Jabal Bura (8347)
Yemen, Middle East
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1c
Year of last assessment: 2011
National site name: Jabal Bura
Central coordinates: Latitude: 14.9040, Longitude: 43.4780
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 300 to 1000
Area of KBA (km2): 155.65271
Protected area coverage (%): 20.77
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs. 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: Acacia johnwoodii, Aloe yemenica (Irr1), Aneilema woodii, Centaurothamnus maximus, Pimpinella woodii (Irr1).
Additional biodiversity: An important area for breeding birds of prey and for observing the migration of soaring birds.
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; the 1994 coordinates lie outside this polygon, so have been shifted to its centre. 2013-07-10 (BL Secretariat): coordinates adjusted and site extent of 250 ha has been increased to 16,000 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 | tourism/recreation
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Rocky Areas(e.g., inland cliffs, mountain peaks) | 5 | |
| Forest | 48 | |
| Shrubland | 48 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Threats: Since Evans (1994) an 8 meter asphalt road has been built into Wadi Rijjaf (Jebel Bura') which has had an enormous impact on the area by (according to Tony Miller) destroying at least 10% of the most important forest. It also allows large numbers of visitors to access the forest and they litter and feed the baboons. Feeding upsets the normal balance and allows the population to be artificially high. This is pure speculation, but the high baboon population could adversely impact on birds’ breeding success.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Work & other activities | Ongoing |