Atlantic coastal desert
| Atlantic coastal desert | |
|---|---|
Sahelian Acacia savanna | |
| Geography | |
| Area | 39,137 km2 (15,111 sq mi) |
| Countries | |
| Conservation | |
| Conservation status | Relatively stable/intact |
| Protected | 6,872 km2 (18%)[1] |
The Atlantic coastal desert is the westernmost ecoregion in the Sahara Desert of North Africa. It occupies a narrow strip along the Atlantic coast, where the more frequent fog and haze generated offshore by the cool Canary Current provides sufficient moisture to sustain a variety of lichens, succulents, and shrubs.
Geography
It covers 39,900 square kilometers (15,400 sq mi) in
Sahelian Acacia savanna.[2]
Climate
The cool ocean current gives an even higher
relative humidity is generally over 60% while farther in the interior, it quickly lowers to 30% or less. Temperatures are also much more moderated in this coastal desert and are relatively warm to truly hot in all seasons. Averages daily temperature is 20 °C (68 °F) in Dakhla. Maximum average high temperatures are 27 °C (80.6 °F) while minimum average low temperatures are 13 °C (55.4 °F) in Dakhla.[3]
Ecology
This bioregion is fairly rich in
golden wolf (Canis lupusater), fennec fox (Fennecus zerda), Rüppell's fox (Vulpes rueppelli), sand cat (Felis margarita), honey badger (Mellivora capensis) and striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena).[2]
References
- ^ Eric Dinerstein, David Olson, et al. (2017). An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm, BioScience, Volume 67, Issue 6, June 2017, Pages 534–545; Supplemental material 2 table S1b. [1]
- ^ a b "Atlantic coastal desert". WWF. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
- ^ "Climate: Dakhla". Climate.data.org. Retrieved 25 November 2016.