Boundaries

The ecoregion encompasses the drainage basin of the Jordan River. It is bounded by the Coastal Levant ecoregion [436] to the west, Arabian Interior ecoregion [440] to the east, and Sinai ecoregion [435] to the south.

Topography

This ecoregion lies along the Jordan Valley, a narrow rift valley with mountains to the east and west reaching over 2500 m. It forms part of the Great Rift Valley, which extends from southern Turkey down through East Africa.

The Jordan River flows into the Dead Sea, which lies at the lowest point on earth’s surface (402 m below sea level).

Freshwater habitats

The flow of the Jordan River has been greatly reduced, and its salinity increased due to the diversion of water resources for agricultural uses. Lake Hula has been completely drained. Lake Kinneret is a fresh, warm monomictic lake with a high mineral content. The Dead Sea, which is landlocked and fed by the Jordan River and run-off from side wadis, is hypersaline and fishless. Springs, however, harbor fishes; some are saline oasis springs.

Terrestrial habitats

Much of the ecoregion is a semi-desert environment with large irrigated agricultural tracts. It is subdivided into three separate biomes: Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub; temperate greasslands, savannas, and shrublands; and xeric shrublands and desert. Higher elevations support oak and pine forests. Olive, eucalyptus, and cedar are common in the highlands and valley. Shrubs occur throughout the ecoregion.

Description of endemic fishes

Nearly a third of the species in the ecoregion are endemic and fall into the Cyprinidae (Acanthobrama hulensis, Acanthobrama lissneri, Garra ghorensis, Pseudophoxinus drusensis), Balitoridae (Nemacheilus insignis, Nun galilaeus), and Cichlidae (Astatotilapia flaviijosephi, Tristramella sacra) families. The only endemic genus is Nun in Balitoridae. Mirogrex species are more generally placed in the wider ranging genus Acanthobrama. Acanthobrama hulensis from the former Lake Hula is extinct (IUCN 2009).

Other noteworthy fishes

The North African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) is found here and in the Levant, but is not in the Tigris-Euphrates drainage basin.

Ecological phenomena

Mass appearances of dinoflagellates occur in Lake Kinneret. Exotics are affecting the ecology of the remaining marshes in the Hula Nature Reserve.

Justification for delineation

This ecoregion is distinguished by its endemics, Tethyan relicts, and the varied (for Southwest Asia) cichlid fauna of African origin. The Hula Nature Reserve is a Ramsar site.

Level of taxonomic exploration

Good