The Eritrean coastal desert
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 l ...
is a harsh sand and gravel strip along the southern part of the coast of
Eritrea
Eritrea ( ; ti, ኤርትራ, Ertra, ; ar, إرتريا, ʾIritriyā), officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa region of Eastern Africa, with its capital and largest city at Asmara. It is bordered by Ethiopia i ...
and the
Red Sea
The Red Sea ( ar, البحر الأحمر - بحر القلزم, translit=Modern: al-Baḥr al-ʾAḥmar, Medieval: Baḥr al-Qulzum; or ; Coptic: ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϩⲁϩ ''Phiom Enhah'' or ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϣⲁⲣⲓ ''Phiom ǹšari''; T ...
coast of
Djibouti
Djibouti, ar, جيبوتي ', french: link=no, Djibouti, so, Jabuuti officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a country in the Horn of Africa, bordered by Somalia to the south, Ethiopia to the southwest, Eritrea in the north, and the Red S ...
. This coast is of ecological importance as a channel for the mass migration of birds of prey.
Location and description
The ecoregion consists of a coastal strip in Eritrea's
Southern Red Sea Region
The Southern Red Sea Region (, it, Regione del Mar Rosso Meridionale, ) is an administrative region of Eritrea. It lies along the southern half of the Red Sea, and contains the coastal city of Assab. It borders the Northern Red Sea Region, and ...
, which stretches along the Red Sea coast to
Obock
Obock (also Obok, aa, Hayyú) is a small port town in Djibouti. It is located on the northern shore of the Gulf of Tadjoura, where it opens out into the Gulf of Aden. The town is home to an airstrip and has ferries to Djibouti City. The French ...
in Djibouti.
Flora
The flora of the coastal strip consists of herbs and grasses suited to the dry climate such as ''
Aerva javanica'', ''
Cymbopogon schoenanthus'', ''
Panicum turgidum'', and ''
Lasiurus scindicus'', along with some Umbrella thorn ''
Acacia tortilis
''Vachellia tortilis'', widely known as ''Acacia tortilis'' but now attributed to the genus ''Vachellia'', is the umbrella thorn acacia, also known as ''umbrella thorn'' and Israeli babool, a medium to large canopied tree native to most of Afri ...
'' and ''
Acacia asak'' trees and ''
Rhigozum somalense'' and ''
Caesalpinia erianthera
''Caesalpinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae. Historically, membership within the genus has been highly variable, with different publications including anywhere from 70 to 165 species, depending largely on the inclusion o ...
'' shrubs.
Fauna
This is one of the busiest
raptor migration routes in the world as birds such as buzzards and eagles make their way to Africa for the winter along the Red Sea coast and across the
Bab-el-Mandeb
The Bab-el-Mandeb (Arabic: , , ) is a strait between Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula, and Djibouti and Eritrea in the Horn of Africa. It connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.
Name
The strait derives its name from the dangers attendin ...
strait. Animals found here include sea turtles and gazelles including Dorcas gazelle ''(
Gazella dorcas
The dorcas gazelle (''Gazella dorcas''), also known as the ariel gazelle, is a small and common gazelle. The dorcas gazelle stands about at the shoulder, with a head and body length of and a weight of . The numerous subspecies survive on vegeta ...
)'', Soemmerring’s gazelle ''(
Gazella soemmerringii)'' and Salt’s dik-dik ''(
Madoqua saltiana
Salt's dik-dik (''Madoqua saltiana'') is a small antelope found in semidesert, bushland, and thickets in the Horn of Africa, but marginally also in northern Kenya and eastern Sudan. It is named after Henry Salt, who was the first European to ack ...
)''. There are three near-endemic reptiles Ogaden burrowing asp ''(
Atractaspis leucomelas)'', Ragazzi's cylindrical skink ''(
Chalcides ragazzii)'', and the gecko ''(
Hemidactylus flaviviridis)''.
Threats and preservation
The coast is sparsely populated with the only town of any size the small port of
Assab
Assab or Aseb (, ) is a port city in the Southern Red Sea Region of Eritrea. It is situated on the west coast of the Red Sea.
Languages spoken in Assab are predominantly Afar, Tigrinya, and Arabic. Assab is known for its large market, beaches ...
in Eritrea. Grazing of livestock has reduced the natural vegetation, there are no protected areas and there is potential for further change to the area with the completion of the planned coast road from Djibouti to Eritrea. Hunting of the gazelles, turtles and seabirds occurs.
See also
*
Danakil Desert
The Danakil Desert is a desert in northeast Ethiopia, southern Eritrea, and northwestern Djibouti. Situated in the Afar Triangle, it stretches across of arid terrain. It is inhabited by a few Afar, who engage in salt mining. The area is known ...
External links
* {{WWF ecoregion, name=Eritrean coastal desert, id=at1304
Afrotropical ecoregions
Deserts and xeric shrublands
Ecoregions of Djibouti
Ecoregions of Eritrea