Location: Dana village Map
Area: 308 km2 (119 mi2)
Dana Nature Reserve is located near Dana
village in Jordan. Dana Nature Reserve covers an area of 308 km2 (119 mi2)
of preserved biosphere that looks more like a majestic moon
surface appearance. Dana Nature Reserve, founded in 1989, is the
largest natural reserve in Jordan. It is a deep valley that flows
into the Arava, the wadi (valley) that connects the Dead Sea with
the Red Sea and is part of the Great Rift Valley. At the head of the
valley is the village of Dana, starting point of the visits, halfway
between the cities of Tafila and Shawbak.
The Dana Reserve has about 320 square kilometers that extend between
the Quadesiyya plateau, 1,500 meters above sea level, and the Arava
desert. The rocks of the staggered canyons that form the reserve
include limestones, sandstones and granites.
Thanks to the situation of the valley, open to the Mediterranean,
from where it obtains a certain humidity, and to the altitudinal
difference, here are represented the four biogeographical zones that
are presented in Jordan, the Mediterranean, the Saharo-Arabian, the
Iranian-Turanian and the Sudanese. For this reason, the greatest
biological diversity of the entire country is also found here.
There have been 703 species of plants, 215 species of birds and 38
species of mammals in the reserve. The most significant plants are
the black sabina, the holm oak and the acacia. It is the
southernmost area of the world where the common cypress is found
and there are at least three species of plants that are endemic and
only found here. Among the animals in danger of extinction are the
Nubian ibex, the little Syrian steer and the Lesser Kestrel.