Key Biodiversity Areas

Haraz mountains (8344)
Yemen, Middle East

Site overview


KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2011
National site name: Haraz mountains
Central coordinates: Latitude: 15.0350, Longitude: 43.6870
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 2100 to 2941
Area of KBA (km2): 276.89355
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes

Site details


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 (those with particularly restricted ranges are tagged with Irr1, i.e. meeting the KBA Irreplaceability 1 criterion) and may be categorised as globally threatened once assessed (thus meeting the KBA Vulnerability criterion), based on existing regional or national Red List assessments:: Centaurothamnus maximus, Ceropegia sepium (Irr1), Cichorium bottae, Convolvulus thymoides, Crinum album (Irr1), Delosperma harazianum, Dianthus uniflorus, Ocimum suave, Parietaria umbricola, Phagnalon harazianum (Irr1), Pimpinella menachensis, Scutellaria arabica, Senecio harazianus.
Delineation rationale: 2009-01-05 (BL Secretariat): the original IBA polygon was defined very roughly, according to the coordinates, site area and site description (altitude range, habitats and other features discernible in Google Earth), as given in the 1994 IBA book. 2013-07-10 (BL Secretariat): coordinates adjusted and site extent of 5000 ha has been updated to 28,000 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 | forestry | rangeland/pastureland
IUCN HabitatCoverage %Habitat detail
Rocky Areas(e.g., inland cliffs, mountain peaks)5
Shrubland5
Grassland43
Artificial - Terrestrial43
Forest5

Threats


Threat level 1Threat level 2Threat level 3Timing
Human intrusions & disturbanceWork & other activitiesOngoing