Jbel Aberdouz, High Atlas National Park, Morocco Photograph by Jeffrey England   Northern Africa: Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia. Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands, and Scrub   112,600 square miles (291,700 square kilometers) -- about the size of Georgia and Wisconsin combined Vulnerable

· Glimpsing Africa’s Past
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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Glimpsing Africa’s Past

This ecoregion of dry forests and steppes was once a virtual portrait of northern African wildlife. Situated just inland of the Mediterranean Sea, it was home to lions, leopards, cheetahs, and even African elephants. Today, with native habitat severely fragmented and human populations growing rapidly, these large animals are rarely, if ever, seen. Still, many other mammals, birds, and reptiles can be found here.

Special Features

This large ecoregion begins in eastern Morocco and continues across northern Algeria and into central Tunisia until it reaches the Mediterranean Sea. Two other outlying locations in Libya can be found on opposite sides of the Gulf of Syrta. It is relatively dry here, with annual rainfall between 4 and 24 inches (100 and 600 mm). In some years, dew is a significant contributor of moisture, with only 2 inches (50 mm) a year recorded in Egypt. The steppe landscape is almost completely dominated by perennial grasses and patches of dwarf sagebrush. In the mountains, patches of woodland occur, which are dominated by Aleppo pine, Phoenician juniper, and several oak species. In all, this ecoregion has fewer than 2,000 plant species, but many of them are endemic.

	Sometimes called the African or desert lynx, the caracal is actually smaller than a lynx, with a much longer tail. The dense, short fur of this cat ranges in color from sandy to reddish brown. The caracal is known by its narrow pointed ears, which are black with long tufts. The ears give the caracal its name, which means "black ears" in Turkish.

Wild Side

These dry woodlands contain several predators, including the Ruppell’s fox, fennec fox, golden jackal, striped hyena, and caracal. Predatory birds include the black kite, Egyptian vulture, long-legged buzzard, short-toed eagle, sparrowhawk, golden eagle, kestrel, Bonelli’s eagle, little owl, and eagle owl. Other birds include the houbara, stone curlew, Levaillant’s green woodpecker, Thekla lark, red-rumped swallow, and chough. Barbary sheep, white-toothed shrew, cape hare, and wild boar can be found here as well, as can Lataste’s lizard and the Algerian whip snake.

Cause for Concern

This ecoregion has experienced severe loss and fragmentation of its fragile dry habitats, especially in the lowlands, where woodlands have been devastated by livestock grazing and collection of fuel wood. In higher elevations, the removal of juniper woodlands is also a threat.

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