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Ecoregions In Somalia
The following is a list of ecoregions in Somalia, as identified by the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF). Terrestrial ecoregions ''by major habitat type'' Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests * Ethiopian montane forests * Northern Zanzibar–Inhambane coastal forest mosaic Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands * Somali Acacia–Commiphora bushlands and thickets Deserts and xeric shrublands * Ethiopian xeric grasslands and shrublands * Hobyo grasslands and shrublands * Somali montane xeric woodlands Mangroves * East African mangroves References * Burgess, Neil, Jennifer D’Amico Hales, Emma Underwood (2004). ''Terrestrial Ecoregions of Africa and Madagascar: A Conservation Assessment''. Island Press, Washington DC. * Thieme, Michelle L. (2005). ''Freshwater Ecoregions of Africa and Madagascar: A Conservation Assessment''. Island Press, Washington DC. {{Ecoregions in Africa Ecoregions An ecoregion (ecological region) or ec ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ecoregion
An ecoregion (ecological region) or ecozone (ecological zone) is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and contain characteristic, geographically distinct assemblages of natural communities and species. The biodiversity of flora, fauna and ecosystems that characterise an ecoregion tends to be distinct from that of other ecoregions. In theory, biodiversity or conservation ecoregions are relatively large areas of land or water where the probability of encountering different species and communities at any given point remains relatively constant, within an acceptable range of variation (largely undefined at this point). Three caveats are appropriate for all bio-geographic mapping approaches. Firstly, no single bio-geographic framework is optimal for all taxa. Ecoregions reflect the best compromise for as many taxa as possible. Se ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Deserts And Xeric Shrublands
Deserts and xeric shrublands are a biome defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature. Deserts and xeric (ancient Greek xērós, “dry") shrublands form the largest terrestrial biome, covering 19% of Earth's land surface area. Ecoregions in this habitat type vary greatly in the amount of annual rainfall they receive, usually less than annually except in the margins. Generally evaporation exceeds rainfall in these ecoregions. Temperature variability is also diverse in these lands. Many deserts, such as the Sahara, are hot year-round, but others, such as East Asia's Gobi, become quite cold in winter. Temperature extremes are a characteristic of most deserts. High daytime temperatures give way to cold nights because there is no insulation provided by humidity and cloud cover. The diversity of climatic conditions, though quite harsh, supports a rich array of habitats. Many of these habitats are ephemeral in nature, reflecting the paucity and seasonality of available water. Woody-ste ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ecoregions Of Somalia
The following is a list of ecoregions in Somalia, as identified by the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF). Terrestrial ecoregions ''by major habitat type'' Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests * Ethiopian montane forests * Northern Zanzibar–Inhambane coastal forest mosaic Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands * Somali Acacia–Commiphora bushlands and thickets Deserts and xeric shrublands * Ethiopian xeric grasslands and shrublands * Hobyo grasslands and shrublands * Somali montane xeric woodlands Mangroves *East African mangroves References * Burgess, Neil, Jennifer D’Amico Hales, Emma Underwood (2004). ''Terrestrial Ecoregions of Africa and Madagascar: A Conservation Assessment''. Island Press, Washington DC. * Thieme, Michelle L. (2005). ''Freshwater Ecoregions of Africa and Madagascar: A Conservation Assessment''. Island Press, Washington DC. {{Ecoregions in Africa Ecoregions Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
East African Mangroves
East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the fact that east is the direction where the Sun rises: ''east'' comes from Middle English ''est'', from Old English ''ēast'', which itself comes from the Proto-Germanic *''aus-to-'' or *''austra-'' "east, toward the sunrise", from Proto-Indo-European *aus- "to shine," or "dawn", cognate with Old High German ''*ōstar'' "to the east", Latin ''aurora'' 'dawn', and Greek ''ēōs'' 'dawn, east'. Examples of the same formation in other languages include Latin oriens 'east, sunrise' from orior 'to rise, to originate', Greek ανατολή anatolé 'east' from ἀνατέλλω 'to rise' and Hebrew מִזְרָח mizraḥ 'east' from זָרַח zaraḥ 'to rise, to shine'. ''Ēostre'', a Germanic goddess of dawn, might have been a personification ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mangroves
A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows in coastal saline or brackish water. The term is also used for tropical coastal vegetation consisting of such species. Mangroves are taxonomically diverse, as a result of convergent evolution in several plant families. They occur worldwide in the tropics and subtropics and even some temperate coastal areas, mainly between latitudes 30° N and 30° S, with the greatest mangrove area within 5° of the equator. Mangrove plant families first appeared during the Late Cretaceous to Paleocene epochs, and became widely distributed in part due to the movement of tectonic plates. The oldest known fossils of mangrove palm date to 75 million years ago. Mangroves are salt-tolerant trees, also called halophytes, and are adapted to live in harsh coastal conditions. They contain a complex salt filtration system and a complex root system to cope with saltwater immersion and wave action. They are adapted to the low-oxygen conditions of water ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Somali Montane Xeric Woodlands
The Somali montane xeric shrublands is a desert and xeric scrubland ecoregion in Somalia. The ecoregion lies in the rugged Karkaar Mountains, which run parallel and close to Somalia's northern coast on the Gulf of Aden, and follows coast from Cape Guardafui south to Eyl on the Arabian Sea . Geography The ecoregion covers the Karkaar Mountains, which extend east and west parallel to Somalia's northern coast, from central Somaliland eastwards to Cape Guardafui at Somalia's northeastern tip. A narrow coastal strip separates the mountains from the Gulf of Aden to the north. The Ga'an Libah and Golis Mountains in central Somaliland form the western portion of the ecoregion. Further east are the Cal Madow mountains of eastern Somaliland and northern Puntland. The ecoregion extends to sea level in the north and east, and up to 2,416 m at the summit Mount Shimbiris, the highest peak in the ecoregion and in Somaliland. The higher mountains include outcrops of limestone and gypsum. Cl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hobyo Grasslands And Shrublands
The Hobyo grasslands and shrublands is a desert and xeric scrubland ecoregion in Somalia. The ecoregion includes a belt of coastal dunes, 10 to 15 km wide, along the Indian Ocean coast, extending from north of Hobyo to south of Mogadishu. Geography The ecoregion forms a strip along Somalia's low-lying coastal plain facing the Indian Ocean. The ecoregion extends for approximately 800 km along the coast, from about 2º and 5º N latitude. The dunes reach 10 to 15 miles inland from the coast. They are composed of white or orange sand, and are up to 60 meters high. The dunes are geologically recent, and formed over a basement of precambrian rocks. There are some outcrops of limestone among the dunes. Inland it transitions to dry savanna and semi-desert scrublands. Climate The climate is tropical, and generally hot and dry. Because of its location near the equator temperature varies little throughout the year, with maximum temperatures between 30° and 33° C and mean minimum te ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ethiopian Xeric Grasslands And Shrublands
The Ethiopian xeric grasslands and shrublands ecoregion is a semi-desert strip on or near the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden coasts in Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Somaliland. This ecoregion lies mainly between sea level and 800 meters (m) elevation. There are, however, many hills and massifs, which range up to 1300 m as well as outstanding fault-induced depressions, such as the Danakil, lying as low as 155 m below sea level. This region is extremely active tectonically, experiencing many earthquakes and intermittently active volcanoes. Rainfall is very low and yearly averages range from 100 to 200 millimeters (mm), with less rain falling closer to the coast. There are many species of interest, including the endemic Archer's lark (''Heteromirafra archeri''), a species of dragon tree ('' Dracaena ombet''), and a large suite of desert ungulates, including the last viable population of African wild ass (''Equus africanus somalicus''). Location and description This ecoregion extends ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Somali Acacia–Commiphora Bushlands And Thickets
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 Northern Acacia–Commiphora bushlands and thickets and the Masai xeric grasslands and shrublands. To the south, it is bounded by the humid Northern Zanzibar–Inhambane coastal forest mosaic in the lower Shebelle–Jubba River valley. The Hobyo grasslands and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Somalia
Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constitution, (; ), is a country in the Horn of Africa. The country is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, the Gulf of Aden to the north, the Indian Ocean to the east, and Kenya to the southwest. Somalia has the longest coastline on Africa's mainland. Its terrain consists mainly of plateaus, plains, and highlands. Hot conditions prevail year-round, with periodic monsoon winds and irregular rainfall. Somalia has an estimated population of around million, of which over 2 million live in the capital and largest city Mogadishu, and has been described as Africa's most culturally homogeneous country. Around 85% of its residents are ethnic Somalis, who have historically inhabited the country's north. Ethnic minorities are ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tropical And Subtropical Grasslands, Savannas, And Shrublands
Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands is a terrestrial biome defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature. The biome is dominated by grass and/or shrubs located in semi-arid to semi- humid climate regions of subtropical and tropical latitudes. Description Grassland is dominated by grass and other herbaceous plants. Savanna is grassland with scattered trees. Shrubland is dominated by woody or herbaceous shrubs. Large expanses of land in the tropics do not receive enough rainfall to support extensive tree cover. The tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands are characterized by rainfall levels between per year. Rainfall can be highly seasonal, with the entire year's rainfall sometimes occurring within a couple of weeks. African savannas occur between forest or woodland regions and grassland regions. Flora includes acacia and baobab trees, grass, and low shrubs. Acacia trees lose their leaves in the dry season to conserve moisture, while ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Northern Zanzibar–Inhambane Coastal Forest Mosaic
Northern Zanzibar–Inhambane coastal forest mosaic, also known as the Northern Swahili coastal forests and woodlands, is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion of coastal East Africa. The ecoregion includes a variety of habitats, including forest, savanna and swamps. Geography The ecoregion extends along the East African coast from southern Somalia through Kenya to the Lukuledi River in Tanzania, which forms its southern boundary. It also encompasses the Zanzibar Archipelago, including Unguja (Zanzibar), Pemba, and the surrounding smaller islands.Burgess, Neil, Jennifer D’Amico Hales, Emma Underwood (2004). ''Terrestrial Ecoregions of Africa and Madagascar: A Conservation Assessment''. Island Press, Washington DC. The ecoregion is bounded on the east by the Indian Ocean. It transitions to drier open woodlands and shrublands to the north and west: the Somali Acacia–Commiphora bushlands and thickets in the north, the Northern Acacia–Commiphora bushlands and thickets and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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