North Saharan steppe and woodlands
North Saharan steppe and woodlands | |
---|---|
Ecology | |
Realm | Palearctic |
Biome | Deserts and xeric shrublands |
Borders | List
|
Geography | |
Area | 1,675,300 km2 (646,800 sq mi) |
Countries | |
Conservation | |
Conservation status | relatively intact |
Protected | 0.69%[1] |
The North Saharan steppe and woodlands is a
Geography
The North Saharan steppe and woodlands covers 1,675,300 square kilometers (646,800 sq mi) in Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia, and Western Sahara.[2]
Climate
The climate in this ecoregion is hot and dry in the summer but cooler with some rain in the winter. Atlantic depressions sometimes penetrate inland between October and April. Rainfall is erratic, but averages 100 mm (4 in) in the north and 50 mm (2 in) in the south. During the summer, temperatures regularly rise to 40 to 45 °C (104 to 113 °F) and evaporation far exceeds precipitation.[2]
Ecology
There are varying habitats in the ecoregion including sandy systems, rocky plateaus, wadis, depressions and mountains. Each has its own characteristic species and there is considerable endemism of both plants and animals in the area.
Flora
Plant communities include steppes of grasses, herbs and low shrubs, tall shrublands, and dry woodlands. Shrublands and woodlands typically grow in depressions, in the valleys of intermittent streams (wadis), and on consolidated dunes. Common trees include Vachellia tortilis, Pistacia atlantica, and Tamarix aphylla. Tall shrubs of the woodlands and tall shrublands include Retama raetam, Ziziphus lotus, Calobota saharae, and Calligonum comosum.[2]
Plants have evolved various strategies to adapt to the dry climate and intermittent rainfall. Many herbaceous ephemeral plants, particularly in the north, germinate in January during the wet season and quickly mature and flower before they dry out in the spring.[2]
Fauna
Small mammals endemic to the Sahara area include the
Protected areas
Only 0.69% of the ecoregion is in protected areas. These include:[1]
- Dghoumes National Park, Tunisia
- El Omayed Nature Conservation Reserve, Egypt
- Iriqui National Park, Morocco
- Khnifiss National Park, Morocco
- Jbil National Park, Tunisia
- Oued Dkouk Nature Reserve, Tunisia
- Sanghr Jabbess National Park, Tunisia
- Sidi Toui National Park, Tunisia
References
- ^ a b North Saharan steppe and woodlands. Digital Observatory for Protected Areas (DOPA) Explorer. Accessed 9 October 2022.
- ^ a b c d e "North Saharan steppe and woodlands". WWF. Retrieved 25 November 2016.