Somali montane xeric shrublands | |
---|---|
![]() | |
![]() Map of Somali montane xeric shrublands | |
Ecology | |
Realm | Afrotropical |
Biome | deserts and xeric shrublands |
Borders | |
Geography | |
Area | 62,200 km2 (24,000 sq mi) |
Country | ![]() ![]() |
Conservation | |
Conservation status | critical/endangered |
The Somali montane xeric shrublands is a desert and xeric scrubland ecoregion in Somalia. The ecoregion lies in the rugged Karkaar Mountains, which run parallel and close to Somalia's northern coast on the Gulf of Aden, and follows coast from Cape Guardafui south to Eyl on the Arabian Sea . [1]
The ecoregion covers the Karkaar Mountains, which extend east and west parallel to Somalia's northern coast, from central Somaliland eastwards to Cape Guardafui at Somalia's northeastern tip. A narrow coastal strip separates the mountains from the Gulf of Aden to the north. The Ga'an Libah and Golis Mountains in central Somaliland form the western portion of the ecoregion. Further east are the Cal Madow mountains of eastern Somaliland and northern Puntland. The ecoregion extends to sea level in the north and east, and up to 2,416 m at the summit Mount Shimbiris, the highest peak in the ecoregion and in Somaliland. The higher mountains include outcrops of limestone and gypsum. [1]
The climate is tropical and arid to semi-arid. Mean temperatures vary seasonally, and range from 21°C to 30°C in the lowlands to 9°C to 21°C in the mountains. Most rainfall occurs during the winter months. Average annual rainfall is less than 200 mm in the lowlands. Some mountain areas receive more orographic precipitation, with the escarpment near Maydh receiving 700 mm of rainfall annually. [1]
The vegetation of the ecoregion varies with elevation, rainfall, and soils.
The hot and dry coastal plains have little or no vegetation. Open scrubland is found in the foothills, where woody species of Acacia, Commiphora , and Boswellia are predominant.
Evergreen and semi-evergreen shrubland is found on the slopes of the escarpment, composed of evergreen and semi-evergreen shrubs and small trees. Characteristic plants include Dracaena schizantha, Barbeya oleoides, Mimusops laurifolia, Cadia purpurea, Buxus hildebrandtii , and Pistacia aethiopica . Typical plant associations include dry Juniperus-Olea forest of Juniperus procera and Olea europaea , dry Juniperus-Olea-Barbeya forests with Barbeya oleoides, and Buxus-Acokanthera scrub with Buxus hildebrandtii and Acokanthera schimperi . Mimusops laurifolia is found in Juniperus-Olea forests, as single large trees in evergreen or semi-evergreen bushland outside the forest, and in riparian forests or as isolated trees along intermittent streams. [2] The endemic shrub Reseda sessilifolia lives on outcrops of gypsum. [1] The endemic tree subspecies Ceratonia oreothauma subsp. somalensis occurs in the mountains between 1500 and 1800 meters elevation. [3] Remnant juniper woodlands and forests are found at the highest elevations. [1]
Other endemic species include the monotypic genus Renschia , four species of Helianthemum , Thamnosma somalensis , [1] Barleria compacta , [4] Wellstedia lacinia , and Wellstedia somalensis . [5] The endemic shrub Boswellia frereana , which grows from near the coast up to 750 meters elevation, produces valuable frankincense resin. The giant succulent plants Aloidendron eminens and Euphorbia abyssinica grow in the escarpment shrublands. [6]
Several antelope species are native to the ecoregion, including the beira (Dorcatragus megalotis), Speke's gazelle (Gazella spekei), Salt's dik-dik (Madoqua saltiana), and Soemmerring's gazelle (Gazella soemmerringii). These animals are threatened by over-hunting and grazing competition with livestock. The Somali hedgehog (Atelerix sclateri), Louise's spiny mouse (Acomys louisae), and Somali elephant shrew (Elephantulus revoili) are near-endemic small mammal species whose ranges extend into neighboring ecoregions. [1]
Three species of birds are endemic to the ecoregion, the Somali pigeon (Columba oliviae), Somali thrush (Turdus ludoviciae), and Warsangli linnet (Linaria johannis). The Somali thrush and Warsangli linnet are found mostly or exclusively in high-elevation juniper forests, and both species are severely threatened. [1] The ecoregion corresponds to the North Somali Mountains endemic bird area. [7]
The snakes Spalerosophis josephscorteccii and reticulate blind snake (Leptotyphlops reticulatus) and the lizard Pseuderemias savagei are endemic to the ecoregion. [1]
Protected areas in the ecoregion include Daalo Forest National Park, Ga'an Libah National Park, and Ras Hafun National Park. [8] The boundaries and areas of Somalia's protected areas are not reported, and there has been little formal protection or management of most areas since the collapse of Somalia's central government in 1991. [9]
The Southwestern Arabian montane woodlands is a xeric woodland ecoregion in the southwestern Arabian Peninsula.
Cal Madow is a mountain range in Somaliland. It stretches across an area between the east of Sanaag to the Bari regions of Somaliland. Its peak sits at almost 2,500 m (8,200 ft) in Shimbiris, northwest of Erigavo. Cal Madow was a tourist destination in the late 1980s. The local population of the Sanaag region is primarily responsible for preserving the habitat, which continues to face the risk of deforestation.
The wildlife of Djibouti, consisting of its flora and fauna, is in a harsh landscape with forest accounting for less than one percent of its area. Most species are found in the northern part of the country in the Day Forest National Park at an average elevation of 1,500 metres (4,900 ft), including the massif Goda, with a peak of 1,783 metres (5,850 ft). It covers an area of 3.5 square kilometres (1.4 sq mi) of Juniperus procera forest, with many of the trees rising to 20 metres (66 ft) height. This forest area is the main habitat of the critically endangered and endemic Djibouti spurfowl, and another recently noted vertebrate, Platyceps afarensis. The area also contains many species of woody and herbaceous plants, including boxwood and olive trees, which account for sixty percent of the identified species in the country.
The Mediterranean woodlands and forests is an ecoregion in the coastal plains, hills, and mountains bordering the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean in North Africa. It has a Mediterranean climate, and is in the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome.
Mediterranean conifer and mixed forests is an ecoregion, in the temperate coniferous forest biome, which occupies the high mountain ranges of North Africa. The term is also a botanically recognized plant association in the African and Mediterranean literature.
Day Forest National Park, also known as Forêt du Day National Park, is a national park in the Goda Mountains and Tadjourah Region of Djibouti. The region is one of the very few forested areas of Djibouti, which taken as a whole is one of the least forested countries on Earth. It is the wettest part of Djibouti, receiving some 500 millimetres of precipitation annually.
The Ethiopian montane grasslands and woodlands is a montane grasslands and shrublands ecoregion in Ethiopia. It occupies the middle elevations of the Ethiopian Highlands, between the high-altitude Ethiopian montane moorlands and the lower-elevation Ethiopian montane forests.
The Djibouti Xeric Shrublands ecoregion is a semi-desert strip on or near the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden coasts in Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Somalia. This ecoregion lies mainly between sea level and 800 meters (m) elevation. There are, however, many hills and massifs, which range up to 1300 m as well as outstanding fault-induced depressions, such as the Danakil, lying as low as 155 m below sea level. This region is extremely active tectonically, experiencing many earthquakes and intermittently active volcanoes. Rainfall is very low and yearly averages range from 100 to 200 millimeters (mm), with less rain falling closer to the coast. There are many species of interest, including the endemic Archer's lark, a species of dragon tree, and a large suite of desert ungulates, including the last viable population of African wild ass.
The Hobyo grasslands and shrublands is a desert and xeric scrubland ecoregion in Somalia. The ecoregion includes a belt of coastal dunes, 10 to 15 km wide, along the Indian Ocean coast, extending from north of Hobyo to south of Mogadishu.
The East African montane forests is a montane tropical moist forest ecoregion of eastern Africa. The ecoregion comprises several separate areas above 2000 meters in the mountains of South Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania.
Northern Zanzibar–Inhambane coastal forest mosaic, also known as the Northern Swahili coastal forests and woodlands, is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion of coastal East Africa. The ecoregion includes a variety of habitats, including forest, savanna and swamps.
The Ethiopian montane forests is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion in eastern Africa. It covers the middle elevations of the Ethiopian Highlands in Ethiopia and extends into neighboring Eritrea, Sudan, Djibouti, and Somaliland. The ecoregion includes distinctive Afromontane forests, woodlands, grasslands, and shrublands. The ecoregion's biodiversity is threatened by deforestation, conversion to agriculture, and overgrazing.
Gaanlibah or Ga'an Libah is mountain range, archaeological site, and national park located in the Maroodi Jeex region of Somaliland. Nearby are the Golis Mountains. Its upper slopes are the source of the seasonal Togdheer river that flows through the city of Burao into the Nugaal Valley. the area is wholly dominated by the Garhajis clan.
The Somali Acacia–Commiphora bushlands and thickets is a semi-arid tropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands ecoregion in the Horn of Africa. It is home to diverse communities of plants and animals, including several endemic species.
The Southwestern Arabian foothills savanna, also known as the Southwestern Arabian Escarpment shrublands and woodlands, is a desert and xeric shrubland ecoregion of the southern Arabian Peninsula, covering portions of Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Oman.
The South Arabian fog woodlands, shrublands, and dune is an ecoregion in Oman and Yemen. The fog woodlands lie on mountainsides which slope southeastwards towards the Arabian Sea. The mountains intercept moisture-bearing winds from the Arabian Sea, creating orographic precipitation and frequent fogs that sustain unique woodlands and shrublands in a desert region.
Mimusops laurifolia is a large evergreen tree, native to the Ethiopian Highlands and the highlands of southeastern Arabian Peninsula.
The Pyrenees conifer and mixed forests is a temperate broadleaf and mixed forests ecoregion in southwestern Europe. It extends along the Pyrenees mountains which run east and west along the border between France and Spain, and includes all Andorra. The ecoregion extends from the lower slopes of the Pyrenees to its highest peaks, which include Aneto, Posets, and Vignemale.
The Mediterranean High Atlas juniper steppe is a montane grasslands and shrublands ecoregion in Morocco. It extends along the High Atlas range of northwestern Africa's Atlas Mountains.
Al Hajar montane woodlands is a temperate grasslands, savannas and shrublands ecoregion in the Hajar Mountains of the eastern part of the Arabian Peninsula, which extends across portions of Oman and the U.A.E.