Archaeology

Birds

Carnivores

Flora

Macroinvertebrate

Rangeland

Ungulates

Managment plan

Home

1-4-Recommendations

Part 1: Future research

Part 2: Management

Part 3: Public awareness

Part 4: Methodology

Part 1: Future research

1st-            More surveys

•            This study should be considered as a preliminary study and the resulting species list is far from complete. A comprehensive species list of the macro-invertebrates of the protected area would require much more extensive sampling for several years. That is because weather conditions, species development, population densities of many species and species migration varies from year to year. However, this study may be considered as the first step towards preparing an extensive checklist and provides base line data that can be used by future workers in the area. A good survey and monitoring program is needed to complete the list of beneficial, harmful and “neutral” species.

•             New species of arthropods are expected to be found in Wadi Rum since it is geographically isolated and not extensively sampled. Sampling a wide range of habitats frequently will increase this possibility.

•             Conduct another survey during other times of the year in order to record data on the different species occurring at different times of the year. This will contribute to completing the species lists of the protected area especially if it is conducted over a period of several years.

•             Conduct a survey of the macro-invertebrates of the mountains at higher elevations than these already sampled.

•             The wild False-Fig Trees (Ficus pseudo-cycomorus) were found to be highly infected with bark borers. The trees contained a large number of holes and growth was severely affected. Borers may belong to moths or beetles. A study on the borers and their effect and /or control is recommended in order to preserve this important component of the flora of the area.

•             Observing the dragonfly fauna in the protected area is recommended. A further study devoted to the determination of the exact number of dragonfly species present in the area and its surroundings is recommended.

•             Observing the butterfly fauna of the protected area is recommended. Butterflies are beautiful insects and can be easily identified by color photographs. Even though only one butterfly species was recorded in our study, several others are expected to occur in the reserve or in the neighbouring areas in the Hisma basin as shown in the study conducted by Fabiano (1998)

•             Fencing certain areas representing the different vegetation cover in the protected area would enable comparison between the quality and quantity of flora and fauna before and after fencing. Also comparing it to other unfenced areas in the reserve to see the effect of grazing, vehicles, woodcutting and other activities on the richness and diversity of insect fauna.

---

2nd-          Monitoring programs

•             Because species of the darkling beetles like Trachyderma hispida, Trachyderma philistina and  Erodius rothi were abundant  in the reserve and were easily collected by pitfall traps, such species may be used in future studies as indicators for the population change over a long period of time (at least several years). In such studies, pitfall traps should be placed at specific sites and collected regularly (for example, every week) and then results may be compared over a long period. If populations are decreasing, further studies are needed to find out the causes.

•             The presence of dragonflies in the protected area is a sign of the presence of water ecosystems that can support them or the fauna that they depend on. If observation reveal that their population is decreasing, this could be a sign of deterioration in their aquatic ecosystem.

•             Monitor migrating moths and butterflies: Eitschberger et. al. (1990) published an international appeal for co-operation in the research of the migration of insects. They named many species of moths and butterflies and provided colored photographs and explained the behaviour of migrating insects. Some of these species occur in Jordan. Since migrating butterflies were observed by the research team and other workers and because of the interesting location of Wadi Rum we believe that workers in the protected area could contribute to the study of migrating insect especially the ones migrating from Egypt and Sinai. Other workers in other protected areas in the different parts of Jordan can also participate in such activity and provide valuable data about the migration of moth and butterflies in Jordan. The procedure for the study can be taken from Eitschberger et. al. (1990).

Part 2: Management

•             Establish meteorological stations in Wadi Rum in order to provide data necessary to interpret future research in relation to temperature, relative humidity and wind.

•             Limit vehicles to certain trails. Vehicles especially the ones carrying tourists to the different areas in the protected area should be limited to certain trails to minimise the damage to arthropods living on the ground or on plants that may be damaged by the vehicles. Darkling beetles, ground beetles, scarab beetles, preying mantids, silverfish and spiders may all be crushed by vehicles. Even though this will not lead to the extinction of any of the species in the reserve, it can affect their populations and the fragile ecosystem.

•             Grazing was observed in all parts of the study even in most remote areas in the mountains. Uncontrolled grazing will greatly reduce the vegetation cover in the protected area and this will in turn reduce the invertebrate fauna depending on the consumed plants.

•             Wadi As-Sebakh is considered an important site in the protected area. The presence of small amounts of water made this valley richer (in plants and in invertebrates depending on water or the surrounding plants living near water) than other parts of the area. However, it is believed that the diversity of plants and animals depending on them in the wadi could be much better if the wadi is protected. Since the wadi has a narrow entrance, it is believed that protecting it from grazing or other activities that may disturb the ecosystem, may be easier than protecting widely open wadis that have several entrances.

•             Control of collecting activities conducted by foreign visitors. A counterpart scientist from Jordan, and a representative from RSCN should always be involved in any study that may involve collecting specimens from the protected area.

•             Tourists interested in collecting should be informed that they should not collect any material without informing the reserve manager and they should obtain a permission to do so.

•             Water sources in the protected area are very limited. They comprise an important part of the protected area ecosystem. They harbour many macro-invertebrate species whether living in, on, or near water. Therefore protecting such sources will protect the diversity of species depending on them.

•             Woodcutting does not only affect the plant population and the fauna living on them, but also encourages some insect pests that prefer to attack damaged plants.

Control of pests

*Cockroach control: Two important pest species of cockroaches were observed in the reserve. The German cockroach and the American cockroach, both known pests in many parts of the world. Introducing a good garbage disposal system in Rum village is important. Pyrethroid sprays could be applied when populations increase especially in the summer. Home made traps can be made by placing bait at the bottom of a can (Banana, potato or apple peels may be used). Apply greasy material (Vaseline or grease) at the inner side of the can and place the can at places were cockroaches live. This way is not harmful for humans or non-target species

*Mosquito control: Use of juvenile hormone analogues that are applied to the water containing the larvae of mosquitoes. This juvenile hormone analogue will prevent the larvae from developing to the pupal and adult stage (the harmful stage), the larva will remain in the larval stage or it will produce a malformed pupa or adult. Such a control method is safe to humans, domesticated animals and non-target species. It does not have harmful residual effects, and since the hormone is part of the mosquito physiological system usually the larvae do not develop resistance to the hormone. Use of fine screens on windows and doors is an effective mechanical control method, especially if it is combined with some preventive pyrethroid insecticide or some fumigant. Covering sewage hole used by locals is important in preventing emerging adults from biting people.

*To control agricultural pests in farms close to the reserve: The adoption of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) should be encouraged. IPM is a decision making process by which the farmer decides if he/she needs pest control, when and where does he/she need it and what strategy or mixture of tactics he/she should use. It greatly encourages the use of natural enemies instead of the use of harmful traditional chemical pesticides.

*Internal quarantine: Preventing pests moving from an infected area in Jordan to other uninfected locations should be taken into consideration. Wadi Rum area is somewhat isolated and ha a relatively uninfected environment and it is far from infected areas that were cultivated extensively such as the Jordan Valley. Such quarantine measures will prevent the development of many pests and thus preventing the use of environmentally harmful pesticides. So prevention is better than cure.

*The housefly can have a negative effect on the tourism in the Protected area: It can be controlled by several methods. Keeping a clean village by covering garbage containers and by collecting the garbage and burying or burning it will greatly reduce the housefly population. Use of screens on windows and doors is very important. Use of bait traps made from wooden cages that have an inverted funnel at the bottom and covered with screens from all other sides. The bait is placed under the funnel. The bait is made by mixing 500g yeast, 25g ammonium carbonate, 10 l water, and incubating the mixture for 2 days.

 

Part 3: Public awareness

Educate the reserve staff, the public and visitors about the role of macro-invertebrates in nature. Some of the collected fauna during this study was preserved in the show boxes and kept in the reserve management office. Showing such specimens to the visitors and locals may attract their attention to such small animals that are usually overlooked or considered harmful.

Part 4: Methodology

i-    Free catch techniques were effective in collecting a broad spectrum of flying, crawling, and resting insects. Several factors that led to variations between different grids, such as temperature differences, light intensity, vegetation cover, soil type, and many other factors affected activity of insects. In order to collect as many different species as possible, the team used to search for special interest area in the grid usually places with good vegetation cover.

ii-    Pitfall traps were also efficient in collecting crawling insects, and had the advantage of catching nocturnal species, but on the other hand this method appears to have many disadvantages when applied in the field:

1-Evaporation of vinegar was high, so the traps had to be recharged continuously.

2-They kill many specimens of the same species.

3-In sandy areas, traps used to be found full of sand and straw, see figure 8, so a lot of time was needed to isolate specimens.

4-They kill other non-targeted animals (lizards).

5-Exposed to damage by people, cars, and herds.

Figure (8): Pitfall trap full of sand

iii-    Light traps are a good and effective method in catching nocturnal flying insects, but they are highly affected by weather conditions. When the traps are set in open areas, the wind causes major disturbance to the insects and consequently low number of insects would be attracted to the trap. 

INTRODUCTION	SUMMARY	METHODOLOGY
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION	RECOMMENDATIONS	ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
OTHER CONTRIBUTORS	REFERENCES CITED	APPENDICES
PHOTOGRAPH PLATES	MAPS	ARABIC SUMMARY