The Mediterranean High Atlas juniper steppe is a

montane grasslands and shrublands Montane grasslands and shrublands is a biome defined by the World Wildlife Fund. The biome includes high elevation grasslands and shrublands around the world. The term "montane" in the name of the biome refers to "high elevation", rather than th ...

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 ...

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to A ...

. It extends along the

High Atlas High Atlas, also called the Grand Atlas ( ar, الأطلس الكبير, Al-Aṭlas al-Kabīr; french: Haut Atlas; shi, ⴰⴷⵔⴰⵔ ⵏ ⴷⵔⵏ ''Adrar n Dern''), is a mountain range in central Morocco, North Africa, the highest part of t ...

range of northwestern Africa's

Atlas Mountains The Atlas Mountains are a mountain range in the Maghreb in North Africa. It separates the Sahara Desert from the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean; the name "Atlantic" is derived from the mountain range. It stretches around through ...

Geography

The ecoregion extends from 2700 meters elevation up to 4167 meters elevation on

Toubkal Toubkal or Tubkal (Berber: ⵜⵓⴳⴳ ⴽⴰⵍ/ⵜⵓⴱⵇⴰⵍ ''Tugg kal/Tubqal''; ar, توبقال ''Tūbqāl'') is a mountain peak in southwestern Morocco, located in the Toubkal National Park. At , it is the highest peak in the Atlas ...

, which is the highest peak in North Africa.Burgess, Neil, Jennifer D’Amico Hales, Emma Underwood (2004). ''Terrestrial Ecoregions of Africa and Madagascar: A Conservation Assessment''. Island Press, Washington DC.

Climate

The ecoregion has a temperate montane climate. Average annual precipitation varies from 200 to 600 mm, and up to 1000 mm in the wettest areas. North-facing slopes are generally cooler and more humid, and snows can persist as long as seven months above 3500 meters elevation. South-facing slopes are generally more arid, and are exposed to drying winds from the Sahara.

Flora

Open woodlands of juniper (''

Juniperus thurifera ''Juniperus thurifera'' (Spanish juniper) is a species of juniper native to the mountains of the western Mediterranean region, from southern France (including Corsica) across eastern and central Spain to Morocco and locally in northern Algeria.A ...

'') and evergreen holm oak (''

Quercus ilex ''Quercus ilex'', the evergreen oak, holly oak or holm oak is a large evergreen oak native to the Mediterranean region. It is a member of the '' Ilex'' section of the genus, with acorns that mature in a single summer. Description An evergre ...

'') are the characteristic plant community, extending up to the treeline at approximately 3200 meters. The critically endangered Moroccan cypress (''Cupressus atlantica'') has been reduced to a few hundred trees scattered in the western portion of the range. Thorny and cushion shrubs cover the ground, including ''

Cytisus balansae ''Cytisus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae, native to open sites (typically scrub and heathland) in Europe, western Asia and North Africa. It belongs to the subfamily Faboideae, and is one of several genera in the tribe Ge ...

, Erinacea anthylis,

Prunus prostrata ''Prunus prostrata'' (mountain, rock, creeping, spreading or prostrate cherry) is a hardy alpine shrub found naturally above about 2000 m. up to as high as 4000 m. in Israel, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Syria, Turkey, Albania, Greece, Sardinia, ...

'', and '' Astragalus armatus''. Denser stands of oaks and junipers have an understory of shade-loving shrubs including '' Fraxinus dimorpha,

Lonicera arborea Honeysuckles are arching shrubs or twining vines in the genus ''Lonicera'' () of the family Caprifoliaceae, native to northern latitudes in North America and Eurasia. Approximately 180 species of honeysuckle have been identified in both cont ...

, Crataegus lacinata,

Buxus sempervirens ''Buxus sempervirens'', the common box, European box, or boxwood, is a species of flowering plant in the genus ''Buxus'', native to western and southern Europe, northwest Africa, and southwest Asia, from southern England south to northern Morocco ...

'', and '' Berberis vulgaris australis'', interspersed with the tall shrubs ''

Juniperus oxycedrus ''Juniperus oxycedrus'', vernacularly called Cade, cade juniper, prickly juniper, prickly cedar, or sharp cedar, is a species of juniper, native across the Mediterranean region from Algeria and Portugal, north to southern France, east to westernm ...

'' and ''

Ephedra nebrodensis Ephedra may refer to: * Ephedra (medicine) Ephedra is a medicinal preparation from the plant '' Ephedra sinica''. Several additional species belonging to the genus '' Ephedra'' have traditionally been used for a variety of medicinal purposes, a ...

'' and herbaceous plants '' Cephalantera rubra,

Helleborine latifolia ''Epipactis helleborine'', the broad-leaved helleborine, is a terrestrial species of orchid with a broad distribution. It is a long lived herb which varies morphologically with ability to self-pollinate. Description ''Epipactis helleborine'' can ...

Festuca triflora ''Festuca'' (fescue) is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the grass family Poaceae (subfamily Pooideae). They are evergreen or herbaceous perennial tufted grasses with a height range of and a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring on ...

'', and ''

Festuca rubra ''Festuca rubra'' is a species of grass known by the common name red fescue or creeping red fescue. It is widespread across much of the Northern Hemisphere and can tolerate many habitats and climates. It is best adapted to well-drained soils in c ...

''.

Open grasslands cover ridgelines, and extend from the treeline to the summits, interspersed with areas of bare rock. These high meadows are adapted to strong winds and alpine conditions, and include ''

Avena montana ''Avena'' is a genus of Eurasian and African plants in the grass family. Collectively known as the oats, they include some species which have been cultivated for thousands of years as a food source for humans and livestock. They are widespre ...

Festuca mairei ''Festuca mairei'', the Atlas fescue, is a species of grass in the family Poaceae. The bunchgrass is endemic to north Africa. Characteristics ''Festuca mairei'' is densely-clumped, evergreen and forms mounds that grow tall up to 24 to 36 inc ...

Festuca alpina ''Festuca alpina'' is a species of grass in the genus Festuca ''Festuca'' (fescue) is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the grass family Poaceae (subfamily Pooideae). They are evergreen or herbaceous perennial tufted grasses with a heig ...

'', and '' Ranunculus geraniifolius''. At lower elevations, the juniper and oak woodlands transition to evergreen broadleaf forests, which extend up to 2800 meters elevation on humid north-facing slopes, and xeric conifer forests extend from 1500 meters elevation up to 3100 meters on drier south-facing slopes.

Fauna

The High Atlas is home to the

Barbary leopard The African leopard (''Panthera pardus pardus'') is the nominate subspecies of the leopard, native to many countries in Africa. It is widely distributed in most of sub-Saharan Africa, but the historical range has been fragmented in the course of ...

(''Pathera pardus panthera'') and

Barbary sheep The Barbary sheep (''Ammotragus lervia''), also known as aoudad (pronounced �ɑʊdæd is a species of caprine native to rocky mountains in North Africa. While this is the only species in genus ''Ammotragus'', six subspecies have been descri ...

(''Ammotragus lervia''). Other mammals include

red fox The red fox (''Vulpes vulpes'') is the largest of the true foxes and one of the most widely distributed members of the Order (biology), order Carnivora, being present across the entire Northern Hemisphere including most of North America, Europe ...

(''Vulpes vulpes''),

golden jackal The golden jackal (''Canis aureus''), also called common jackal, is a wolf-like canid that is native to Southeast Europe, Southwest Asia, South Asia, and regions of Southeast Asia. The golden jackal's coat varies in color from a pale creamy ...

(''Canis aureus''),

wild boar The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The species i ...

(''Sus scrofa''), Barbary ground squirrel (''Atlantoxerus getulus''), Egyptian mongoose (''Herpestes ichneumon''),

crested porcupine The crested porcupine (''Hystrix cristata''), also known as the African crested porcupine, is a species of rodent in the family Hystricidae native to Italy, North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa. Characteristics The adult crested porcupine h ...

(''Hystrix cristata''), and

European polecat The European polecat (''Mustela putorius''), also known as the common polecat, black polecat, or forest polecat, is a species of mustelid native to western Eurasia and North Africa. It is of a generally dark brown colour, with a pale underbelly ...

(''Mustela putorius''). Native birds include the

alpine accentor The alpine accentor (''Prunella collaris'') is a small passerine bird in the family Prunellidae, which is native to Eurasia and North Africa. Taxonomy The Alpine accentor was described by the Austria naturalist Giovanni Antonio Scopoli in 17 ...

(''Prunella collaris'') and rufous-tailed rock thrush (''Monticola saxatilis''). Toubkal National Park is home to breeding population of

white-rumped swift The white-rumped swift (''Apus caffer'') is a species of swift. Although this small bird is superficially similar to a house martin, it is not closely related to that passerine species. The resemblances between the swallows and swifts are du ...

(''Apus caffer''), as well as African crimson-winged finch (''Rhodopechys alienus'') and Moroccan horned lark (''Eremophila alpestris atlas'').BirdLife International (2020) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Parc National de Toubkal. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 28/10/2020. Reptiles endemic to the High Atlas include the

Atlas day gecko The Atlas day gecko (''Quedenfeldtia trachyblepharus'') is a species of lizard in the family Sphaerodactylidae. The species is endemic to Morocco. Taxonomy This species shares the common name of Atlas day gecko with another species, ''Quedenfel ...

(''Quedenfeldtia trachyblepharus''), ''

Quedenfeldtia moerens ''Quedenfeldtia moerens'', known commonly as the Atlas day gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Sphaerodactylidae. The species is endemic to Morocco. Taxonomy This species, ''Quedenfeldtia moerens'', should not be confused with a diff ...

'', Atlas dwarf lizard (''Lacerta andreanskyi''), Atlas mountain skink (''Chalcides montanus''), and Atlas mountain viper (''Vipera monticola'').

Protected areas

Protected areas include

Toubkal National Park Toubkal National Park is a national park in the High Atlas mountain range, 70 kilometres from Marrakesh in central-western Morocco. Established in 1942, it covers an area of 380 km2. Jbel Toubkal is the highest peak of the park at 4,167 metre ...

and Haut Atlas Oriental National Park.

References

{{reflist Atlas Mountains Ecoregions of Morocco Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub montane grasslands and shrublands Palearctic ecoregions