Overview Djibouti
is lightly forested with less than 1 percent forest cover. Around 56
percent of the country is, however, classified as other wooded land.
Similarly to the other countries of the Horn of Africa, Djibouti
originally had significant areas of closed forest but these have mainly
been cleared for agriculture. Djibouti has two remnant areas of closed
forest, the Foret du Day on Mount Goda, and on Mount Mabla. Common
genera in the closed forest include Juniperus, Acacia and Olea. Much of Djibouti is covered by open savannah, primarily of Acacia or Terminalia species,
suited to the dry to arid climate. Patches of mangroves occur around
the Gulf of Aden. The Foret du Day National Park is Djibouti's only
terrestrial reserve. |
Geographic Description The
Republic of Djibouti, located in north-eastern Africa, lies on the
western shore of the Gulf of Aden. It is bounded on the east by the
Gulf of Aden, on the south-east by Somalia, on the south and west by
Ethiopia and on the north by Eritrea. It has an area of 23 201 km2.
Djibouti
consists principally of desolate, arid plateaus. The Gulf of Tadjoura
forms a deep indentation in the country's coast. Inland lie several
mountain ranges with heights of 1500 to 1800 m with a rugged plateau
beyond.
Djibouti
has one of the world's hottest and driest climates. The temperature at
Djibouti City averages 26° C in January and 36° C in July. Annual
rainfall ranges from less than 130 mm on the coast to about 380 mm in
the mountains. |
Forest cover Vegetation Introduction
Djibouti
forms part of the African Rift Valley, with a very uneven volcanic
landscape, rising to over 1 700 m and encompassing high mountains
(with an annual rainfall of 350 mm), enclosed depressions, high
plateaux, and narrow, boxed-in plains. Its soils are almost entirely of
volcanic origin: two thirds of the country has generally deep basaltic
soil, while the higher land is gravelly, and the only sedimentary zone
is a narrow coastal plain in the east (with an annual rainfall of
100-150 mm). It has a dry climate, although the eastern half is
moister, benefitting from the effects of the sea during the cool season.
The
different types of forest are determined chiefly by climatic
conditions. Rainfall depends primarily on altitude and the exposure of
the slope, so that altitude is also an important factor in the
distribution of vegetation. Soil does not play a decisive role, whereas
human activity is a determining factor in the different types of woody
vegetation (grazing, firewood, gathering). Most of Djibouti's forests
have been subjected to exploitation, especially for grazing and
firewood, for a very long time, and the process of desertification has
already set in in some regions, especially in the southwest.
The
country's vegetation is on the whole very poor, although the Goda and
Mabla mountain massifs enjoy a more humid climate (as a result of sea
winds from the east) and thus contain relics of dry closed forests with
a rich and varied flora. Elsewhere, the vegetation is made up primarily
of thorny bushland, mixed tree and shrub savannah and Acacia
shrub steppes. Dry, barren regions predominate, with occasional
grasslands consisting of tall grasses in the cool season. Vegetation is
confined to wadi beds, which are carpeted with thorn bushes, acacias (Acacia spp.), tamarisk (Tamarix) and jujube (Ziziphus spp.).
There are also some mangroves in the northwest of the country. The
presence of the sea has resulted in the development of a special type
of vegetation made up of grass and bush steppes along the coastal
fringe.
Djibouti's
flora is thus typical of arid regions, especially in the low areas in
the west (the continental façade), containing Sahelo-Saharan species,
more Mediterranean-type species, species endemic to the Somali-Masai
zone, etc. Over 600 species have so far been recorded. A common feature
throughout Djibouti is the presence of numerous salt-loving species,
some of which are found at a wide range of altitudes; for example, Acacia spirocarpa is found up to 1 200 m, A. seyal between 700 and 1 600 m, and A. mellifera up to 1 400 m. |