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There aren’t many plant species that can grow in the hot and dry conditions along the coast of Morocco and in the Algerian North Sahara, and the ones that do survive demonstrate a high degree of adaptation. The argan tree, for example, is able to retreat into a state of dormancy during times of drought. Inland from the coast, the argan forests merge with stands of Euphorbia, succulent plants that resemble cacti. These take in as much water as possible when it rains and then store it for future use. And barbary acacias belong to a group of hardy, drought-resistant trees that are found all over the world in hot, arid areas from Australia to Africa. The portion of this ecoregion on the Canary Islands contains many endemic plants and animals.
The climate varies considerably within this ecoregion. On the Canary Islands, the climate is pleasant year round, with mild winters and relatively cool summers. But along the coast of Morocco and particularly in the Algerian North Sahara, the climate is hot and dry. In some areas, the temperatures soar to 122° F (50° C) during the day, and less than 4 inches (100 mm) of rain falls in a year. These harsh conditions favor hardy plants such as the argan tree, which makes up about seven percent of the total forest cover in Morocco and is of immense ecological and socioeconomic value. Because it is found so close to a desert, the argan tree’s root system prevents soil erosion and desertification. In addition, its large canopy provides valuable shade for livestock. It is also a major source of food (forage) for livestock as well as cooking oil for humans, and its wood is used for construction and for making charcoal and implements such as ploughs. Bees often nest in these trees, providing a treasured source of honey. Throughout the hot, dry woodlands of this ecoregion, spectacular butterflies with names like desert orange tip and Spanish festoon visit flowers in search of sweet nectar. In Morocco’s Souss-Massa National Park, one of the world’s last remaining breeding colonies of northern bald ibis survives. The birds feed on invertebrates and small plants, using their long, curved red beaks. Also found in this ecoregion, large and shaggy Barbary sheep scale rocky hills and mountains. And at night, fierce honey badgers, or ratels, come out of their dens to look for snakes, small vertebrates, or carrion. European wild boars and their offspring also come out at night to root in the ground for bulbs and tubers. Cuvier’s gazelles, which are the only surviving gazelles endemic to the northern Sahara, spend their nights browsing and grazing. Stocky cats called North African caracals also emerge at night to hunt for mammals and birds. With their high metabolism, North African elephant shrews need to feed almost constantly on insects, worms, snails, and other small animals to stay alive. On the Canary Islands, Furteventura chats flit about the dry woodlands, while the endemic Canary Island white toothed shrews--small, mouse-sized mammals with long, pointy snouts--hunt for insects.
The growing number of humans on the mainland of Morocco and Algerian North Sahara has taken valuable habitat away from large mammals such as antelope and Barbary sheep. People have also threatened populations of these animals by over-hunting. What’s more, some two million Moroccan peasants use the argan tree for cooking oil, charcoal, and construction wood. High demand results in the unsustainable harvest of the argan, and conservationists are looking for ways to protect the trees and meet human needs. On the Canary Islands portion of this ecoregion, tourism and grazing have led to habitat loss, and introduced species such as domestic cats and rats threaten native species. For more information on this ecoregion, go to the World Wildlife Fund Scientific Report. All text by World Wildlife Fund © 2001
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