary President.RSCN has the mission of protecting...
in 1988 in the area around the village of Umm Al-Yanabi, it comprises an area of 13 square kilometres (5 sq mi). The reserve is houses a captive breeding
Captive breeding
Captive breedingis the process of breeding animals in human controlled environments with restricted settings, such as wildlife reserves, zoos and other conservation facilities; sometimes the process is construed to include release of individual organisms to the wild, when there is sufficient...
programme for the locally extinct roe deer and has been declared an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International
BirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global Partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources...
. There are also a number of hiking trails for tourists.
Geography & Climate
The climate in the reserve is rare in Jordan as wooded areas account for only 1% of Jordan's area. The geography of the reserve contains mostly rolling hills and valleys as well as some springs. The Reserve enjoys a Mediterranean-like climate but has been affected by desertification and deforestation for the past 200 years.Flora and fauna
- Evergreen oak, (Quercus calliprinos)
- Carob, (Ceratonia siliqua)
- Wild Pistachio, Pistacia palaestinaPistacia palaestinaPistacia palaestina is a tree or shrub common in the Levant region . It is called terebinth in English, a name also used for Pistacia terebinthus, a similar tree from the western Mediterranean Basin.-Description:...
- Strawberry treeArbutus andrachneArbutus andrachne, commonly called the Greek Strawberry Tree, is an evergreen shrub or small tree in the family Ericaceae, native to the Mediterranean region, the Middle East, and southwestern Asia.-Garden history:...
, (Arbutus andrachne) - Black IrisBlack IrisIris chrysographes, commonly known as the Black Iris, is a plant species that belongs to the genus Iris. It is native to S China and Myanmar , growing in meadows, stramsides, hillsides and forest margins....
, (Iris chrysographes), The national flower of Jordan. - wild boar (Sus scrofa)
- Stone Marten (Martes foina)
- Golden JackalGolden JackalThe golden jackal , also known as the common jackal, Asiatic jackal, thos or gold-wolf is a Canid of the genus Canis indigenous to north and northeastern Africa, southeastern and central Europe , Asia Minor, the Middle East and southeast Asia...
, (Canis aureus) - Red FoxRed FoxThe red fox is the largest of the true foxes, as well as being the most geographically spread member of the Carnivora, being distributed across the entire northern hemisphere from the Arctic Circle to North Africa, Central America, and the steppes of Asia...
, (Vulpes vulpes) - Striped HyenaStriped HyenaThe Striped Hyena is a species of true hyena native to North and East Africa, the Caucasus, the Middle East, Middle and Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent...
, (Hyaena hyaena) - Persian Squirrel, (Sciurus anomalus)
- Indian Crested Porcupine, (Hystrix indica)
- wolf, (Canis lupus)
- Roe DeerRoe DeerThe European Roe Deer , also known as the Western Roe Deer, chevreuil or just Roe Deer, is a Eurasian species of deer. It is relatively small, reddish and grey-brown, and well-adapted to cold environments. Roe Deer are widespread in Western Europe, from the Mediterranean to Scandinavia, and from...
, (Capreolus capreolus)