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A Brief Introduction to the Royal Botanic Garden of Jordan

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A Brief Introduction to the Royal Botanic Garden of Jordan AA BBrriieeff IInnttrroodduuccttiioonn ttoo tthhee RRooyyaall BBoottaanniicc GGaarrddeenn ooff JJoorrddaann www.RoyalBotanicGarden.org The Royal Botanic Garden (RBG) of Jordan, founded in 2005, is located about 25 km north of Amman, in Tell Ar-Rumman, overlooking King Talal Dam. The Garden covers two and a half mountains (1,800 dunums / 180 hectares) and has more than 300 m of elevation change within its boundaries. A variety of soil types and microclimates at the site allow the RBG to host a high percentage of the native plant species that A view from the Royal Botanic Garden grow naturally throughout Jordan. To date, the RBG has established a native plant nursery, a seed bank, the National Herbarium of Jordan, the National Virtual Herbarium, a community-based rangeland rehabilitation programme and an income generating programme. In addition to current research on native mushrooms, medicinal plants, natural materials and bioindicators of water pollution, the RBG is now establishing Jordan’s definitive flora and plant Red List, in conjunction with the IUCN. The Royal Botanic Garden will open Artedia squamata to the general public soon. The Royal Botanic Garden is not a governmental organization. However, it plays an important role in the Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan prepared by Jordan's Ministry of Environment, to implement the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity ratified by the Kingdom in 1993. The RBG ethos is to practice and advocate biodiversity conservation at the whole-systems level. Two key premises guide our work. The first is habitat-based conservation, such that we consider all biogeographic conditions, the complete watershed area, soil condition and exposure to the elements. The second premise is that man is an integral part of the biotic whole. In contrast to many conservation approaches, the RBG does not exclude humans or livestock. Our work is divided into three main components: 1. Science and Conservation The Royal Botanic Garden aims to become an internationally recognized research facility for all aspects of biodiversity and conservation in arid-land environments. 2. Education and Community Development Botanist Hatem Taifour recording The RBG is raising awareness and disseminating the GPS coordinates of plants in the Garden results of research on Jordan’s biodiversity to the public, while encouraging nature-related projects in local communities. 3. Sustainable Living The Royal Botanic Garden is also a demonstration site for sustainable land use, water harvesting practices, and eco-living solutions that can be easily replicated by the average Jordanian. Site Manager Kamal Nuimat speaking to a group of students Components of the Royal Botanic Garden So far, the Royal Botanic Garden has focused on restoring the land and establishing the main science and research components. The Garden is not yet open to the public, but we hope to start letting people enjoy part of the grounds soon, even while other garden areas and facilities remain under preparation. Phase I of the Royal Botanic Garden will include a variety of gardens, interpretive signage, four superadobe eco buildings, bee exhibits, a gift shop, Lupinus pilosus snack facilities, a Bedouin tent and scenic views. The RBG will be a great place for people to get away from it all, learn a few things, stroll through nature, relax, and grab a bite to eat in the fresh air. Upon completion, the Royal Botanic Garden will include the following components: Visitor centre Auditorium Gift shop Natural foods restaurant and café A resident of the Garden Bedouin tent, picnic and play areas Children's activity centre Outdoor amphitheatre Five major Jordanian habitats re-created within the site: deciduous oak forest, pine forest, juniper forest, Jordan Valley and freshwater habitats Five info pavilions for the re-created habitats Research centre, including the herbarium, nursery, seed bank and reference library Sustainable living centre, showcasing local natural materials and eco alternatives Community development centre, for our income-generating programmes, ceramic workshop and other projects Mandragora autumnalis More Components Traditional gardens Medicinal plants gardens Islamic gardens Rock gardens Pocket gardens Garden of the senses Bee gardens Mushroom museum Butterfly house Birdwatching huts Scenic lookouts 20 km of hiking trails Waterfront dock and boat trail Ecolodge Glaucium grandiflorum Mission and Vision The mission of the Royal Botanic Garden is to conserve native biodiversity at the habitat level, establish a centre for scientific research and environmental education, serve as a demonstration site for sustainable development, and provide a unique ecotourism destination. Our vision is to be internationally recognized as a leader in research on arid-land ecosystems and the challenges associated with desertification. The Royal Botanic Garden will spearhead research on indigenous habitats and interpret that research into practical, accessible tools to improve the quality of life for Jordanians and the region. The following pages provide a brief overview of the RBG’s current science, conservation, education, community development and sustainable living Scorzonera papposa programmes. Habitat Re-Creation Using a whole-systems approach to biodiversity conservation, the Royal Botanic Garden is attempting to re-create five major Jordanian habitats ex situ in Tell Ar-Rumman. Ex situ means "off site," i.e. the RBG is propagating native plant species outside of their normal in situ place of growth in Jordan. The RBG has identified, and is monitoring, key in situ locations in Jordan to serve as model (Left to right) Deciduous oak forest, pine forest, “home” habitats for each re- Jordan Valley, juniper forest and freshwater habitats created habitat. Medicinal Plant Research The Royal Botanic Garden is one of 12 hotspots for medicinal and herbal plants in Jordan. Sixty of the country's 330 plants of medicinal value have been found growing naturally within the Garden site. The RBG is protecting and propagating these medicinal plants, researching their traditional and pharmaceutical uses, and conducting ethnobotanical studies to conserve traditional knowledge about Jordan’s native medicinal plants. In 2011, four RBG staff members attended Thymbra spicata, useful for reducing cholesterol the GA Medicinal Plant Congress in Turkey and had two scientific abstracts published in Planta Medica: Journal of Medicinal Plant and Natural Product Research. Community-Based Rangeland Rehabilitation To conserve biodiversity and help local families, the Royal Botanic Garden decided to address Jordan’s overgrazing problem in 2007 by initiating a Community-Based Rangeland Rehabilitation programme (CBRR). The CBRR improves flock management and provides low- cost medicines, supplemental forage and para-veterinarians, leading to healthier herds and increased profits for herders. A para-vet gives a vaccination While continuing to develop alternative grazing regimes, monitor plant diversity, and assess the carrying capacity of the land, the CBRR is also gathering invaluable traditional and local knowledge. Khalid Al -Khalidi and Mustafa Shudeifat recording traditional knowledge Jordan Mushroom Project One of Jordan’s foremost mycologists, Prof. Dr. Ahmed Momany, is currently working with the Royal Botanic Garden to collect and classify mushrooms from all over the country. A field guide to Jordan’s native edible and poisonous mushrooms will be published, together with an online database, and a mushroom museum is to be established at the Royal Botanic Garden. In addition, local community members are Pleurotus eryngii being trained to produce the tastiest Ferulla mushroom mushrooms commercially, to generate extra income. Herbarium The Royal Botanic Garden founded the National Herbarium of Jordan to provide scientists, students and institutions with a collection of high-quality herbarium specimens for the flora of Jordan. The Herbarium dries and decontaminates native plant specimens, mounts them on herbarium sheets, labels them with pertinent data, and stores them in protective cabinets in a temperature-controlled room at the RBG. The National Herbarium of Jordan also recently launched the National Virtual Herbarium – the first online herbarium in the Middle East – to make high-resolution photographs of specimens from all the herbaria of Jordan easily available to everyone. Papaver syriacum herbarium specimen Seed Bank The Royal Botanic Garden has been collecting seeds from native plants in Tell Ar-Rumman and other parts of Jordan since 2009. Some of the seeds are preserved for the future in a walk-in freezer at the RBG. The rest are being used by our plant nursery to propagate plants for the Garden and, eventually, for public and commercial use. Preserving the seeds of all native plant The Royal Botanic Garden species is a formidable task as over is keeping seeds for the future 2,500 vascular species are known to grow in Jordan. Approximately 800 have been found to date within the perimeters of the RBG. National Plant Strategy The Royal Botanic Garden is preparing a National Plant Strategy, to conserve the plant heritage of Jordan. Establishing the IUCN Red List of threatened plant species is a key element in this work. This definitive plant list will resolve current data deficiencies and update the threat levels for the flora of Jordan. The RBG held the Training of Trainers on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in West Asia in 2011, in conjunction with
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