Qurm Nature Reserve

Qurm Nature Reserve
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)[1]
Qurm wetlands and beach
Location	Muscat Governorate, Oman
Coordinates	23°37′12″N 58°28′48″E / 23.62000°N 58.48000°E / 23.62000; 58.48000[2]
Area	1.72 km2 (0.66 sq mi)[1]
Established	1975 (1975)
Ramsar Wetland
Official name	Qurm Nature Reserve
Designated	19 April 2013
Reference no.	2144[2]

Qurm Nature Reserve is a nature reserve in Oman near the Gulf of Oman. It is a protected place with a mangrove forest and wetland around a small river called Wadi Aday.^[3] The government of Oman established it in 1975 to take care of the environment.^[4] The name "Qurm" comes from the local word for the grey mangroves that grow here. It is an important place for birds and got recognition as an Important Bird Area in 1994. Also, part of it is a Ramsar site, which means it is internationally protected, since 2013.^[5][6]

If you go from the sea towards the land, you will find different areas like the beach, coastal dunes, tidal flats, and alluvial plains. The tidal flats get a mix of freshwater from rivers and saltwater from the sea, creating a diverse environment for many living things. The climate is typically hot and dry, like in most parts of Oman.^[7][8]

The Qurm Nature Reserve is home to many plants and animals. The outer coastal dunes have different types of grasses and plants such as Halopyrum mucronatum, Sphaerocoma hookeri, Suaeda fruticosa, Cistanche phelypaea, and Suaeda vermiculata. In the low areas between the dunes, you can find Lotus garcinii, Cyperus conglomeratus, and Heliotropium ramosissimum. The mangrove forest with grey mangroves (Avicennia marina) grows in places that get flooded during high tide. The sabkha flats just above high tide have plants such as Suaeda aegyptiaca, S. fruticosa, Cressa cretica, and more, which can easily grow in salty soil.^[4]

Moving away from the coast to the flat area, you'll see scattered trees and shrubs like Vachellia tortilis, Prosopis cineraria, Ziziphus spina-christi, Lycium shawii, and Bassia muricata. In the stony hills, there are similar trees and shrubs, along with others like Euphorbia larica, Commiphora myrrha, and Grewia tenax. At the eastern end, there's an grove of date palms with other wild vegetation.^[8]

In the wetland, there are various crabs, mollusks, and fish species. Some notable ones include Arabian toothcarp, tiger perch, goby, and common silver-biddy. The reserve is also a feeding and nursery place for other species like mullet, bigeye snapper, and commercially important shrimp. The mangroves provide food for marine detritivores.^[9]

The reserve is a home for nearly two hundred bird species, including Kentish plover, black-headed gull, Caspian gull, and greater flamingo. Land animals include the Arabian red fox and Balochistan gerbil. Sea turtles might have visited the area before recent human development increased.^[9]

Qurm Nature Reserve is a protected home for many different kinds of sea, land, and bird animals. The reserve is important for the sea because things like plankton and small pieces of plants and animals from the reserve go into the sea with the tides. This helps the sea animals and supports fish that people catch to eat.^[10]

Oman is on the way that birds travel when they migrate (move from one place to another), and the reserve is like a stopping point for these birds. They stop there to rest and eat during their long journeys. The mangrove forest also helps protect the land from big storms and keeps the water clean by catching and cleaning rainwater. People have been coming to this area for a very long time, even 6000 years ago, to collect oysters and whelks from the mangrove forests.^[10]

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