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The Ethiopian Montane
The Ethiopian Montane Woodland ecoregion is biodiverse, poorly known and highly threatened. The rugged topography of this ecoregion rings the highlands of Ethiopia and Eritrea, extending to outlying massifs in Sudan. Formed by volcanic forces 75 million years ago, these highlands were covered with Eurasian tundra-like vegetation during the last Ice Ages. Today, remnant patches of natural vegetation consist mostly of podocarp and juniper forests, with some acacias found at lower elevations. While soils are rather infertile, this area is densely populated and most land has been converted to agriculture. Notable endemics found here include the yellow-throated serin and Prince Ruspoli's turaco. Many of the endemic species are threatened due to the loss of their habitat.
Ancient Precambrian basement rocks form the substrate of the montane forests in southwestern Ethiopia and Eritrea. The topography is generally rugged, and soils are rather infertile. The main Ethiopian and Eritrean dome began to rise 75 million years ago, eventually dividing into two halves, the northern and southern highlands. A turbulent volcanic period ended four to five million years ago, followed by climatic fluctuations in the Pliocene and Pleistocene. Glaciers formed on the peaks of the Ethiopian highlands while surrounding areas, including this ecoregion, were covered with vegetation similar to Eurasian tundra. Separated by the Great Rift Valley, the northern and southern highlands were colonized by new species from different directions. The jebels and escarpments along the Red Sea linked Eritrea and northern Ethiopia with the Palearctic region while southern Ethiopia had a rift-wall connection to the Horn of Africa. Both the western and eastern highlands were invaded by tropical species that could penetrate the Nile floodplains in the west or the Kenyan deserts in the south. Despite the climatic differences, the surrounding lowlands provided the most consistent source of new species, so that these highlands show both Afrotropical and Palearctic influences.
The Ethiopian Montane
The Ethiopian Montane Woodland ecoregion is biodiverse, poorly known and highly threatened. The rugged topography of this ecoregion rings the highlands of Ethiopia and Eritrea, extending to outlying massifs in Sudan. Formed by volcanic forces 75 million years ago, these highlands were covered with Eurasian tundra-like vegetation during the last Ice Ages. Today, remnant patches of natural vegetation consist mostly of podocarp and juniper forests, with some acacias found at lower elevations. While soils are rather infertile, this area is densely populated and most land has been converted to agriculture. Notable endemics found here include the yellow-throated serin and Prince Ruspoli's turaco. Many of the endemic species are threatened due to the loss of their habitat.
Ancient Precambrian basement rocks form the substrate of the montane forests in southwestern Ethiopia and Eritrea. The topography is generally rugged, and soils are rather infertile. The main Ethiopian and Eritrean dome began to rise 75 million years ago, eventually dividing into two halves, the northern and southern highlands. A turbulent volcanic period ended four to five million years ago, followed by climatic fluctuations in the Pliocene and Pleistocene. Glaciers formed on the peaks of the Ethiopian highlands while surrounding areas, including this ecoregion, were covered with vegetation similar to Eurasian tundra. Separated by the Great Rift Valley, the northern and southern highlands were colonized by new species from different directions. The jebels and escarpments along the Red Sea linked Eritrea and northern Ethiopia with the Palearctic region while southern Ethiopia had a rift-wall connection to the Horn of Africa. Both the western and eastern highlands were invaded by tropical species that could penetrate the Nile floodplains in the west or the Kenyan deserts in the south. Despite the climatic differences, the surrounding lowlands provided the most consistent source of new species, so that these highlands show both Afrotropical and Palearctic influences.
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