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26:
404:
Abu-Sharar T. (2006) THE CHALLENGES OF LAND AND WATER RESOURCES DEGRADATION IN JORDAN: DIAGNOSIS AND SOLUTIONS. In: Kepner W.G., Rubio J.L., Mouat D.A., Pedrazzini F. (eds) Desertification in the
Mediterranean Region. A Security Issue. NATO Security Through Science Series, vol 3. Springer, Dordrecht.
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prevails, with mild rainy winters and hot, dry summers. A desert climate prevails towards the east and south and at lower elevations. The rainy season extends from
October to May, with the heaviest rainfall between November and March. Rainfall ranges from 600 mm annually in the northern mountains to
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A semi-arid steppe zone lies between 600 and 800 meters elevation on the eastern slope of the mountains, where rainfall is between 200 and 350 mm annually. In the drier southern mountains the eastern steppe zone extends up to 1100 or 1200 meters elevation. There is a narrower steppe zone on the
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The western slopes and highest elevations are semi-arid to semi-humid, with average annual rainfall of 350 mm or more. The natural vegetation was
Mediterranean forest, woodland, and scrub, occurring above 700 meters elevation in the northwest, and between 900 and 1700 meters elevation in the
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in the transition zone between the forests and woodlands and the lower-elevation steppe. The forests and woodlands have been reduced in area and degraded by centuries of deforestation and over-grazing by livestock.
282:). In the southern forests and woodlands oaks are found on limestone-derived soils, with open woodlands of juniper growing over sandstone. In the southern highlands there are shrublands of wild hawthorn (
311:
western slopes between the upper-elevation
Mediterranean forests and the lower-elevation deserts of the Jordan Rift Valley. Predominant steppe plants are low shrubs, particularly
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in the south. The highlands are crossed by several eastâwest wadis, or canyons, carved by permanent or intermittent streams. The northern wadis empty into the
355:
Wagner W. (2011) Northwestern
Mountain and Rift Zone of the Northern Arabian Platform. In: Groundwater in the Arab Middle East. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg.
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Desert vegetation is found in the Jordan Rift Valley, the southern highlands, and the eastern plateau where average annual rainfall is 200 mm or less.
101:. From the plateau to the east the highlands appear as a series of hills. To the west the highlands drop steeply 1,000 meters or more to the
426:
Willimott, S.G., Birch, B.P., McKee, R.F., Atkinson, K., and Nimry, B.S. (1964). "Conservation Survey of the
Southern Highlands of Jordan".
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southwest. Forests and open woodlands are found in the northern and southern parts of the highlands. Trees in the northern forests include
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The climate of the
Highlands ranges from north to south and with elevation. Towards the north and west and at higher elevations a
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depression to the west and a plateau to the east. The highlands are home to most of Jordan's population and large cities.
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The
Jordanian Highlands extend about 300 km north to south. The highlands are bounded on the north by the deeply-incised
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154:, Jordan's capital and largest city and the largest city in the highlands, is in this portion, as are the towns of
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150:, which extend from the Zarqa River south to Wadi al-Mujib. Wadi-al-Mujib empties into the Dead Sea.
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is also in this portion of the highlands, on the western side of the highlands facing Wadi Araba.
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is the largest city in this portion, near the southern end of the Dead Sea. The ancient city of
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131:, âthe arable land of the Jordanâ, and lies between the Yarmouk River on the north and the
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Elevation of the higher peaks ranges from over 1,200 meters in the north to 1,700 meters at
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The highlands are divided into three main portions. The northern portion is called the
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73:. It extends north and south through the western portion of the country, between the
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50 mm in the southernmost highlands and the eastern desert plateau.
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on the south. Both rivers are tributaries of the Jordan River.
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Eastern
Mediterranean coniferâsclerophyllousâbroadleaf forests
260:. Forests and woodlands in the southern highlands include
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valley, which forms part of the border between Jordan and
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38:
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197:was uplifted as it moves northward and clockwise.
193:) tectonic events, as the northwestern rim of the
185:The highlands were formed by relatively recent (
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97:. They extend to south to Jordan's border with
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294:), and pistachio, and acacia woodlands with
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105:, which contains the Jordan River and the
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47:300 km (190 mi) northâsouth
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143:are the largest cities in this portion.
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372:
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139:, Jordan's second largest city, and
165:The southern portion is called the
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1:
378:Culture and Customs of Jordan
361:10.1007/978-3-642-19351-4_2
146:The central portion is the
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33:in the Jordanian Highlands
380:. Greenwood Press, 2007.
23:
411:10.1007/1-4020-3760-0_08
376:Shoup, John A. (2007).
69:is a mountain range in
267:Cupressus sempervirens
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62:
221:
207:Mediterranean climate
56:
330:Transjordan (region)
314:Artemisia herba-alba
251:Quercus ithaburensis
169:or Jabal al-Sharat.
445:Mountains of Jordan
273:Juniperus phoenicea
262:Quercus calliprinos
241:Quercus calliprinos
238:), evergreen oaks (
224:Dana Nature Reserve
67:Jordanian Highlands
19:Jordanian Highlands
291:Amygdalus communis
285:Crataegus azarolus
279:Pistacia atlantica
276:), and pistachio (
245:Quercus infectoria
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103:Jordan Rift Valley
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455:Great Rift Valley
297:Acacia spirocarpa
257:Arbutus andrachne
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236:Pinus halepensis
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303:Acacia raddiana
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167:Bilad al-Sharat
129:Sawad al-Urdunn
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61:Topographic map
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148:Balqa Heights
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222:Woodland in
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118:Jordan River
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99:Saudi Arabia
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288:), almond (
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232:Aleppo pine
133:Zarqa River
57:Jordan and
439:Categories
336:References
191:Quaternary
122:Wadi Araba
39:Dimensions
31:Mount Nebo
85:Geography
324:See also
171:Al-Karak
107:Dead Sea
79:Dead Sea
254:), and
214:Ecology
201:Climate
187:Neogene
181:Geology
156:Al-Salt
75:Red Sea
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248:, and
160:Madaba
141:Ajloun
71:Jordan
59:Israel
44:Length
175:Petra
152:Amman
137:Irbid
95:Syria
382:ISBN
300:and
158:and
65:The
407:doi
357:doi
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234:(
189:â
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