Somali Acacia–Commiphora bushlands and thickets

Somali Acacia–Commiphora bushlands and thickets
Somali Acacia–Commiphora bushlands and thickets
	East African Oryx (Oryx beisa) in Awash National Park, Ethiopia.
	Map of the Somali Acacia-Commiphora bushlands and thickets ecoregion
Ecology
Realm	Afrotropical
Biome	Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
Borders	List Ethiopian xeric grasslands and shrublands; Hobyo grasslands and shrublands; Northern Acacia–Commiphora bushlands and thickets; Northern Zanzibar–Inhambane coastal forest mosaic; Somali montane xeric woodlands;
Geography
Area	1,053,300 km2 (406,700 sq mi)
Countries	List Eritrea; Ethiopia; Kenya; Somalia; Somaliland; Sudan;
Conservation
Conservation status	vulnerable
Protected	10.88%

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.

Setting

The Somali Acacia–Commiphora bushlands and thickets ecoregion occupies most of the Horn of Africa east and south of the Ethiopian Highlands, including eastern Ethiopia's Haud plateau and adjacent parts of Somaliland, Somalia and northeastern Kenya.

It also extends along the floor of the East African Rift, bisecting the Ethiopian highlands, and along the northeastern edge of the highlands into Eritrea and Sudan.

The ecoregion is bounded on the southwest by the

Ethiopian xeric grasslands and shrublands occupy the lowlands along the Red Sea. Between 1100 and 1500 meters elevation in the Ethiopian Higlands, the Acacia–Commiphora woodlands transition to the Ethiopian montane forests

.

Climate

The ecoregion has a

hot desert climate. Rainfall ranges from below 100 mm annually in the Ogaden to 600 mm on the lower slopes of the Ethiopian Highlands.^[2]

Rainfall can be erratic and vary widely from year to year.

Flora

The plant communities include woodlands, shrublands, grasslands, and thickets. The predominant trees are deciduous species of Acacia and Commiphora, with a low herbaceous understory. Dactyloctenium aegyptium and Panicum turgidum are the principal grass species. Where rainfall is lower, the Acacia–Commiphora woodlands yield to low bushlands and grasslands.^[2]

Fauna

The ecoregion is home to many species of gazelle, including the endemic dibatag (Ammodorcas clarkei, VU), beira (Dorcatragus megalotis, VU), hirola (Damaliscus hunteri, CR) and Speke's gazelle (Gazella spekei, VU).^[2]

Protected areas and conservation

10.88% of the ecoregion is in protected areas.

Yabello Sanctuary in Ethiopia, Malka Mari National Park in Kenya, and the Alifuuto Nature Reserve in Somalia.^[2]

References

^ ^a ^b "Somali Acacia-Commiphora bushlands and thickets". DOPA Explorer. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Eastern Africa: Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and Sudan". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.

[dopa-1] "Somali Acacia-Commiphora bushlands and thickets". DOPA Explorer. Retrieved 13 November 2021.

[wwf-2] "Eastern Africa: Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and Sudan". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.

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