Biodiversity Journal , 2012, 3 (3): 179-188 Biodiversity and conservation of Wildlife at the Wafra area in Kuwait Hanan Al-Khalifa 1* , Afaf Al-Nasser 1, Mohammad Safar Abbas 2 & Jamal Dashti 1 1Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, P.O. Box 24885, 13109 Safat, Kuwait; email: [email protected] 2Joint Operation (JO)-Wafra, Kuwait Oil Company, Kuwait *Corresponding author ABSTRACT In response to the increasing needs to conserve wildlife and to enhance biodiversity, the Joint Operations-Wafra (JO-Wafra) protected their natural environment by fencing and de - dicating areas for conservation of biological diversity. The main objective of this study is to conduct a wildlife baseline assessment in the oilfields of JO-Wafra and to identify po - tential habitats of endangered or threatened species that could occur on site. The wildlife survey covered the winter and early spring seasons. Although short and insufficient to pro - vide a detailed assessment, the field data collected indicated significant differences in the number of individuals and wildlife fauna species within the fenced and unfenced oilfields. It also showed that the fenced JO-Wafra has rich and diverse wildlife fauna species, an in - dication of ecological health. In addition to JO-Wafra oilfield, it is recommended to protect the South Umm Guddair (SUG) oilfields from livestock grazing and wildlife hunters. The protected area could, therefore, increase wildlife habitats and might harbor some endan - gered wildlife species. It is also recommended to connect the two oilfields with native shrubs and trees planted along the road, to serve as “green corridor”, shelter and additional source of food for the animals of both oilfields. KEY WORDS Endangered wildlife; Oil fields; Wildlife fauna; Wildlife habitat; Wildlife monitoring. Received 07.06.2012; accepted 02.08.2012; printed 30.09.2012 INTRODUCTION freely under natural conditions) is estimated to range from 5 million to 100 million globally; Biological diversity refers to the variety of life though less than 1.7 million have actually been de - forms including the genes they contain, and the eco - scribed (BUDEST, 1993; FEPA, 2003; Maffi, 2005; systems they form. Sarkar, 2006). There are three different levels of biodiversity: Biodiversity conservation is of a major impor - genetic diversity which refers to the variety of ge - tance internationally because humans derive their netic material contained in all the individuals, spe - food, medicines and industrial products from bio - cies diversity which refers to the variety of living logical diversity of the wild and its domesticated species and ecosystem diversity which refers to the components. It also gives future generations the op - variety of habitats and ecological processes. In portunity to enjoy nature. In addition, biodiversity other words, it is reflected by the variety of all is important for the recycling of essential elements, forms of life on earth, which provides the building such as carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen. blocks for human existence. It is also responsible for mitigating pollution, The total number of species (defined as a popu - protecting watersheds and combating soil erosion; lation of organisms which are able to interbreed accordingly, experiencing and increasing our kno - 180 H. A l-K HAlifA , A. A l-N ASSer , M.S. A bbAS & J. D ASHti wledge about biodiversity transforms our values In 1938-1940, oil was discovered from the Al- and beliefs (McGregor, 1994; FEPA, 2003; Boro - Burgan area, near PNZ. In 1948, a 60 year conces - kini et al., 2010). sion was granted by the Kuwait government to the The state of Kuwait covers an area of about Aminoil, a small group of oil companies to ex - 17600 Km 2 at the north-eastern corner of the Ara - plore and exploit the Kuwait side of the PNZ. Si - bian peninsula, between 28° 30’ N and 30° 05’ N in milarly in 1949, the Getty Oil Company (formerly latitude and between 46 o 33’ E and 48 o 35’ E longi - Pacific Western Oil Corporation) gained grants tude. Kuwait's environment is characterized by from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) to ex - scarcity of rainfall (100 mm/yr) and extreme tem - plore the PNZ (KSA side). perature variations throughout the year. The Joint Operations (JO) was born in 1960 The summer temperature is very hot (over 40- when the two oil companies formed a joint commit - 50 oC), while the winter is cool to mild with a mean tee to oversee and supervise their operations with temperature of 12.7 oC. The water resources are the resultant productions divided equally to both very limited in Kuwait. There is no fresh surface parties: the Kuwait Oil Company (KOC), which water supply and very limited renewable groun - operates the Kuwaiti concession and the Texaco In - dwater. The adverse climate conditions of the state corporated, Saudi Arabian Texaco (SAT) that ope - of Kuwait affected its biological diversity and en - rates the Saudi Arabian concession. vironmental ecosystems (Omar et al., 2001). The The 3,600 Km 2 partitioned neutral zone oil - desert of Kuwait has long been known as an im - fields were not spared during the Iraqi invasion of portant source of food, livestock grazing and wil - Kuwait in 1990. The oil wells were destroyed and dlife hunting. Desert plants were used for fuel and burned contributing to the environmental catastro - medication purposes. phe man had ever known. In 1999-2002, the peri - Urbanization, rapid increase in population, over - meter fence around the JO-Wafra main oilfield was grazing, recreation usage, environmental factors, constructed to prevent livestock grazing and wil - and destruction due to Iraqi invasion in 1990 are dlife hunters from the area. main contributing factors to the ecological degra - This resulted to the gradual rehabilitation of the dation of the country (McGregor, 1994; Omar, flora and fauna in the oilfield. Literature on the 2000; Selby, 2005). Biodiversity conservation has wildlife fauna of the Wafra area is very limited. become one of the challenging priorities for many Example is the “Insect Fauna of Kuwait” by Al- countries, including the state of Kuwait, to combat Houty (1989), when some insect samples were species extinction. The State of Kuwait ratified the collected in the Wafra area. International Convention on Biodiversity and the An environmental impact review prepared by National Strategy for Biodiversity Conservation Chichester (2000) described the fauna of the was adopted in order to conserve and enhance bio - upland deserts and sabkha of the Partitioned Neu - logical diversity in the country. Numerous wildlife tral Zone (PNZ) as “Over 220 species of birds research studies were conducted in the State of Ku - have been observed in the PNZ in recent years… wait. From all these studies, information on flora fauna of the upland deserts and sabkha includes and fauna of Kuwait has been collected. common insects; ants and beetles; lizards and sna - A list of desert animals has been prepared. Also, kes; such as Sand Boa, Rat Snake, Blue-throated threatened desert animals and those to be extinct Agamid, Desert Monitor, and Dhub. Small, noc - were identified such as Houbara Bustard ( Chlamy - turnal mammals include Jerboa, Jirds, Desert Fox, dotis undulata macquennii ), Desert Monitor ( Vara - and Long-eared Hedgehog”. nus griseus ), Ostrich ( Struthio camelus ) and The current study involves fauna baseline asses - Arabian Oryx ( Oryx leucoryx ) (KISR., 1999; De - sment within the JO-Wafra territories with the fol - lima et al., 2005; Zaman et al., 2005). lowing main objectives: assess the wildlife fauna in In December 1922, a partitioned neutral zone JO-Wafra main area; and compare the quality of ha - (PNZ) was established by agreement between the bitat inside and outside the JO-Wafra main area. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the State of Kuwait, The work has been implemented between Kuwait in order to allow tribesmen from both countries to Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) and Kuwait use this favorite grazing ground (Chichester, 2000). Gulf Oil Company (KGOC). Biodiversity and conservation of Wildlife at the Wafra area in Kuwait 181 MaT eRIals aND MeThODs ResUlTs The wildlife fauna study commenced in De - From December 2005 to March 2006, 17 trips cember 2005 and terminated in March 2006. This were made to the JO-Wafra main (fenced) and the report covers only the study period (i.e. from Ja - unfenced South Umm Guddair (SUG) oilfields. A nuary to March, 2006), wherein 15 field data col - total of 15 field data collecting exercises were lection exercises were performed with a total of performed. This included line transects, baited 345 field data collected from 11 selected wildlife mammal trappings and pitfall trappings, conduc - ted over at least three consecutive days (Table 2; (fauna) study sites, within the fenced JO-Wafra Figs. 1-2). main oilfield and the unfenced SUG (South Umm Line Transects (LT): a total of 49 LT exercises Guddair) oilfield. Selections of wildlife study sites were performed, covering the winter and early at the JO-Wafra oilfield were performed during re - spring periods of the country. It was noticeable that connaissance surveys. The criteria used in selecting during the last days of line transect exercises, more the possible wildlife study sites were: (1) type of birds were observed and even the shy Red fox ( Vul - habitat that include soil and vegetation cover; and pes vulpes ) was recorded. This may be due to the (2) location within the oilfield, disturbed or undi - rise in temperature and the pleasant spring weather sturbed (see Table 1). in the air. More than 34 species of wildlife fauna Several wildlife survey methodologies were im - were recorded from the line transects performed. plemented to study the wildlife biodiversity, na - These included 27 species of birds, one species of mammal, one species of reptile and more than six species of invertebrates (butterflies, dragonflies, Types of habitat Wildlife study sites number flies and ground hoppers).