| Mediterranean dry woodlands and steppe | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Oasis nearBiskra, Algeria | |
 map of the Mediterranean dry woodlands and steppe | |
| Ecology | |
| Realm | Palearctic |
| Biome | Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub |
| Geography | |
| Area | 291,700 km2 (112,600 mi2) |
| Countries | Algeria,Egypt,Libya,Morocco,Tunisia |
TheMediterranean dry woodlands and steppe is aMediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrubecoregion ofNorth Africa. It occupies interior plateaus and mountain ranges of theMaghreb region, lying generally between the coastalMediterranean woodlands and forests to the north and theSahara to the south.
The Mediterranean woodlands and forests occupy an area of 291,700 square kilometers (112,600 sq mi) inMorocco,Algeria,Tunisia,Libya, andEgypt. The main portion of the ecoregions extends from the southern slopes of theHigh Atlas in eastern Morocco acrossAlgeria and Tunisia, where it meets the Mediterranean shore at theGulf of Gabes. In Algeria, it lies south of the coastalTell Atlas, covering the high plateau andSaharan Atlas. Further east, several enclaves of the ecoregion lie nearer the coast. In westernTripolitania it lies to the Mediterranean shore, and on theCyrenaica peninsula it forms a belt between theMediterranean woodlands and forests and the Sahara. The easternmost portion of the ecoregion is a small coastal enclave lying just west of theNile Delta in Egypt, near the city ofAlexandria.[1]
The climate of the region is arid and annual rainfall is between 100 and 300 mm. The rainfall occurs mainly during the winter months, normally as intermittent storms. It can get as cold as 0°C during the winter and temperatures can climb to 40 °C during the summer months, the mean annual temperature is around 18 °C.[1]
The human population of these regions is low, settled agriculture is only viable in valleys where there is a supply of water, such asdayas, depressions with good quality soil, and the beds ofwadis. In these areas it is possible to cultivate fodder and food crops. Such agriculture may not be possible every year and thus farmers shift to follow the rainfall. Population densities are low and most of the population is somewhat nomadic, however, there are some permanent settlements in coastal towns where the main economic activity is fishing.[1]
At higher elevations on the plateau, different types of steppe vegetation dominate depending on soil conditions, for example in the slopes and foothills of theAtlas Mountains there is a steppe dominated byStipa tenacissima whereasArtemisia herba-alba dominates in where there are silty slopes and depressions;Lygeum spartum steppe grows in sandy soils. Where sand accumulates there is a mosaic of vegetation types including patches ofThymeleae muicrophila,Aristida pungens,Retama retam, and oftamarisksTamarix spp. In depressions the vegetation includes a scrub consisting of the Mount Atlas mastic treePistacia atlantica,Ziziphus lotus,Asterichus graveolens and mallowsMalva spp.[1]
The fauna lacksendemism and most species found are widespread. There are abundant small mammals including manygerbil species, the endangeredfour-toed jerboaAllactaga tetradactyla and theGünther's voleMicrotus guentheri.Barbary sheepAmmotragus lervia andmountain gazelleGazella cuvieri still have populations in the region, as does thestriped hyenaHtaena hyaena, and these are mixed with mammals which have more European origins such aswild boarSus scrofa,Eurasian otterLutra lutra andred foxVulpes vulpes. These European affinities are echoed in the herpetofauna wheregrass snakeNatrix natrix,Sahara frogPelophylax saharicus and theEuropean green toadBufo viridis mixed with the African common toadAmietophrynus regularis. TheNorth African ostrichStruthio camelus camelus occurred in this region but is now largely extirpated.[1]
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