Awash National Park, Ethiopia Photograph by © WWF-Canon/Martin NICOLL   Eastern Africa: Ethiopia, extending into Eritrea, Somalia, and Sudan Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests   96,100 square miles (248,800 square kilometers) -- about the size of Oregon Critical/Endangered

· Mountain Mysteries
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
More Photos

Mountain Mysteries

The Ethiopian Montane Forest ecoregion is rich in biodiversity, but little is known about it because political instability has made it difficult for scientists to visit the area. Forests vary from dry to moist, providing a range of habitats for wild species.

Special Features

The forests of this ecoregion are located primarily in the highlands of Ethiopia and Eritrea and in isolated mountain areas administered by Sudan and Djibouti. The climate is variable across this region. From May to October, winds bring rainfall to the Ethiopian parts of the region, while at other times of the year, onshore winds from the Red Sea bring some moisture to the Eritrean side of the mountains. The driest areas receive about 24 inches (600 mm) of rainfall a year; the wetter sites more than 60 inches (1,500 mm). Temperatures range from 55 to 75˚ F (12-24˚ C).

	Male De Brazza’s monkeys utter deep booming sounds whenever there is a disturbance or the troop changes direction of travel. These monkeys also communicate by marking their territories with scent.

Wild Side

Scientists think that most of this region was once forested. Today, patches of forest are interspersed with areas of grassland and thicket. Among the threatened endemic birds found in this ecoregion are Harwood's francolins, Prince Ruspoli's turacos, and yellow-throated serins. Mammals include De Brazza’s monkeys, giant hogs, bushpigs, and leopards.

Cause for Concern

All the natural habitats in this ecoregion are highly threatened because they have been reduced to very small, scattered areas and because they are poorly protected. Forest cover has been lost to coffee plantations and other kinds of agriculture, as well as to the gathering of fuelwood. And in some places, overgrazing and intensive farming are causing massive soil erosion.

For more information on this ecoregion, go to the World Wildlife Fund Scientific Report.