Wadi al-Azib (8303)
Syria, Middle East
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2016
National site name: Wadi al-Azib
Central coordinates: Latitude: 35.4571, Longitude: 37.9172
Elevation (m): 330 to 460
Area of KBA (km2): 1081.83981
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A stony, semi-desert plain, c.120 km east of Hamah. Vegetation includes sparse Pistacia trees and shrub-steppe with Salsola, Atriplex and Artemisia. There is said to be a north-south trending depression at 35°22'N 38°00'E which floods in some winters (extent of water up to c.1,000 ha); although this could not be found on maps, there is an area of sabkhah basins (totalling c.5,000 ha) centred on 35°40'N 37°30'E. There are many small settlements and wells, and cultivation is probably extensive.
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 CEPF Ecosystem Profile of the Mediterranean Hotspot (2017). Taxonomy, nomenclature and global threat category follow the 2016 IUCN Red List.
Additional biodiversity: See box for key species. Other breeding species include Pterocles alchata. Anser albifrons is a winter visitor (1,000) and passage migrant (1,500), and at least c.500 ducks have also been noted in winter. Non-bird biodiversity: Mammals: Canis lupus (V). There is a gazelle Gazella captive-breeding and release project.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture | hunting | nature conservation and research (83%) | rangeland/pastureland | urban/industrial/transport
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Wetlands(Inland) | 5 | |
| Grassland | 5 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 5 | |
| Desert | 85 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The site was established as a Enclosed Rangeland Reserve by the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform in 1968 to conserve vegetation resources for grazing, and there have since been proposals to designate it as a 'game management area' or nature reserve, with nature conservation as the main management objective. Known threats comprise hunting, overgrazing, fuelwood-gathering and soil erosion.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biological resource use | Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Unintentional effects (species being assessed is not the target) | Ongoing |
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Work & other activities | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: Abou Ja'fer (1984), IUCN (1991).
Contributors: Data-sheet compiled by Dr Ibrahim Hanna and Dr Amer Majid Agha (translated by S. Zaiane).