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BackgroundAt the end of July 2009, Iraq deposited its instrument of accession to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, and on the 26th October of 2009 became the 192nd Party to the Convention. Iraq has taken several steps to address environmental issues in the country. Since 2004, the Iraqi Ministry of Environment (MOE) has been involved in a number of initiatives to begin research in the recently restored Mesopotamian Marshlands of southern Iraq. These efforts, conducted with support from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) and the Italian Ministry of Environment, Land & Sea (IMELS) and with logistical and staff support from Nature Iraq (NI), have led to a national program to survey the country’s biological diversity. This program is called the Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA) Project. In addition, Iraq signed the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance and designated Hawizeh marsh as its first Ramsar Site in 2008. At the time of writing, Iraq is in the process of joining several other international environmental conventions, including the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS), the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocols, and the United Nations Convention for Combating Desertification (UNCCD). The MOE has also participated in discussions for joining other regional agreements such as the African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement (AEWA). Iraq is also now working towards the development of the Mesopotamian Marshlands National Park in the Central Marshes, and the area may also be proposed as a World Heritage Site. A coordination meeting between the MOE, NI, the Twin Rivers Institute for Scientific Research (TRI, a part of the American University of Iraq-Sulaimani (AUIS)), and Italian consultants took place in January of 2010 in Sulaimani, Iraqi Kurdistan. The methodology and scope of work for the implementation of the CBD was discussed. The key role of the central government in terms of coordination of the activities of the different ministries as well as the governorates was emphasized. The MOE has begun the implementation process by setting up the National Committee for Biological Diversity. This Committee is headed by Dr. Ali Al-Lami, representing the the MOE. The other committee members from:
At the first meeting of the CBD National Committee, the MOE tasked NI and consultants from IMELS to lead the effort in drafting this first National Report on Biological Diversity, the bulk of which was done in February and March of 2010.
The complex mosaic of species information in Iraq has been investigated by many individuals through the last 100 years with major contributions from a variety of both amateur and professional botanists and zoologists. These have included, but are not limited to:
In addition, major collections of specimens of Iraqi species exist within various herbariums, universities, and museums across the world. These collections have become particularly important as much of the stored collections within the country were destroyed during or after the 2003 war in Iraq, although small collections of various types likely exist at different universities and institutions across Iraq. The following section provides a basic overview of the biological diversity and various ecosystems of the country as well as some of their characteristics and key species. But it should be noted that after over 25 years of war and sanctions in which very little work was done to document or protect Iraq’s biological diversity, large gaps in information still remain to be filled. As mentioned in the previous section, an extensive survey effort has existed within Iraq since 2004 as part of the KBA Project. This project is conducted by Nature Iraq (NI) in cooperation with the MOE and support from the Italian Ministry of Environment, Land and Sea (IMELS) and has involved district environmental offices, universities as well as staff from the former Kurdistan Ministry of Environment (now the Kurdistan Commission on the Environment). Although these surveys cover large sections of the country on a bi-annual (winter & summer) basis, large areas of the country remain to be surveyed and the KBA Project has touched on only a few areas of biota (specifically birds, fish, plants, and some micro-organisms). There are likely localized efforts conducted through universities but these have been greatly restricted due to poor security in the country. This report will touch on the available information and will also discuss globally and regionally important species that include migratory, endemic species or species with special conservation status as well as covering ecosystem services and values within Iraq.
The macro-ecosystems of the country have been defined by the World Wildlife Fund & The Nature Conservancy in their development of terrestrial, freshwater, and marine “ecoregions” of the world, with their associated species and conservation status (867 terrestrial ecoregions are categorized within 14 biomes and eight biogeographic realms). According to the World Wildlife Fund (2010), an ecoregion is defined as a large area of land or water that contains a geographically distinct assemblage of natural communities that: (a) share a large majority of their species and ecological dynamics; (b) share similar environmental conditions, and; (c) interact ecologically in ways that are critical for their long-term persistence. Among these there are several primary and secondary ecoregions belonging to the Palearctic Realm that make up the terrestrial ecosystems of Iraq (See the figure below). The five primary ecoregions that make up the bulk of Iraq include:
In addition, small portions of the following ecoregions can also be found in Iraq:
The World Wildlife Fund & the Nature Conservancy also defined major freshwater ecoregions and have identified 426 units worldwide. The Lower Tigris and Euphrates River Basins are included because they, and the extensive network of marsh habitats that form at their southernmost end, are among the most important wetland ecosystems of the world associated with these two major rivers (WWF/TNC, 2008). This system also contains a series of large reservoirs, several of which have been designated as Important Birds Areas (IBAs) by BirdLife International including Dukan, Darbandikhan, Mosul, Tharthaar, Razaza Lakes and others.
440 Arabian Interior: includes the internal basins of the Arabian Peninsula. 442 Upper Tigris and Euphrates: This ecoregion includes essentially the upper sections of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and their tributaries, with adjacent drainages in Iran that flow into the northern Gulf and other neighbouring internal basins, and the Quwaiq River basin in Syria. Among the 232 coast and shelf marine ecoregions identified by WWF, the Gulf, which is bounded by Iraq and Kuwait on its northwest terminus, the Arabian Peninsula to its south and Iran to its north, is considered an important marine ecoregion of the Western Indo-Pacific Realm (Somali/Arabian Province) and has its own unique ecosystems and species assemblages.
The following information on the biodiversity of the terrestrial ecoregions of Iraq comes from the WildFinder Online database (www.worldwildlife.org/wildfinder) (WWF 2006), UNEP-WCMC (2009), and from KBA Surveys (Nature Iraq, 2007-2009). As stated above, there are five main ecoregions within Iraq. These are described below along with their representative or key species and current status. It should be noted that evaluations of ecosystems using the ecoregion approach may have significant drawbacks where desert ecosystems are concerned, as these are often made up of a mosaic of different micro-habitats with diverse species associations. Tigris-Euphrates Alluvial Salt Marsh (PA0906) – Although bounded by deserts and dry shrubland, this region is characterized by marshlands and seasonally inundated plains in a basin covered by recent (Pleistocene and Holocene) alluvial deposits and forming a vast inland delta of the Euphrates, Tigris, and Karun Rivers. Here the waters of Turkey, Syria, Iraq and the western mountains of Iran collect before entering the Gulf. The climate is subtropical, hot, and arid. Some small sections of the South Iran Nubo-Sindian Desert and Semi-Desert (PA1328) ecoregion extend into the border region of Iraq from Iran. Biodiversity - The vegetation of the ecoregion is dominated by aquatic plants such as reeds (Phragmites sp) and rushes (Typha sp). The ecoregion is important for both winter migratory birds from Eurasia, spawning fish from the Gulf, as well as many endemic and semi-endemic species. At the start of the KBA Project (Nature Iraq, 2009) the initial sites chosen for field surveys were focused in this area and were selected from the list of Important Bird Areas (IBAs) of Iraq as published by Evans (1994) and supplemented by a listing of important wetlands in Iraq by Scott (1995). A total of 43 possible initial sites were selected for the country overall, with more than half (26) located in this ecoregion, as well as the Arabian Desert and East Sahero-Arabian Xeric Shrublands (PA1303) and South Iran Nubo-Sindian Desert and Semi-Desert (PA1328) ecoregions in southern Iraq. Twelve of the IBA sites listed by Evans (1994) or approximately 29% of all IBAs for Iraq are found in the Tigris-Euphrates Alluvial Salt Marsh ecoregion, which is considered an Endemic Bird Area, an area that encompasses the overlapping breeding area of at least two restricted-range bird species: the Iraq babbler (Turdoides altirostris) and the Basra reed-warbler (Acrocephalus griseldis). As stated above, the area is important for wintering migratory bird species from Eurasia. Data obtained from the KBA survey between 2005 and 2008 in southern Iraq recorded 159 species of birds of which 34 are considered to be of conservation concern, including eight that are globally threatened (Salim, Porter & Rubec, 2009). These include: Marbled Duck (Marmaronetta angustirostris), Ferruginous Duck (Aythya nyroca), White-headed Duck (Oxyura leucocephala), Basra Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus griseldis), Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa), Asian Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca), Greater Spotted Eagle (Aquila clanga), and Macqueen’s Bustard (Chlamydotis macqueenii). Two unique species of mammals, the Bunn's Short-tailed Bandicoot Rat (Erythronesokia bunnii) and Mesopotamian gerbil (Gerbillus mesopotamiae) as well as a subspecies of smooth-coated otter (Lutra perspicillata maxwelli) are reported in this ecoregion but little is known on their current status although there is evidence that the last species has made a comeback in the region. Two species that have made a successful return to the marshland areas since their reflooding in 2003 are the Asian water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) and wild boar (Sus scrofa) that now inhabit most wetlands areas in southern Iraq down to the Fao peninsula. Other species that are commonly seen or reported include Honey badger (Mellivora capensis), Small Asian Mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus), Golden Jackal (Canis aureus), Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes), Rüppell's Fox (Vulpes rueppelli), and wolves (Canis lupis). But mammals, as well as insects, amphibians, and reptiles, remain poorly studied. Numerous fresh and marine-water fish species are reported in this ecoregion and will be covered in Section I.1.3. Conservation Status - This terrestrial zone is considered to be “Critical/Endangered”, primarily due to large scale ecosystem conversion with the drainage of the marshlands of southern Iraq (this is discussed more fully in section I.1.3). Arabian Desert and East Sahero-Arabian Xeric Shrublands (PA1303) – This desert ecosystem, which is located on the Arabian Peninsula and extends from Oman into Iraq, has little biological diversity. A portion of this ecoregion is overlapped by the Syrian desert (518,000 km2) that covers parts of Iraq, Jordan, Syria, and Saudi Arabia as well as the Nafud desert (65,000 km2) which extends into Iraq from northern Saudi Arabia. It is a region of little rain fall (annual precipitation is approximately 5 inches (125 mm)) with occasional oases. Many dry river channels (wadis) criss-cross the desert (Encyclopædia Britannica, 2010) and these carry water only during winter and spring rains. Daily temperature varies considerably reaching over 45ºC or higher in July and August and dropping to the teens in January and February. Occasional brackish salt flats exist in some areas, a few of which in Iraq have been utilized for water storage (e.g. Razaza Lake). The Bedouins (nomads) cross the region with the seasons seeking pasture for their herds of goats, sheep and camels. Contained within this ecoregion are two small sections of the Red Sea Nubo-Sindian Tropical Desert and Semi-Desert (PA1325) ecoregion that occurs along the Saudi border and extend slightly into Iraq, and the Gulf Desert and Semi-Desert (PA1323) ecoregion that abuts the southernmost border of Iraq. Biodiversity – The biodiversity of this region is the least known in the country but the efforts of past researchers as well as some of the findings from the KBA Project have provided some information. Unfortunately, the vegetation of the area has received almost no study in recent years during the spring annuals growth and flowering after winter rains. Several uniquely adapted plants are likely to exist in this region. Some of the common desert birds found in this ecoregion include: Steppe Eagle (Aquila nipalensis), Bar-tailed Lark (Ammomanes cincture), Temminck's Lark (Eremophila bilopha), Eurasian Eagle Owl (Bubo bubo), Macqueen’s Bustard (Chlamydotis macqueenii), Spotted Sandgrouse (Pterocles senegallus), Cream-coloured Courser (Cursorius cursor), Desert Wheatear (Oenanthe deserti), and Desert Finch (Rhodospiza obsoletus). Although little is known about their status, this region was known to contain many important mammal species such as wolves, hyenas, gazelles, wild boars, fox, bats and others. Several species have probably been eradicated from the area such as Arabian Oryx (Oryx leucoryx) and Asiatic Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus). Spiny-tailed lizards (Uromastyx sp) as well as other unidentified reptile species have been seen in the area and it is known that there is active hunting of the Macqueen’s Bustard (Chlamydotis macqueenii). All species in this ecoregion require more study. Conservation Status - This terrestrial zone is considered to be “Critical/Endangered”. Some information on this zone exists from the KBA Project surveys but the area has received little focused study because of security concerns. Mesopotamian Shrub Desert (PA1320) – This ecoregion cuts across the Fertile Crescent located in the Tigris & Euphrates River valleys and, as a transition zone, includes parts of the Syrian Desert and the steppe region further north. The climate is arid and has temperatures similar to the Arabian Desert and East Sahero-Arabian Xeric Shrublands (PA1303) ecoregion discussed above. The elevations of the region are 600 m towards the west falling to less than 100 m in the east until the Zagros foothills region is reached. Human settlement is primarily centred in and around the river basins. Biodiversity - Evans (1994) listed only a few terrestrial areas of importance for birds, including Augla, Gasr Muhaiwir, Attariya plains and Abu Habba. Survey sites were first visited within this ecoregion by the KBA Project in the winter of 2009 but have been focused almost exclusively on birds with only anecdotal information on other species. The eastern Zagros edge of the ecoregion is characterized by umbrella-thorn acacia trees and shrub species accustomed to semi-arid conditions. The vegetation of western Iraq within this ecoregion have, as stated above, received almost no study but are characteristic of the flora found in the Syrian Desert. Permanent and seasonal wetlands and occasionally wet drainages/wadis within the region are important to a variety of species such as: Macqueen’s Bustard (Chlamydotis macqueenii), Sociable Lapwing (Vanellus gregarius) and other important Eurasian migratory species. The Sociable Lapwing is currently the subject of special survey efforts by NI in 2009/2010 in this region as well as the steppes further north. The area may have sparse but important populations of wolves, hyenas, gazelles, wild boars, and more. Now most likely eradicated, four important species that would have been found in this ecoregion are the Leopards (Panthera pardus), Asiatic Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), Arabian Oryx (Oryx leucoryx), the Arabian Ostrich (Struthio camelus syriacus). Several of these species were hunted to extinction by the middle of the 20th century; the latter two are subject to breeding programs elsewhere in the Middle East. As with the Arabian Desert and East Sahero-Arabian Xeric Shrublands (PA1303) ecoregion, the Mesopotamian Shrub Desert ecoregion also holds wolves (Canis lupus), Golden jackals (Canis aureus), Striped hyenas (Hyaena hyaena), Caracals (Caracal caracal), Jungle cats (Felis chaus), Rüppell's Fox (Vulpes rueppelli) and Goitered gazelles (Gazella subgutturosa), Mesopotamian gerbil (Gerbillus mesopotamiae) and wild boars (Sus scrofa). Other characteristic species of this ecoregion are the Euphrates jerboa (similar to a gerbil), Long-eared Hedgehog (Hemiechinus auritus), Desert hedgehog (Paraechinus aethiopicus), Mehely's Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus mehelyi), Spiny-tailed lizards (Uromastyx sp) and Desert Monitor (Varanus griseus). All of these species as well as insects of this region are poorly studied and little information is available on their current status. Conservation Status - This terrestrial zone is considered to be “Vulnerable”. Some information on this zone exists from the KBA Project 2009/2010 surveys but the area has received little focused study because of security concerns. Middle East Steppe (PA0812) – Guest (1966) divided this area into a dry and moist steppe consisting of mostly open shrub/grasslands extending from western Jordan and south-western Syria to northern Iraq, overlapping the Tigris-Euphrates River Valleys, and ending in the foothills of the Zagros Mountains near Iran. Geologically it includes calcareous Mesozoic and Tertiary rocks and alluvial-colluvial soils in the river valleys with areas of black basalt in the south-eastern portion of this region. The climate is continental with high summer heat and low rainfall (less that 250 mm) with cold winters with periods of frost. Biodiversity – Vegetation reflects the Mesopotamian province of the Irano-Turanian region. Herbaceous and dwarf shrub sage brush (Artemisia sp) communities tend to dominate in deeper, non-saline soils and often occur in association with grasses. These are important grassland habitats and during summer many Bedouin can be seen bringing their herds northward to take advantage of the spring and summer grazing. This ecoregion also contains areas of barren, hard, rocky soils called Hammada. Areas along the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers provide riparian vegetation and habitats with mixes of Tamarix, Salix and Populus species as well as Typha sp and Phragmites sp. A number of important bird species use the diverse dry and wet ecosystems within this ecoregion; conservation concern species like the Lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni), Eurasian griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus) and Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus) are all confirmed breeders. Greater flamingos (Phoenicopterus ruber); and the pygmy cormorant (Phalacrocorax pygmeus), which breeds in the south, are winter visitors to this ecoregion. Some other confirmed breeding birds include: Turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur), Pin-tailed sandgrouse (Pterocles alchata) Long-legged Buzzard (Buteo rufinus), Steppe Buzzard (Buteo buteo vulpinus), Iraq Babbler (Turdoides altirostris), See-see Partridge (Ammoperdix griseogularis), Red-wattled Lapwing (Vanellus indicus), Graceful Prinia (Prinia gracilis), Slender-billed Gull (Chroicocephalus genei) and Finsch’s Wheatear (Oenanthe finschii). Other visitors to the area are Eastern Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca), Armenian Gull (Larus armenicus), Northern Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus), Greater & Lesser White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons & Anser erythropus) and Eurasian Teal (Anas crecca). Large mammals that are associated with this ecoregion include: wolves (Canis lupus); Red fox (Vulpes vulpes); Golden jackals (Canis aureus); caracals (Caracal caracal); jungle cats (Felis chaus); Mongoose species (Herpestes sp); wildcats (Felis silvestris); Common otter (Lutra lutra); and Greater Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum). Goitered gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa) and European badgers (Meles meles) can be found in more vegetated areas, and wild boar (Sus scrofa) can be found in reed thickets and semi-desert terrain. Again, the status of these and other mammal species as well as insects, amphibians, and reptiles is not well known. Conservation Status - This terrestrial zone is considered to be “Vulnerable”. Much of the original vegetation in this region can now only be found in small patches. According to the WWF (2006), there is evidence that this area was once a steppe-forest but was reduced to its current form after centuries of grazing and wood cutting. Some information on this zone exists from the KBA Project surveys that are within the Kurdistan region but the area closer to the Syrian border has received little focused study because of security concerns. Zagros Mountains Forest Steppe (PA0446) – Though primarily running from northwest to southeast Iran, this ecoregion overlaps the northern-most mountainous border of Iraq, within the Kurdish areas of the country (known as Iraqi Kurdistan). It is an extensive mountain-forest-steppe ecoregion that has a semi-arid temperate climate with an annual precipitation ranging from 400mm to 800mm, falling mostly in winter and spring. Winters temperatures can sink to -25ºC or more and summer temperatures can climb to up to 40ºC in some areas (Anderson; Frey & Probst in WWF, 2006). In high alpine areas with mountain peaks reaching as high as 3,611 m (CIA, 2009), snow can persist through the summer months. This ecoregion is also part of the Irano-Anatolian biodiversity Hot Spot, an area globally important for biological diversity because of the high rate of endemism (Conservation International, 2009). Biodiversity - The area supports oak-dominanted deciduous and pistachio-almond forests amidst a diversified steppe flora. In the northern reaches of the mountain range, lower altitudes (400m to 500m) host communities dominated by Astragalus spp., Salvia spp., or others while higher up (700m to 800m) forests contain Quercus brantii and/or Q. boissieri up to an altitude of about 1,700m. Above the timber line (1,900m to 2,000m) appears a relatively wide zone of sub-alpine vegetation (Zohary in WWF, 2006). In the Dohuk governorate, a remnant pine forests of Pinus brutia (in Zawita, northwest of Dohuk city) is likely part of the Eastern Mediterranean conifer-sclerophyllous-broadleaf forest (PA1207) ecoregion that extends slightly into Iraq. On the south side of the range, the forest becomes more steppic with scattered shrubs. Evans (1994) listed only three terrestrial sites within this ecoregion that are of importance for birds. These are primarily along the Iraq/Turkey Border (Benavi, Dure and Ser Amadia). Birds found in this ecoregion include: Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), Greater Spotted Eagle (Aquila clanga), Eurasian Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus), Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus), Long-legged Buzzard (Buteo rufinus), Lesser Kestrel (Falco naumanni), Chukar Partridge (Alectoris chukar), Eurasian Crag Martin (Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Kurdistan Wheatear (Oenanthe xanthoprymna), Syrian Woodpecker (Dendrocopos syriacus), and Smyrna Bunting (Emberiza semenowi). A variety of mammals, such as brown bear, wolves, jackals, wild cats, leopard, gazelle, roe deer and wild goat have been found in the Zagros Mountains Forest Steppe ecoregion. The highly endangered Persian fallow deer (Dama mesopotamica), once believed extinct, has recently been rediscovered in the western foothills of the mountain range, though their presence in Iraq is not yet established. Five taxa of lizards are endemic to the Zagros range and the contiguous mountains of Anatolia (Anderson in WWF, 2006). Leopards are primarily found in the border regions between Iran and Iraq but are particularly difficult to study due to the extensive mine fields in this region. Conservation Status - This terrestrial zone is considered to be “Critical/Endangered” but there are greater protections offered in this ecoregion due to rules enacted by the Kurdistan Regional Government relating to resource protection (e.g. seasonal fishing moratoriums, hunting and wood cutting controls). Large sections of the border zones with Iran and Turkey, mostly higher elevation sites, are covered with extensive land mines.
The following information on the Lower Tigris-Euphrates Basins [441] ecoregion comes primarily from the New Eden Master Plan for Integrated Water Resource Management in the Marshland Areas (New Eden Group, 2006) and the UNEP-WCMC (2009). A figure showing these basins is provided below. The Tigris River is one of the largest rivers of the Middle East stretching for over 1,900 km, of which 1,415 km are within Iraq with a catchment area of 235,000 km2.
The earthen Mosul Dam was completed in the early 1980s on the Tigris River upstream of the city of Mosul in the governorate of Ninawa. It is the largest dam in Iraq, with the capacity to hold 11 billion cubic meters of water but was poorly placed in an area of gypsum that dissolves in contact with water. Since construction the structure has required regular injections of grout, a liquefied mixture of cement and other additives, to stop the dam from collapsing. The Euphrates River is the largest river in the Middle East in terms of catchment area and length, and the second largest in terms of water volume. It originates in the mountains of Turkey on the Armenian plateau at an altitude of 3,000-3,500 m above sea level. It is formed by the confluence of two rivers: the Karasy River (470 km long and 22,000 km2 catchment area) and the Murad River (650 km long and 40,000 km2 catchment area). The total length of the Euphrates River from the source of the Murad River to its confluence with the Tigris River is 2,940 km, 1,159 km of which runs within Iraq. The catchment area is 388,000 km2. The lakes in central Iraq (e.g. Tharthar Lake) were saline depressions that were converted to store water for flood control and now support a fish fauna. The Shatt Al Arab is formed by the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers near the village of Qurnah in southern Iraq. It carries the waters of these two rivers and the southern marshlands to the Gulf. It forms a vast protruding delta in its southern reaches. The total river length is 195 km and the catchment area is up to 108000 km2.
During the 1970s, the marshes covered an area of up to approximately 12,000 to 15,000 km2 making them the third largest wetland ecosystem in the world. These marshes have always been subject of seasonal drying effect but in the 1990s faced a major campaign of intentional desiccation under the Saddam regime conducted for largely political reasons. The result was that the two major marshes that were a part of this complex, the Central & Hammar marshes, were completely dry for over 10 years and the third transboundary marsh, the Hawizeh Marshes on the border between Iraq and Iran, were partially dried (it could not be fully drained because of waters entering the marsh from Iran). Such a period of drainage was to have vast and far-reaching ramifications for the biodiversity of Iraq and surrounding regions, including significant effects on fisheries, local climate, and migratory and endemic species that relied upon the marshlands. The recovery of this system after 2003 when waters were partially restored to this area was initially monitored by the UNEP Iraq Marshlands Observation System (IMOS) using remote sensing technology. This program was discontinued by UNEP at the end of 2006 (by which time it was estimated that 58% of the area, when compared to the 1970s footprint of the marshes, had been restored to wetlands) but the New Eden Group has continued the remote sensing program, providing information as needed to the Iraqi government and stakeholders. Biodiversity – The following information on the biodiversity of the Lower Tigris-Euphrates ecoregion [441] of Iraq comes from the Freshwater Ecoregions of the World website (www.feow.org) (WWF/TNC, 2008) and from KBA Surveys (KBA, 2007-2009). Reeds and rushes grow in the wetland areas and poplars, willows and tamarisk trees grow along river channels, banks, and beside irrigation ditches throughout the country. The freshwater habitats of the marshlands, which are part of the Tigris-Euphrates River Ecoregion, are surrounded by often arid deserts with xeric vegetation, are particularly rich and important corridors for wildlife species. Many of these were mentioned above in section I.1.2 on terrestrial ecoregions. Birds have been well studied as have most plants and macrophytes, particularly in the southern marshlands. The KBA Project has collected extensive information on aquatic organism such as phyto & zooplankton as benthic macroinvertebrates. Benthic macroinvertebrates from Iraq are now subject to a study in cooperation with the Smithsonian Natural History Museum and the Bar Code of Life Project. In addition, extensive information has been collected on fish in the fresh and brackish water habitats of Iraq. The fauna of the freshwater ecoregion of Iraq is dominated by cyprinids that represent around 75% of the ecoregion’s species. The native fauna is dominated by species of the genus Barbus and these have historically been an economically important species. The upper reaches are freshwater systems characterized by fresh, often hard waters while the lower reaches of the basin become brackish water with significant tidal influences. Several marine fish can be found in the lower basin including: the bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas), which has been seen as far north as Baghdad; Hilsa shad (Tenualosa ilisha), which enters the rivers and marshes of Iraq for spawning; and Yellowfin seabream (Acanthopagrus latus). The basin shares much of its fauna with the Upper Tigris & Euphrates ecoregion [442], but the marine influence of the Gulf and the Mesopotamian Marshlands created by the two rivers results in a unique ecosystem with both fresh and saltwater influences. Other noteworthy freshwater-associated species of this system are or have been: Several cave fish species such as the Iraq blind barb (Typhlogarra widdowsoni); the smooth-coated otter subspecies (Lutra perspicillata maxwelli); the Bunn’s short-tailed bandicoot rat (Erythronesokia bunnii); a commercially important shrimp Metapenaeus affinis; the softshell turtle (Rafetus euphraticus); certain prawns and mollusks of both African and Oriental taxa; and endemic mussels. 
Tigris & Euphrates Basins and major tributaries in Iraq (New Eden Group, 2006)
The Gulf Ecoregion, also known as the ROPME Sea Area, is surrounded by Iran to the north, the Arabian Peninsula to the south, and Iraq and Kuwait to the northwest where the waters of the Shatt Al Arab and Shatt Al Basrah/Khor Az Zubayr enter the Gulf. These waters represent some of the most important freshwater influences to the Gulf. Iraq has approximately 105 km of coastline and 716 km2 of territorial seas (Earth Trends Country Profile, 2003). The waters of the Gulf are high in salts due to high temperatures, low precipitations, and high evaporation. The Gulf floor is flat and made up of mostly soft sediments. Water quality in the Gulf has suffered as water quality in the input rivers has declined, particularly suffering from increased sedimentation from the drainage of the Iraqi marshlands in the 1990s. Coral reefs in the region (in Kuwait, Iran and along the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq has no coral reefs within its territorial waters) are under threat, and fisheries in the Gulf underwent a major decline with the drainage of the marshlands. Biodiversity - Several marine, endangered, and threatened turtle species have been reported in Iraqi marine waters, such as: the Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta); Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas); Hawksbill Turtle sub-species (Eretmochelys imbricata bissa); Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea); and Leatherback Sea Turtle sub-species (Dermochelys coriacea schlegelii). Two sea snakes are also reported: Beaked sea snake/Hook-nosed sea snake (Enhydrina schistosa) and Graceful Small-headed Sea Snake/Slender Sea Snake (Microcephalophis gracilis). Several marine fish that utilize the freshwater ecoregion of Iraq have already been mentioned above: Bull Shark (Carcharhinus leucas); Hilsa shad (Tenualosa ilisha); and Yellow-finned seabream (Acanthopagrus latus). But there are also other important marine species that occur in the marine waters in and near Iraq such as the Silver Pomfret (Zobaidy) (Pampus argenteus). Marine birds that are using the coastal flats and marine waters of Iraq include: Crab-Plover (Dromas ardeola) and Slender-billed Gull (Chroicocephalus genei). | ||||||||
