| Southwestern Arabian Montane Woodlands |
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Information AboutSouthwestern Arabian Montane Woodlands |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT SOUTHWESTERN ARABIAN MONTANE WOODLANDS | |
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| deserts and xeric shrublands | |
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SETTING The ecoregion covers an area of 86,900 square kilometers (33,600 square miles), lying above 2000 meters elevations in the Asir Mountains of southwestern Saudi Arabia and the Western Highlands of Yemen . FLORA The flora changes with elevation. Evergreen woodland and scrub lies between 2000 and 2500 meters elevation, with '' Olea Chrysophylla '' and '' Tarchonanthus Camphoratus '' the predominant trees. Above 2500 meters elevation, cloud forests, composed of large shrubs and small trees, can be found on wetter north-facing slopes, mostly made up of '' Juniperus Procera '' and '' Euryops Arabicus '', covered with the Lichen '' Usnea Articulata ''. On the drier south-facing slopes dwarf-shrub forests of '' Rubus Petitianus , Rosa Abyssinica , Alchemilla Crytantha , Senecio '' spp., '' Helichrysum Abyssinicum , Aloe Sabae ,'' and '' Euphorbia '' ssp. are common. FAUNA The Arabian Leopard ''(Panthera pardus'' ssp. ''nimr)'' and Arabian Wolf ''(Canis lupus'' ssp. ''arabs)'' are critically endangered. Other mammals include the Hamadryas Baboon ''(Papio hamadryas)'', Caracal ''(Caracal caracal'' ssp. ''schmitzi)'', Rock Hyrax ''(Procavia capensis'' ssp. ''jayakari)'', and Striped Hyaena ''(Hyaena hyaena)''. CONSERVATION AND THREATS EXTERNAL LINK Southwestern Arabian montane woodlands (World Wildlife Fund) |
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