Ahaggar Mountains
Encyclopedia
The Ahaggar Mountains also known as the Hoggar, are a highland region in central Sahara
, or southern Algeria
, along the Tropic of Cancer
. They are located about 1,500 km (900 mi) south of the capital, Algiers
and just west of Tamanghasset
. The region is largely rocky desert
with an average altitude of more than 900 metres (2,953 feet) above sea level. The highest peak is at 3,003 meters (Mount Tahat
). Assekrem is a famous and often visited point where le Père de Foucauld
lived in the summer of 1905. The main city nearby the Ahaggar is Tamanghasset
, built in a desert valley or wadi
.
and host relict
species. The Ahaggar Mountains compose the West Saharan montane xeric woodlands
ecoregion
.
It is also one of the national parks of the country.
Lycaon pictus) remained viable into the 20th century, but is now thought to be extirpated within this entire region.
Some natives still report attacks by unidentified canines, possibly lycaon. Camera trapping should confirm whether or not this most elusive of African canines continues to exist in or near the mountain range. A group of field researchers including Koen de Smet and Farid Belbachir have collected information about reported lycaon sightings in Ahaggar and Tassili. Next round of camera trapping is planned for summer 2010, when genetic analysis of recovered carnivore scats will also be undertaken.
The IUCN/SSC
Canid Specialist Group lists the Painted Hunting Dog as most likely extirpated in this area, but also reports that the precise distribution of all populations is unknown and states that further research, including field surveys, are required. This applies to a number of regions on the African continent, including environs of the Ahaggar Mountains of Algeria.
, unidentified leopard
s, gennets
, mongoose
s (species unresolved), wild cats
, and some cryptic and unrecognized forms (include 14 samples of unmatched non-african canid DNA, extracted from fecal analysis). There wasn't scats found as golden jackal
s, sand cats, fennecs or Ruppell's foxes. {see BUSBY, 2006,}
. The Ahaggar massif is the land of the Tuaregs or Kel Ahaggar. The tomb of Tin Hinan
, the god believed to be the ancestor of the Tuareg is located at Abalessa
, an oasis near Tamanghasset. According to legend, the origins of Tim Lam are from Tafilalt
region in the Moroccan
Atlas Mountains
.
Sahara
The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...
, or southern Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
, along the Tropic of Cancer
Tropic of Cancer
The Tropic of Cancer, also referred to as the Northern tropic, is the circle of latitude on the Earth that marks the most northerly position at which the Sun may appear directly overhead at its zenith...
. They are located about 1,500 km (900 mi) south of the capital, Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
and just west of Tamanghasset
Tamanghasset
Tamanrasset is an oasis city and capital of Tamanrasset Province in southern Algeria, in the Ahaggar Mountains. It is the chief city of the Algerian Tuareg...
. The region is largely rocky desert
Desert
A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...
with an average altitude of more than 900 metres (2,953 feet) above sea level. The highest peak is at 3,003 meters (Mount Tahat
Mount Tahat
Mount Tahat is the highest mountain peak in Algeria, at . Tahat is also the highest peak in the Ahaggar Mountains. Its nearest city is Tamanrasset which is located 56 km to its south.-Sources:*...
). Assekrem is a famous and often visited point where le Père de Foucauld
Charles de Foucauld
Charles Eugène de Foucauld was a French Catholic religious and priest living among the Tuareg in the Sahara in Algeria. He was assassinated in 1916 outside the door of the fort he built for protection of the Tuareg and is considered by the Catholic Church to be a martyr...
lived in the summer of 1905. The main city nearby the Ahaggar is Tamanghasset
Tamanghasset
Tamanrasset is an oasis city and capital of Tamanrasset Province in southern Algeria, in the Ahaggar Mountains. It is the chief city of the Algerian Tuareg...
, built in a desert valley or wadi
Wadi
Wadi is the Arabic term traditionally referring to a valley. In some cases, it may refer to a dry riverbed that contains water only during times of heavy rain or simply an intermittent stream.-Variant names:...
.
Environment
The Ahaggar Mountain range is chiefly volcanic rock and contains a hot summer climate, with a cold winter climate (temperatures fall below 0°C in the winter). The mountains are young—about 2 million years old. Rainfall is rare and sporadic. However, since the climate is less extreme than in most other areas of the Sahara, the Ahaggar Mountains are a major location for biodiversityBiodiversity
Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
and host relict
Relict
A relict is a surviving remnant of a natural phenomenon.* In biology a relict is an organism that at an earlier time was abundant in a large area but now occurs at only one or a few small areas....
species. The Ahaggar Mountains compose the West Saharan montane xeric woodlands
West Saharan montane xeric woodlands
The West Saharan montane xeric woodlands is an ecoregion that extends across several highland regions in the Sahara. Surrounded at lower elevations by the largely barren Sahara, the West Saharan montane xeric woodlands are isolated refuges of plants and animals that can survive in the higher...
ecoregion
Ecoregion
An ecoregion , sometimes called a bioregion, is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than an ecozone and larger than an ecosystem. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and contain characteristic, geographically distinct assemblages of natural...
.
It is also one of the national parks of the country.
Painted Hunting Dogs
Slightly to the west of the Ahaggar range, a population of the endangered Painted Hunting Dog (Lycaon pictus) remained viable into the 20th century, but is now thought to be extirpated within this entire region.
Some natives still report attacks by unidentified canines, possibly lycaon. Camera trapping should confirm whether or not this most elusive of African canines continues to exist in or near the mountain range. A group of field researchers including Koen de Smet and Farid Belbachir have collected information about reported lycaon sightings in Ahaggar and Tassili. Next round of camera trapping is planned for summer 2010, when genetic analysis of recovered carnivore scats will also be undertaken.
The IUCN/SSC
IUCN Species Survival Commission
The IUCN Species Survival Commission is a special commission operated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The commission's "major role is to provide information to IUCN on biodiversity conservation, the inherent value of species, their role in ecosystem health and functioning,...
Canid Specialist Group lists the Painted Hunting Dog as most likely extirpated in this area, but also reports that the precise distribution of all populations is unknown and states that further research, including field surveys, are required. This applies to a number of regions on the African continent, including environs of the Ahaggar Mountains of Algeria.
Other carnivores
In scat collections there are records of the presence elusive and very threatened Saharan cheetahsNorthwest African Cheetah
The Northwest African Cheetah , also known as the Saharan Cheetah, is a subspecies of cheetah found in the northwestern part of Africa The Northwest African Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus hecki), also known as the Saharan Cheetah, is a subspecies of cheetah found in the northwestern part of Africa The...
, unidentified leopard
Leopard
The leopard , Panthera pardus, is a member of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera, the other three being the tiger, lion, and jaguar. The leopard was once distributed across eastern and southern Asia and Africa, from Siberia to South Africa, but its...
s, gennets
Genet (animal)
Genets are Old World mammals from the order Carnivora, family Viverridae, related to civets and linsangs. All species are contained within the genus Genetta, although the Aquatic Genet is sometimes housed in its own genus Osbornictis....
, mongoose
Mongoose
Mongoose are a family of 33 living species of small carnivorans from southern Eurasia and mainland Africa. Four additional species from Madagascar in the subfamily Galidiinae, which were previously classified in this family, are also referred to as "mongooses" or "mongoose-like"...
s (species unresolved), wild cats
Wild cat
The wildcat is a small cat with several subspecies and a very broad distribution, found throughout most of Africa, Europe, and southwest and central Asia into India, China, and Mongolia. It is a hunter of small mammals, birds, and other creatures of a similar or smaller size. Sometimes included is...
, and some cryptic and unrecognized forms (include 14 samples of unmatched non-african canid DNA, extracted from fecal analysis). There wasn't scats found as golden jackal
Golden Jackal
The golden jackal , also known as the common jackal, Asiatic jackal, thos or gold-wolf is a Canid of the genus Canis indigenous to north and northeastern Africa, southeastern and central Europe , Asia Minor, the Middle East and southeast Asia...
s, sand cats, fennecs or Ruppell's foxes. {see BUSBY, 2006,}
Cultural significance
Prehistoric settlement is evident from extant rock paintings dating to 6000 BCAnno Domini
and Before Christ are designations used to label or number years used with the Julian and Gregorian calendars....
. The Ahaggar massif is the land of the Tuaregs or Kel Ahaggar. The tomb of Tin Hinan
Tin Hinan
Tin Hinan is the name given by the Tuareg to a 4th-century woman of prestige whose monumental tomb is located in the Sahara at Abalessa in the Ahaggar or Hoggar region of Algeria...
, the god believed to be the ancestor of the Tuareg is located at Abalessa
Abalessa
Abalessa is a municipality in Tamanrasset Province, in southern Algeria, coextensive with the district of the same name. It has 6,500 inhabitants . Abalessa is located along the ancient Trans-Saharan trade route, 80 km west of the city of Tamanrasset, the capital of the wilaya...
, an oasis near Tamanghasset. According to legend, the origins of Tim Lam are from Tafilalt
Tafilalt
Tafilalt or Tafilet is a region and the most important oasis of the Moroccan Sahara; it is also considered one of the largest oases in the world, the oasis is entirely located along the Ziz River. The oasis is ten days' journey south of Fez, across the Atlas Mountains...
region in the Moroccan
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
Atlas Mountains
Atlas Mountains
The Atlas Mountains is a mountain range across a northern stretch of Africa extending about through Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. The highest peak is Toubkal, with an elevation of in southwestern Morocco. The Atlas ranges separate the Mediterranean and Atlantic coastlines from the Sahara Desert...
.
Further reading
- Peter Haggett. 2001. Encyclopedia of World Geography, Published by Marshall Cavendish, 3456 pages ISBN 0-7614-7289-4, 9780761472896
- C. Michael Hogan. 2009. Painted Hunting Dog: Lycaon pictus, GlobalTwitcher.com, ed. N. Stromberg
- Jeremy Keenan. 1977. "The Tuareg: People of Ahaggar", Published by Allen Lane, Penguin Books Ltd., London, 385 pages, ISBN 0-7139-0636-7