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Theme
Ecosystem

Sahel

Savanna and Grassland

A semi-arid acacia savanna belt roughly 5,900 kilometers long, running across North Africa from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea through parts of 15 nations including Mali, Niger, Chad and Burkina Faso, between the more humid Sudanian savannas to the south and the Sahara Desert to the north. Drought-tolerant acacia trees and annual grasses support camels, horses, gazelles, oryx and migratory birds, though large grazing mammal populations here were greatly reduced by over-hunting and competition with livestock. Recurring drought, desertification and rapid population growth strain the Sahel's water and food supply; the Great Green Wall reforestation initiative and protected areas such as Waza National Park are among the responses. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Facts
Classification
Biogeographic Realm
Afrotropic 1
Area (sq km)
3,053,200 1
Connections

Demonstrates

The Sahel is the textbook case of desertification, where drought and land use pressure pushed the boundary between savanna and desert southward across the twentieth century.

Source Encyclopaedia Britannica
Source National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

In Biome

Savanna, Biomes
Source World Wildlife Fund
Sources
1. Sahel (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia
  • Flora and Fauna section
    The Sahel was formerly home to large populations of grazing mammals, before the larger species were greatly reduced due to over-hunting and competition with livestock.
  • Lead section, area figure
    It covers an area of 3,053,200 square kilometers (1,178,850 sq mi).
  • Biogeographic realm: afrotropic (derived from location stated in entity description)
View the Source
World Wildlife Fund
World Wildlife FundIn Biome: SavannaView the Source
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationDemonstrates: DroughtView the Source
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.Demonstrates: DesertificationView the Source

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