Ethiopian xeric grasslands and shrublands
Encyclopedia
The Ethiopian xeric grasslands and shrublands ecoregion
is a semi-desert strip on or near the Red Sea
and the Gulf of Oman
coasts in Eritrea
, Ethiopia
, Djibouti
and Somaliland
.
and shrubland covers an area mainly from sea level to 800 m inland from the coast of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Oman along the coast of Eritrea, south through Ethiopia and Djibouti and a narrow strip along coast of Somaliland
. The ecoregion includes a number of islands such as the Dahlak Archipelago
, offshore from the Eritrean port of Massawa
, and inland some higher hills, and in the south the desolate Afar Depression
, location of the ghost town made of salt, Dallol. The ecoregion is vulnerable to earthquakes and includes a number of active volcanoes. The area is hot and dry with little rainfall, especially near the coast, temperatures range from 21 to 30 degrees Celsius (70 to 85 °F).
The strip of coast in southern Eritrea and northern Djibouti has been separated out as the Eritrean coastal desert
, especially as it is the site of a large migration of birds of prey.
(Dracaena ombet).
of Eritrea. Other grazing animals include Beira
, Dorcas gazelle
, Soemmerring's Gazelle
, gerenuk
and the Beisa oryx
. The only purely endemic mammal is a gerbil Gerbillus acticola
. There are a number of dry habitat reptiles including the endemic gecko
s, Arnold's leaf-toed gecko (Hemidactylus
arnoldi) and the Somalian Northern Sand Gecko (Tropiocolotes
tripolitanus somalicus). Birds include the endemic Archer's lark (Heteromirafra archeri).
of Eritrea, Ethiopia and Djibouti and the Issa
people further south. Habitats however have been degraded, mainly by grazing of livestock as well as cutting of trees for firewood and clearing of land for planting. The only protected area is the Mille-Serdo Wild Ass Reserve in Ethiopia although protection is planned for the Buri Peninsula and the Danakil Depression in Eritrea. Urban areas in the region include the ports of Massawa in Eritrea, Djibouti city
, and Berbera
in Somaliland. Smaller towns include the former Afar Region
capital of Asaita
in Ethiopia and smaller ports along the coast such as Tadjoura
in Djibouti and Zeila
in Somaliland. Tourism in the region includes diving in the Dahlak islands.
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...
is a semi-desert strip on or near the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
and the Gulf of Oman
Gulf of Oman
The Gulf of Oman or Sea of Oman is a strait that connects the Arabian Sea with the Strait of Hormuz, which then runs to the Persian Gulf. It is generally included as a branch of the Persian Gulf, not as an arm of the Arabian Sea. On the north coast is Pakistan and Iran...
coasts in Eritrea
Eritrea
Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...
, Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
, Djibouti
Djibouti
Djibouti , officially the Republic of Djibouti , is a country in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Eritrea in the north, Ethiopia in the west and south, and Somalia in the southeast. The remainder of the border is formed by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden at the east...
and Somaliland
Somaliland
Somaliland is an unrecognised self-declared sovereign state that is internationally recognised as an autonomous region of Somalia. The government of Somaliland regards itself as the successor state to the British Somaliland protectorate, which was independent for a few days in 1960 as the State of...
.
Location and description
Semidesert grasslandGrassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
and shrubland covers an area mainly from sea level to 800 m inland from the coast of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Oman along the coast of Eritrea, south through Ethiopia and Djibouti and a narrow strip along coast of Somaliland
Somaliland
Somaliland is an unrecognised self-declared sovereign state that is internationally recognised as an autonomous region of Somalia. The government of Somaliland regards itself as the successor state to the British Somaliland protectorate, which was independent for a few days in 1960 as the State of...
. The ecoregion includes a number of islands such as the Dahlak Archipelago
Dahlak Archipelago
The Dahlak Archipelago is an island group located in the Red Sea near Massawa, Eritrea. It consists of two large and 124 small islands. The pearl fisheries of the archipelago have been famous since Roman times and still produce a substantial number of pearls. Only four of the islands are...
, offshore from the Eritrean port of Massawa
Massawa
Massawa, also known as Mitsiwa Massawa, also known as Mitsiwa Massawa, also known as Mitsiwa (Ge'ez ምጽዋዕ , formerly ባጽዕ is a city on the Red Sea coast of Eritrea. An important port for many centuries, it was ruled by a succession of polities, including the Axumite Empire, the Umayyad Caliphate,...
, and inland some higher hills, and in the south the desolate Afar Depression
Afar Depression
The Afar Triangle is a geological depression that is caused by the Afar Triple Junction which is part of the Great Rift Valley. It overlaps Eritrea, Djibouti and the entire Afar Region of Ethiopia. The Afar Triangle includes the Danakil Depression and the lowest point in Africa, Lake Asal...
, location of the ghost town made of salt, Dallol. The ecoregion is vulnerable to earthquakes and includes a number of active volcanoes. The area is hot and dry with little rainfall, especially near the coast, temperatures range from 21 to 30 degrees Celsius (70 to 85 °F).
The strip of coast in southern Eritrea and northern Djibouti has been separated out as the Eritrean coastal desert
Eritrean coastal desert
The Eritrean coastal desert ecoregion is a a harsh sand and gravel strip along the southern part of the coast of Eritrea and the Red Sea coast of Djibouti...
, especially as it is the site of a large migration of birds of prey.
Flora
The plant life of the region needs more study, which has been hampered by long-term political strife in the region. Endemic flora includes a dragon treeDracaena (plant)
Dracaena is a genus of about 40 species of trees and succulent shrubs. In the APG III classification system, it is placed in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Nolinoideae . It has also formerly been separated into the family Dracaenaceae or placed in the Agavaceae...
(Dracaena ombet).
Fauna
Mammals found here include the last Somali Wild Ass (Equus africanus somalicus) to be found in the wild, on the Buri PeninsulaBuri Peninsula
The Buri Peninsula extends from central Eritrea north into the Red Sea. To its west lies the Gulf of Zula. Varied in geography, it features mangroves and salt pans. It is known for its wildlife, including ostriches, hamadryas baboons and wild asses. Notable elevations include Mount Dulhi and...
of Eritrea. Other grazing animals include Beira
Beira (antelope)
The Beira is a small antelope that inhabits arid regions of Somalia, Djibouti, and eastern Ethiopia.The Beira stands high at the shoulder and weighs between . It has a coarse, red-grey coat with a yellow-red face. It has long, ears and the males of the species have short, straight horns...
, Dorcas gazelle
Dorcas Gazelle
The Dorcas Gazelle , also known as the Ariel Gazelle, is a small and common gazelle. The Dorcas Gazelle stands approximately 55-65 cm . Dorcas gazelle have a head and body length of 90-110 cm and a weight of 15-20 kg...
, Soemmerring's Gazelle
Soemmerring's Gazelle
Soemmerring's Gazelle is a gazelle that lives in eastern Africa.-Subspecies:* Somali Soemmerring Gazelle Nanger soemmeringii berberana...
, gerenuk
Gerenuk
The Gerenuk , also known as the Waller's Gazelle, is a long-necked species of antelope found in dry bushy scrub and steppe in East Africa, from Somalia and eastern Ethiopia through northern and eastern Kenya to northeastern Tanzania...
and the Beisa oryx
East African Oryx
The East African Oryx , also known as the Beisa occurs in two subspecies, Common Beisa Oryx found in steppe and semi-desert throughout the Horn of Africa and north of the Tana River, and Fringe-eared Oryx south of the Tana River in southern Kenya and parts of Tanzania...
. The only purely endemic mammal is a gerbil Gerbillus acticola
Gerbillus acticola
The Berbera gerbil, Gerbillus acticola, is distributed mainly in Somalia.-References: Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is listed as data deficient...
. There are a number of dry habitat reptiles including the endemic gecko
Gecko
Geckos are lizards belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, found in warm climates throughout the world. They range from 1.6 cm to 60 cm....
s, Arnold's leaf-toed gecko (Hemidactylus
Hemidactylus
Hemidactylus is a genus of the family of typical geckos, Gekkonidae. It is the second-most speciose genus in the family, with about 90 described species, newfound ones being described every few years. These geckos are found in all the tropical regions of the world, extending into the subtropical...
arnoldi) and the Somalian Northern Sand Gecko (Tropiocolotes
Tropiocolotes
Tropiocolotes is a small genus of very small geckos, mostly about 2" or less in total length, endemic to Northern Africa. They are commonly known as Dwarf or Pygmy Geckos. The have a very elongated body and the head is oval and equal or lesser in width to the body...
tripolitanus somalicus). Birds include the endemic Archer's lark (Heteromirafra archeri).
Threats and preservation
The area is thinly populated, mainly by the Afar peopleAfar people
The Afar , also known as the Danakil, are an ethnic group in the Horn of Africa. They primarily live in the Afar Region of Ethiopia and in northern Djibouti, although some also inhabit the southern point of Eritrea.-Early history:...
of Eritrea, Ethiopia and Djibouti and the Issa
Issa
Issa or ISSA may refer to:Issa*Abdisalam Issa-Salwe, Somali scholar*Darrell Issa, a Californian Representative*List of The Belgariad and The Malloreon characters#Issa, a divine character in David Eddings's fantasy series The Belgariad and The Malloreon*Issa or Isa, the Arabic name for Jesus in...
people further south. Habitats however have been degraded, mainly by grazing of livestock as well as cutting of trees for firewood and clearing of land for planting. The only protected area is the Mille-Serdo Wild Ass Reserve in Ethiopia although protection is planned for the Buri Peninsula and the Danakil Depression in Eritrea. Urban areas in the region include the ports of Massawa in Eritrea, Djibouti city
Djibouti (city)
The City of Djibouti is the capital and largest city in the Republic of Djibouti, a nation in the Horn of Africa. The biggest settlement on the Gulf of Tadjoura, it lies on a peninsula that separates that basin from the Gulf of Aden.-History:...
, and Berbera
Berbera
Berbera is a city and seat of Berbera District in Somaliland, a self-proclaimed Independent Republic with de facto control over its own territory, which is recognized by the international community and the Somali Government as a part of Somalia...
in Somaliland. Smaller towns include the former Afar Region
Afar Region
Afar is one of the nine ethnic divisions of Ethiopia, and is the homeland of the Afar people. Formerly known as Region 2, its current capital is Asayita; a new capital named Semera on the paved Awash - Asseb highway is under construction....
capital of Asaita
Asaita
Asaita is a town in northeastern Ethiopia, and before 2007 was the capital of the Afar Region of Ethiopia. Located in the Afambo woreda, part of the Region's Administrative Zone 1, this town has a latitude and longitude of and an elevation of 300 meters....
in Ethiopia and smaller ports along the coast such as Tadjoura
Tadjoura
Tadjoura is the oldest town in Djibouti and the capital of the Tadjourah region. Lying on the Gulf of Tadjoura, it is home to a population of around 25,000 inhabitants.Tadjoura has an airstrip and is linked by ferry with Djibouti City...
in Djibouti and Zeila
Zeila
Zeila, also known as Zaila , is a port city on the Gulf of Aden coast, situated in the northwestern Awdal region of Somalia.Located near the Djibouti border, the town sits on a sandy spit surrounded by the sea. It is known for its offshore islands, coral reef and mangroves. Landward, the terrain is...
in Somaliland. Tourism in the region includes diving in the Dahlak islands.