Middle East steppe
The Middle East steppe ecoregion stretches in an arc from southern Jordan across Syria and Iraq to the western border of Iran. The upper plains of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers dominate most of the ecoregion. The terrain is mostly open shrub steppe. The climate is arid. Evidence is that this region was once more of a forest-steppe, but centuries of overgrazing and gathering firewood have reduced tree and grass cover to small areas and along the riverine corridors. Despite the degraded condition of the steppe environment, the ecoregion is important for water birds as the rivers and reservoirs provide habitat in the arid region.
Location and description
Most of the ecoregion is in upper Syria and Iraq, with a thin extension through western Jordan that almost reaches the Gulf of Aqaba in the south, and almost touching the border with Iran in the east. The terrain is flat plains or hills, with an average elevation of. The ecoregion to the south is the Mesopotamian shrub desert, and to the north is the Eastern Mediterranean conifer-sclerophyllous-broadleaf forests ecoregion.Climate
The climate of the ecoregion is Hot semi-arid climates. This climate is characteristic of steppes, with hot summers and cool or mild winters, and minimal precipitation. The coldest month averages above. Precipitation averages less than 200 mm/year.Flora and fauna
The region is one of shrub steppe, crossed by riverine woodlands in places. In deep, non-saline soils the dominant shrubs are white wormwood ', associated with bulbous bluegrass . Stonier soils support Hammada scoparia. Areas near water support ', Euphrates poplar ', and reeds '.In heavily-vegetated areas with little to no human population, some large mammals are found, including the European badger ', wild boar ', golden jackal, Rüppell's fox, Dorcas gazelle, striped hyena, caracal, and the vulnerable Arabian goitered gazelle .
The Syrian wild ass once ranged across the ecoregion but was hunted to extinction by the early 20th century. Similarly, the Arabian ostrich and the Syrian elephant are hypothesised to have inhabited the region in the past but have been extinct for millennia. The large predators of the Arabian Plate, including the lion, Syrian brown bear, Arabian wolf, and cheetah have been mostly or completely extirpated from over-hunting and habitat loss.
For migratory water birds, the Euphrates River valley serves as a major migration route between the wetlands of Turkey and the wetlands of Iraq. Many of these species depend on a combination of wetlands and arid desert habitat. Birds in the ecoregion of conservation interest include vulnerable Houbara bustard ', the vulnerable Great bustard ', and the near-threatened little bustard .