Al Hajar montane woodlands

The ecoregion includes the upper elevations of the Al Hajar Mountains in the eastern Arabian Peninsula. The mountains form an arc from northwest to southeast through portions of Oman and the United Arab Emirates, extending over 500 km in length. The mountains run parallel to the coast of the Gulf of Oman, with the Al Batinah Region in the coastal plain between the mountains and the sea.[1]

The Al Hajar al Gharbi, or western Hajar, extends from the Musandam Peninsula at the northeastern tip of the Arabian peninsula through the western UAE and northern Oman. The Al Hajar ash Sharqi, or eastern Hajar, extends eastwards towards Ras al Hadd, the easternmost point in Oman and the Arabian Peninsula. The Sumail Gap separates the eastern and western portions of the range. The limestone massifs of Jebel Shams (2,997 meters) and Jebel Akhdar (2,980 meters), located in the western Hajar just west of the Sumail Gap, are the highest peaks in the range. The highest peak in the eastern Hajar is 2,152 meters.[1]

The mountains are composed mostly of Cretaceous limestone, together with outcrops of metamorphic and igneous rocks, including grey-brown ophiolites.[1]

The Gulf of Oman desert and semi-desert ecoregion surrounds the montane woodlands at lower elevations.

The ecoregion has a semi-arid temperate climate, transitioning to subtropical at lower elevations. The coolest months are December through March, when the mountains receive thunderstorms, rain, hailstorms, and occasional snow, particularly at higher elevations. April to September are warmer, with occasional rainstorms brought by the Indian Ocean monsoons.[1]

The natural vegetation types include shrubland and open woodland, and the flora varies with elevation and underlying geology.

Open woodlands with the trees olive (Olea europaea), Monotheca buxifolia, and Dodonaea viscosa extend from 1,100 to 2,500 meters elevation. Ziziphus spina-christi, Prosopis cineraria, Acacia tortilis, and Ficus salicifolia and other species of fig are found in seasonal watercourses (wadis). Euphorbia larica predominates on steep slopes, along with Acacia tortilis, A. gerardii, and Periploca aphylla.

Montane woodlands occur on the high peaks between 2,100 and 3,000 meters elevation. Junipers (Juniperus seravschanica)[3] are the characteristic tree, sometimes mixed with Olea europaea.[1]

On the Musandam Peninsula, semi-evergreen woodlands above 1300 meters elevation were formerly dominated by Monotheca buxifolia, but now Dodonaea viscosa is predominant in the degraded woodlands. Between 1,800 and 2,000 meters elevation, Prunus arabica forms woodlands with Ephedra pachyclada and a dense ground layer of the shrub Artemisia sieberi.[4]

Ceratonia oreothauma ssp. oreothauma is an endemic subspecies of the tree found only in a single valley on Jebel Aswad in the eastern Hajar. The other subspecies occurs in Somalia.[5]

The Arabian tahr (Hemitragus jayakari) is endemic to the region. Other large mammals occur in small numbers, include the mountain gazelle (Gazella gazella), particularly in the Wadi Sareen Reserve, Arabian wolf (Canis lupus arabs), striped hyaena (Hyaena hyaena), and Arabian wildcat (Felis lybica lybica).[1]

Five species of lizards are endemic to the mountains – Emirati leaf-toed gecko (Asaccus caudivolvulus), Gallagher's gecko (Asaccus gallagheri), Oman rock gecko (Pristurus celerrimus), Jayakar lizard (Omanosaura jayakari), and blue-tailed lizard (Omanosaura cyanura). Asaccus montanus, Asaccus platyrhynchus, and Pristurus gallagheri are lizards endemic to Oman which live in the mountains.[1]

71 bird species have been recorded around the Jebel Akdar, including 28 residents and 41 migrants. Resident birds include the lappet-faced vulture (Torgos tracheliotus), Alectoris melanocephala, Ammoperdix heyi, Otus brucei, Oenanthe monacha, and Oenanthe alboniger.[1]

The ecoregion is threatened by over-grazing from camels, goats, and feral donkeys. Over-grazing has limited the ability of the Ceratonia woodlands and juniper woodlands below 2400 meters to regenerate.[1]

1.27% of the ecoregion is in protected areas. Protected areas include Hatta Protected Area (28 km²) in the United Arab Emirates, and Al Jabal Al Akhdar Scenic Reserve (296 km²) in Oman.[2]

• "Al Hajar montane woodlands". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
• Al Hajar montane woodlands (DOPA)
• Al Hajar Al Gharbi montane woodlands (Encyclopedia of Earth)