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Ahaggar Mountains
The Hoggar Mountains (; Berber: ''idurar n Ahaggar'') are a highland region in the central Sahara in southern Algeria, along the Tropic of Cancer. The mountains cover an area of approximately 550,000 km2. The Hoggar Mountains are home to the Ahaggar National Park. The tallest peak in the range and Algeria, Mount Tahat, is located in the park area, which covers approximately . Geography This mountainous region is located about south of the capital, Algiers. The area is largely rocky desert with an average elevation of more than above sea level. The highest peak, Mount Tahat, is at . The mountains are primarily composed of metamorphic rock approximately 2 billion years old, although there are areas where more recent volcanic activity has laid down much newer rock. Several of the more dramatic peaks, such as Ilamen, are the result of erosion wearing away extinct volcano domes, leaving behind the more resistant material that plugged the volcanic cones. Assekrem is a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tamanrasset Province
Tamanrasset or Tamanghasset ( ''Wilāya Tamanrāssat'', ) is a province (''wilaya'') in southern Algeria. It is named after its province seat, Tamanrasset. The province is the home of two national parks: Ahaggar National Park and Tassili n'Ajjer National Park. It is the largest province in Algeria, with an area of 336,839 km2. Geography Tamanrasset is located in the deep southern region of Algeria, approximately 2,000 kilometers south of Algiers. It is bordered by In Salah Province on the north, Illizi Province on the northeast, Djanet Province on the east, In Guezzam Province on the south, Bordj Badji Mokhtar Province on the southwest, and Adrar Province on the west. It also borders Agadez Region in Niger to the southeast. Tamanrasset is located in the heart of the Algerian Desert of the Sahara. In general, the province has a hot desert climate (Köppen climate classification ''BWh''), with very hot summers and mild winters, though more mountainous areas, such as th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tamanrasset River
The Tamanrasset River is an enormous palaeoriver believed to have flowed through West Africa as recently as 5000 years ago during the African humid period. The Tamanrasset River basin is thought to have been comparable with the present-day Ganges-Brahmaputra river basin in Asia. Tributaries Western side: * Oued Saoura * Oued Namous Eastern side: * Oued Tamanrasset Overview The Tamanrasset is thought to have flowed across the Sahara in ancient times from sources in the southern Atlas Mountains and Hoggar Mountains in what is now Algeria. It is thought the river fed into the Cap Timiris Canyon, located off the coast of Mauritania; the canyon is located in waters three kilometres deep and is 2.5km wide in places. The presence of the river is thought to have had wide-ranging implications for human migration from Central Africa to the Middle East, Europe, and Asia. Previously, the inhospitable Sahara desert was believed to have made a western route for migrating to Europe unviab ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
African Wild Dog
The African wild dog (''Lycaon pictus''), also called painted dog and Cape hunting dog, is a wild canine native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is the largest wild canine in Africa, and the only extant member of the genus '' Lycaon'', which is distinguished from ''Canis'' by dentition highly specialised for a hypercarnivorous diet and by a lack of dewclaws. It is estimated that there are around 6,600 adults (including 1,400 mature individuals) living in 39 subpopulations, all threatened by habitat fragmentation, human persecution and outbreaks of disease. As the largest subpopulation probably consists of fewer than 250 individuals, the African wild dog has been listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List since 1990. The African wild dog is a specialized hunter of terrestrial ungulates, mostly hunting at dawn and dusk, but also displays diurnal activity. It captures its prey by using stamina and cooperative hunting to exhaust them. Its natural competitors are lions and spotted hyenas ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Calotropis Procera
''Calotropis procera'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Apocynaceae that is native to North Africa, Northern and Afrotropical realm, Tropical Africa, West Asia, Western Asia, South Asia and Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochina (mainland Southeast Asia). It typically reaches a height between to , and rarely to as high as , and grows in sunny to partly-shaded habitats such as disturbed and overgrazed lands, rangeland, roadsides, river flats and coastal dunes. Its green fruits contain a toxic milky sap that is extremely bitter and turns into a latex-like substance, which is resistant to soap. Common names for the plant include apple of Sodom, Sodom apple, roostertree, king's crown, small crownflower, giant milkweed, rubber bush, and rubber tree. The names "Apple of Sodom" and "Dead Sea Apple" stem from the ancient authors Josephus and Tacitus, who described the plant growing in the area of biblical Sodom and Gomorrah, Sodom. Although not native to the New World, the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Citrullus Colocynthis
''Citrullus colocynthis'', with many common names including Abu Jahl's melon, (native name in Turkey) colocynth, bitter apple, bitter cucumber, egusi, vine of Sodom, or wild gourd, is a poisonous desert viny plant native to the Mediterranean Basin and West Asia, especially the Levant, Turkey (especially in regions such as İzmir), and Nubia. It resembles a common watermelon vine but bears small, hard fruits with a bitter pulp. The plant contains cytotoxic cucurbitacins and is thus unsafe to use as an herbal medicine. It originally bore the scientific name ''Colocynthis citrullus''. Description The vine ranges from in length. Roots and stems The roots are large, fleshy, and perennial, leading to a high survival rate due to the long tap root. The vine-like stems spread in all directions for a few meters looking for something over which to climb. If present, shrubs and herbs are preferred and climbed by means of auxiliary branching tendrils. Leaves Very similar to wa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tamarix Aphylla
''Tamarix aphylla'' is the largest known species of '' Tamarix'', with heights up to . The species has a variety of common names, including Athel tamarisk, Athel tree, and Athel pine. It is an evergreen tree, native across North, East, and Central Africa, through the Middle East, and into parts of Western and Southern Asia. Distribution ''Tamarix aphylla'' is found along watercourses in arid areas. It is very resistant to saline and alkaline soils. Its range extends from latitude 35°N to 0°N, and its W–E range extends from Morocco and Algeria in North Africa, eastwards to Egypt, and south to the Horn of Africa and into Kenya. It is found in the Middle East and the Arabian Peninsula, east through Iran, and into Pakistan, Afghanistan, and India. Description ''Tamarix aphylla'' grows as a tree to high. The tiny leaves are alternately arranged along the branches, and exude salt, which can form a crusted layer on the surface, and drop onto the ground beneath. The species ca ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Myrtus
''Myrtus'' (commonly called myrtle) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Myrtaceae. It was first described by Swedish botanist Linnaeus in 1753. Over 600 names have been proposed in the genus, but nearly all have either been moved to other genera or been regarded as synonyms. The genus ''Myrtus'' has three species recognised today: *'' Myrtus communis'' – Common myrtle; native to the Mediterranean region in southern Europe *''Myrtus nivellei'' – Saharan myrtle; native to North Africa *'' Myrtus phyllireaefolia'' Description Common myrtle '' Myrtus communis'', the "common myrtle", is native across the Mediterranean region, Macaronesia, western Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. It is also cultivated. The plant is an evergreen shrub or small tree, growing to tall. The leaf is entire, 3–5 cm long, with a fragrant essential oil. The star-like flower has five petals and sepals, and numerous stamens. Petals usually are white. The flower is pollinated by i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vachellia Seyal
''Vachellia seyal'', the red acacia, known also as the shittah tree (the source of shittim wood), is a thorny, 6– to 10-m-high (20 to 30 ft) tree with a pale greenish or reddish bark. At the base of the feathery leaves, two straight, light grey thorns grow to long. The blossoms are displayed in round, bright yellow clusters about diameter. In ''Vachellia seyal'' var. ''fistula'', which is more common on heavy clay soils, some of the thorns are swollen and house symbiotic ants. It is distributed from Egypt to Kenya and west to Senegal. In the Sahara, it often grows in damp valleys. It is also found at'' wadis'' on the Arabian Peninsula. Varieties Two variety (botany), varieties are recognized: * ''Vachellia seyal'' var. ''fistula'' (Schweinf.) Kyal. & Boatwr. * ''Vachellia seyal'' var. ''seyal'' Hybrids ''Vachellia seyal'' occasionally hybridizes with ''V. xanthophloea''. Uses Gum arabic ''Vachellia seyal'' is, along with other ''Vachellias'', an important s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vachellia Tortilis
''Vachellia tortilis'', widely known as ''Acacia tortilis'' but now attributed to the genus ''Vachellia'' of the Mimosa Family ( Mimosaceae), is the umbrella thorn acacia, also known as umbrella thorn and Israeli babool, a medium to large canopied tree native to most of Africa, primarily to the savanna and Sahel of Africa (especially the Somali peninsula and Sudan), but also occurring in the Middle East. Distribution and growing conditions ''Vachellia tortilis'' is widespread in Africa, being found in countries like Tunisia, Morocco, Uganda, Angola, Zimbabwe, Djibouti, and Botswana. It tends to grow in areas where temperatures vary from and rainfall is anywhere from about per year. Characteristics In extremely arid conditions, it may occur as a small, wiry bush. In more favorable conditions, it grows up to in height. The tree carries leaves that grow to approx. in length with between 4 and 10 pair of pinnae each with up to 15 pairs of leaflets. Its most interesting ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ecoregion
An ecoregion (ecological region) is an ecological and geographic area that exists on multiple different levels, defined by type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources. 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). Ecoregions are also known as "ecozones" ("ecological zones"), although that term may also refer to biogeographic realms. Three caveats are appropriate for all bio-geographic mapping approaches. Firstly, no single bio-geographic fram ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
West Saharan Montane Xeric Woodlands
The West Saharan montane xeric woodlands is an ecoregion that extends across several highland regions in the Sahara. Surrounded at lower elevations by the largely barren Sahara, the West Saharan montane xeric woodlands are isolated refuges of plants and animals that can survive in the higher humidity and lower temperatures of the highlands. Setting The Sahara is a vast desert, stretching across northern Africa from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea. Some mountains ranges (such as the Ahaggar, Tassili n'Ajjer, Tibesti and Aïr) rise up from the desert and receive more rainfall and mostly present slightly cooler summer temperatures. These highlands support dry woodlands and shrublands distinct from the hot dry desert lowlands. This ecoregion has an area of . The boundaries for the largest part of this ecoregion, which includes the Tassili n'Ajjer Ahaggar and Aïr (or Azbine) massifs, follow the ' regs,' ' hamadas' and ' wadis' above the 1,000 m contour. This covers a good p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Relict (biology)
In biogeography and paleontology, a relict is a population or taxon of organisms that was more widespread or more diverse in the past. A relictual population is a population currently inhabiting a restricted area whose range was far wider during a previous geologic epoch. Similarly, a relictual taxon is a taxon (e.g. species or other lineage) which is the sole surviving representative of a formerly diverse group. Definition A relict (or relic) plant or animal is a taxon that persists as a remnant of what was once a diverse and widespread population. Relictualism occurs when a widespread habitat or range changes and a small area becomes cut off from the whole. A subset of the population is then confined to the available hospitable area, and survives there while the broader population either shrinks or evolves divergently. This phenomenon differs from endemism in that the range of the population was not always restricted to the local region. In other words, the species or group did ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
