Uploaded on 2020-08-04 by Andromachi Mavrogianni

Ecosystem services in Doha: a.Qatar does not have any forest nor permanent rivers, but instead has numerous wadis. Wadis are dry river valleys which experience intermittent water flow during the rainy season. However there are a man made forest and a reef. b. The desert and the shoreline work as a resting site for migratory bird species during autumn and spring. Vegetation is extremely sparse in the Hamadalandscape due to the heavily weathered soil. c. There are 215 common birds, 21 species of mammals. Larger mammals such as the Arabian oryx and Arabian gazelle are protected animals and are held in nature reserves. There are Sea turtles nests and Dugongs gatherings on the coastlines. Lizards are the most common reptile with 21 species. The Arabian ostrich went extinct in 1945. There are more than 300 species of wild plants and a native species of tree, Vachellia tortilis (samr), grows here. d. Qatar there are thousands of heritage sites including ancient towns, watchtowers, settlements, abandoned fishing villages, ancient forts and ancient carvings. Most common activities are sand skiing, camel riding, falconry and scuba diving.