Environment, biodiversity and conservation in the Middle East : proceedings of the first Middle Eastern Biodiversity Congress, Aqaba, Jordan, 20-23 October 2008

This special issue of BioRisk contains a collection of 15 papers presented during the First International Congress: Documenting, Analysing and Managing Biodiversity in the Middle East, which was held in Aqaba, Jordan from 20 to 23 October 2008. It will be of value to anyone interested in biodiversity research and conservation in the Middle East including botanists, zoologists, ecologists, conservationists, and decision makers as well as those who care about global climate change and its effects on biological diversity. Environment, Biodiversity and Conservation in the Middle East......Page 1 Title Page......Page 2 Contents......Page 4 The effects of climate change on biodiversity: Pressing issues and research priorities......Page 6 Reference......Page 8 Introduction......Page 10 The problem of the contact with the Red Sea......Page 12 The mid-Pliocene optimum and the Gelasian crisis......Page 13 The Pleistocene and the contact with the Tropical West Atlantic......Page 14 Congruence and equifinality allow re-colonization and enrichment......Page 16 The newly active Gibraltar Portal......Page 18 The tropical enrichment of the Mediterranean......Page 19 The limits of the Tethyan return......Page 20 References......Page 22 Keywords......Page 26 Biodiversity – a complex issue......Page 27 BioFrankfurt’s strategic approach......Page 28 Conclusions......Page 29 References......Page 30 Introduction......Page 32 Fauna and flora translocation......Page 35 Topsoil storage and land restoration......Page 37 On-site mitigation......Page 38 Sympathetic planting and maintenance......Page 39 Enclosed animals......Page 40 Off-site mitigation......Page 41 References......Page 42 Keywords......Page 44 Introduction......Page 45 KBA Sites......Page 46 Biodiversity observations......Page 48 Definition of management issues......Page 51 Discussion of management recommendations for southern KBA sites......Page 53 Conclusions......Page 54 Acknowledgements......Page 57 References......Page 58 Keywords......Page 60 Introduction......Page 61 Objectives......Page 62 Satellite image processing......Page 63 Vegetation......Page 65 Habitat classification system for the southern Marshlands of Iraq......Page 66 Habitat Types......Page 67 Conclusions and recommendations......Page 71 References......Page 72 Keywords......Page 74 Introduction......Page 75 Sample collection, cyanobacterial cultivation and identification......Page 76 Sequencing and analysis of cyanobacterial 16S rRNA genes......Page 77 Physical and chemical properties of the samples collected......Page 78 Microscopical observations of the spring samples and the cyanobacterial cultures obtained......Page 79 16S rRNA gene-based phylogenetic diversity of cyanobacteria......Page 80 Nitrogen fi xation studies on the thermophilic cyanobacteria......Page 82 Discussion......Page 83 References......Page 85 Keywords......Page 88 Methods......Page 89 Phytoplankton diversity......Page 91 Temporal variability of phytoplankton......Page 92 Spatial variability of phytoplankton......Page 94 Relationship between phytoplankton community and environmental variables......Page 96 Discussion......Page 98 References......Page 101 Keywords......Page 102 Methods......Page 103 Results and discussion......Page 104 Acknowledgements......Page 113 References......Page 114 Keywords......Page 116 Materials and methods......Page 117 Results and discussion......Page 118 References......Page 125 Appendix 1.......Page 128 Introduction......Page 132 Materials and methods......Page 133 Species diversity......Page 134 Species composition of different regions of Israel......Page 135 Substrates......Page 136 Geographic distribution......Page 138 Ecology of the lichen species studied......Page 139 References......Page 140 Introduction......Page 142 Ex situ conservation......Page 143 “Quasi in situ” conservation......Page 144 Application: Iris atrofusca of the northern Negev as a case study......Page 148 Inventory and demographic observations......Page 149 Effect of rhizome initial size on growth and flowering......Page 152 Small scale relocation experiment......Page 153 Germination......Page 154 Creation of quasi in situ living collections......Page 156 Large scale relocation experiment......Page 157 Small scale relocation experiment......Page 159 Distribution in the Negev and population demography......Page 160 Ex situ implications......Page 161 Acknowledgments......Page 162 References......Page 163 Introduction......Page 166 Methodology......Page 167 Fish fauna observations......Page 168 Freshwater fishes of Iraq – a new field guide......Page 170 Discussion of fish fauna in the southern marshes of Iraq......Page 172 Acknowledgements......Page 175 References......Page 176 Keywords......Page 178 Introduction......Page 179 Species composition and temporal occurrence......Page 181 Relative abundance and ecological indices......Page 184 Discussion......Page 186 References......Page 188 Introduction......Page 192 Materials and methods......Page 193 Results and discussion......Page 194 Acknowledgements......Page 207 References......Page 208 Introduction: The focus on birds......Page 210 Summary of bird observations......Page 212 Globally threatened birds in the southern marshes of Iraq......Page 213 Other birds of conservation concern in the southern marshes of Iraq......Page 220 Other linked conservation developments......Page 221 Recommendations......Page 222 References......Page 223 On a global scale, the Middle East is the only transition zone between three major biogeographic units, the Palaearctic, Afrotropical and Oriental Realms, resulting in an outstanding biogeographic significance and unique biological diversity. Biodiversity, which is part of our life-support system, is of particular ecological, economic, spiritual, cultural, and aesthetic importance.