Taif escarpment (8275)
Saudi Arabia, Middle East
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2011
National site name: Taif escarpment
Central coordinates: Latitude: 21.1880, Longitude: 40.2560
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 500 to 2600
Area of KBA (km2): 371.88261
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A 40-km-long by 10-km-wide stretch of the west-facing granitic escarpment of the northern Asir mountains, rising from 500 m in Wadi Nu'man to the peaks of Jabal Daka and Jabal Barad at 2,600 m (from 21°22'N 40°15'E south to 21°06'N 40°18'E). The climate is reasonably moist at higher levels but dry in the wadi. Much of the site is rocky and rather barren, but a narrow wooded zone along the escarpment lip is the only locality in Arabia where Mediterranean Juniperus phoenicia and Afrotropical J. excelsa overlap to any extent; shrubs are dominated by Euryops and Lavandula. Valleys east of the scarp have Acacia iraqensis woodland and patches of endangered tree Euphorbia and Aloe. Foothills, wadis and the lower slopes to the west have various Acacia species. There is considerable agricultural terracing and grazing; traditional activities include honey production and rose-growing, and the area is a major recreational resort.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance because it meets one or more previously established criteria and thresholds for identifying sites of biodiversity importance (including Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites, and Key Biodiversity Areas) KBA identified in the process of compiling the CEPF Ecosystem Profile of the East Afromontane Hotspot. Species taxonomy and threat category was based on IUCN Red List 2010-4. The site holds a significant population of the following plant species which, although not yet Red-List-assessed at the global level, are endemic to the Hotspot and may be categorised as globally threatened once assessed (thus meeting the KBA Vulnerability criterion), based on existing regional or national Red List assessments: Acacia johnwoodii, Silene asirensis.
Additional biodiversity: See box for key species. Other breeding species include Aquila verreauxii. A passage of raptors occurs in autumn, with maximum daily totals in October of 4,000 Buteo buteo and 500 Aquila nipalensis. Non-bird biodiversity: Mammals: Papio hamadryas (endemic), Canis lupus (V), Genetta felina (rare), Caracal caracal (rare).
Delineation rationale: 2009-10-12 (BL Secretariat): Coordinates shifted to centre of polygon. 2013-07-10 (BL Secretariat): coordinates adjusted and site extent of 40000 ha has been updated to 37000 ha (as measured in GIS from the most recent boundary polygon [created by Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh], rounded to nearest 10%).
Habitats
Land use: agriculture | hunting | rangeland/pastureland | tourism/recreation | urban/industrial/transport
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 45 | |
| Shrubland | 45 | |
| Rocky Areas(e.g., inland cliffs, mountain peaks) | 5 | |
| Forest | 5 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Part of the site is included in the NCWCD System Plan for Protected Areas, and a major management plan for a nature reserve and recreation area has been compiled by NCWCD and King Abdulaziz University. There is high pressure on land for housing development, and, as the area was re-opened to built development by government decree in 1990, continued deterioration is likely. Terracing may be increasing, at the expense of Juniperus woodland, and there is fairly high grazing pressure and doubtless some illegal hunting.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential & commercial development | Housing & urban areas | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: Anon. (1991), Symens (1989), Welch and Welch (1991).
Contributors: Data-sheet compiled by Dr Stephen F. Newton.