Near Zouar, Chad Photograph by Bärbel and Bernd Jacobi   Palaearctic Deserts and Xeric Shrublands   31,700 square miles (82,200 square kilometers) -- about the size of Maine and Rhode Island combined Relatively Stable/Intact

· Take A Closer Look at the Sahara
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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Take A Closer Look at the Sahara

If you think that the Sahara Desert is thousands of square miles of nothing but sand, you will want to take a closer look at this ecoregion. The Tibesti-Jebel Uweinat Montane Xeric Woodlands ecoregion, which is located in the center of the Sahara, is home to a diversity of animals ranging from gerbils to cheetahs. The plants here are equally diverse, with rich grasslands and Mediterranean-like communities containing figs, lavender, and many other unexpected species.

Special Features

This ecoregion includes mountains that rise to more than 9,900 feet (3,000 m), in an otherwise barren desert. It supports grasslands, shrublands, and dry riverbeds called wadis, all of which contain plants that are found nowhere else on earth. Rainfall here is scarce, with fewer than four inches (100 mm) falling annually. But this is more than the surrounding desert gets every few years.

	Rock paintings and petroglyphs that were made by people in the Sahara more than 6,000 years ago show pictures of lions, elephants, giraffes, rhinos, and other animals that are not found in the Sahara Desert today. That’s because the Sahara was much wetter during that time.

Wild Side

In the grasslands of the Tibesti-Jebel Uweinat Montane Xeric Woodlands ecoregion, Barbary sheep munch on acacia trees and slender-horned gazelles graze peacefully on low shrubs and scarce grasses. Their only predator is an occasional cheetah. In the skies overhead, Barbary falcons and tawny eagles scan the sand and scrub for gerbils and spiny mice. Hyraxes huddle together on a rock, basking in the sun. Some people call hyraxes "little brothers of elephants," and for good reason: They are related to elephants even though they look like guinea pigs. You’ll also find Gundis--rodents that have strong claws and dense, cushion-like padding on the undersides of their feet. These pads help them climb steep rock faces in these mountains, thus avoiding enemies. At higher elevations, a Mediterranean-like community of plants includes figs, lavender, and even stunted versions of cypress and myrtles.

Cause for Concern

There are almost no people in this ecoregion, and the habitats are almost untouched. However, long-term drought has affected the vegetation. While people have long been hunting animals such as addax for their meat and leather, the advent of modern weapons and motorized hunting has caused drastic declines in some wildlife populations.

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