The Horn of Africa as One of the Greatest Hotspot in the Entire Globe - Term Paper Example

Biodiversity Hotspot: The Horn of Africa Table of Contents Biodiversity Hotspot 2 Introduction 2 Student 1 3 The Horn of Africa as a biodiversity hotspot 3 The size, location, biome and climatic conditions of the Horn of Africa 3 How climate change will affect the Horn of Africa 5 Student 2 5 Major causes of extinction of biodiversity in hotspots 5 Major ecological threat to the Horn of Africa 6 Solutions that could help protect biodiversity 7 Conservation measures in the Horn of Africa and their success and failures 7 The protection of the Horn of the continent of is being carried out by through establishment as well as the management of both the sanctuaries. For instance, the Arabian Oryx sanctuary can be used in the re-introduction of species that seem to face extinction Arabian oryx, whilst Jebel national reserve is a home of the panthera pardus minor. There are numerous sanctuaries and national parks in Ethiopia, such as the Chew Bahir wildlife reserve and A wash national park, designed for the protection of the remaining populaces of desert inhabiting ungulates. Bruchhaus, (2004) argues that these conservation activities are entirely insufficient for the long term conservation of its biodiversity. An increased level of preservation activity together with targeted financing of all the areas is crucial in its own right and assists in providing both social as well as environmental sustainability essentials to safely observe government through the counties 7 Student 3 8 Endemic species and species lost in the Horn of Africa 8 Yeheb nut as an endemic plant in the Horn of Africa 9 The Beira antelope as an endemic animal in the horn of Africa 10 Summary 11 References 11 Zachos, F., (2011). Biodiversity Hotspots: Distribution and Protection of Conservation Priority Areas. New York: Springer. 12 Rescigno, V., (2010). Biodiversity Hotspots: Environmental Science, Engineering and Technology. New York: Nova Science Pub Inc. 12 El-Zeany A., & Gutale , F., (2000). The nutritional value of Yeheb-nut (Cordeauxia edulis Hemsl. Nahrung 26:797-802 12 Biodiversity Hotspot Introduction Biodiversity hotspot is a biogeographic region which is massively dissimilar biologically and is faced with extensive threat due to climatic change. As a consequence, there is always an increased loss of species. For a place to be a biodiversity hotspot, a given region has to have over 1500 species of indigenous plants. This is about 0.5% of the world’s species. The hotspot must also have at least 70% of its original habitat. A place can also be recognized as a biodiversity habitat when 70% of its habitat in an area that has been spotted is lost. This means that a good number of the species living in the area become instinct. The instinction of the various species in most cases come about as a result of high level of utilization as well as destruction of the natural forests mainly for farming reasons. Conditions that are highly isolated lead to high susceptibility due to the fact that there exists no likelihood of reproducing, in case there is extinction. It I worth noting that biodiversity hotspot tries to bring together the most fundamental population that faces a higher possibility of extinction (Zachos, 2011). Student 1 The Horn of Africa as a biodiversity hotspot The Horn of Africa is the group’s case study region because it is extensively known as a biological resource region. The early Greeks, the Romans together with their counterparts, the Egyptians managed to sent the caravans as well as the expeditions to the Horn of Africa’s hotspots due to its popularity for myrrh, frankincense together with other biologicalproducts to be ferried back by the use of crude routes through the deserts. The main hotspots that is extremely arid within the region has acted as a home for a good number of endemic and the highly threatened species of antelopes. There exist species such as the dibatag, the Beria and Speke’s gazelle. The region has also several endemic reptiles compared to any other region within the continent. Some other distinct endemics include animals such as the sacred baboon and the Somali wild ass (Rescigno, 2010).. The size, location, biome and climatic conditions of the Horn of Africa The main concentration of the hotspot is around the ‘Horn’, east of the republic of Ethiopia. The spots are also found in the Rift Valley, that is, the areas that partition the Ethiopian highlands into two main blocks, the bush lands of northeastern parts of the republic of Kenya and the southern coastal portions of African peninsula. Politically, this entails all of Djibouti, majority of Somalia, portions of Ethiopia, Kenya, Eritrea, Oman and Yemen, and a small portion Sudan. The Socotra Archipelago off coast of north eastern Somalia and little minute islands in red Sea are also parts of the hotspots (Edwards et al, 2000). The entire Horn of Africa hotspot is about 1.5 million km², though a considerably a larger part of the area has minimal plants that are easily recognized within this region; mainly contain a very minute percentage. According to Edward et al (2002), the most prevailing form of vegetation is Acacia commiphora bushland. Ther are also regions of mangrove forests on both the Arabian and on the Horns of Africa. River-rine vegetations are also found along major rivers such as Awash and Wabe Shabella. A map of the Horn of Africa (Edwards et al, 2000). How climate change will affect the Horn of Africa Change in climate tenses to threaten bionetwork as well as the various species in the Horn of Africa. The distribution of species is mainly determined by the conditions of the climate together with the distribution of plant vegetation zones and ecosystems. A variation in climate will simply lead to the changes in the distribution of both plants and animals though they may not be able to adjust to the changes in the climate. Student 2 Major causes of extinction of biodiversity in hotspots Brooks et al (2002) notes that habitat loss is the main hazard that influences hotspots and already leading to extinctions in several regions. Human beings are converting wild regions for forestry, agriculture, urban development and water projects, there by eliminating or reducing their usefulness as habitats for other species that dwell in these regions. Human beings are fond of poaching and cutting plants at a high rate. Extinction is caused by increased levels of climate which enhance the acceleration of the impacts of destruction as well as fragmentation of the natural habitats. The introduction of a variety of plants and animal species in biodiversity hotspots has got enormous effects in an ecosystem. This mainly takes place in the Mediterranean vegetation. A good number of exotic species of animals and plants have introduced to fresh habitats globally as an importance of human travel and trade, making them to multiply and thrive beyond all anticipations in their novel environments and substitute original species. Making use of medicine, trade as well as food is the fundamental threat to the destruction in various hotspots (Brooks et al, 2002). Major ecological threat to the Horn of Africa The activities of the human beings are one of the main threats of the plants and fauna in the Horn of Africa, the hotspot has had a significant degradation, with approximately 5% of the original habitat within their natural state. Human activity is the major threat to the Horn of Africa, with the hotspot being the mostly degraded in the globe, with solely 5% of the original habitat in a pure state. The entire amount of land is utilized for grazing, majorly by goats, sheep as well as camel. Overgrazing and the consequent degradation of land is a key problem in huge portions of this hotspot, especially near watering points. Shifting farming is especially destructive in portions of southern and central Somalia, where woodland and bushlnd are cut and burned to offer land for cassava cultivation. The most prevalent threat to biodiversity and vegetation within the republic of Ethiopia is the unregulated charcoal production, for domestic use and export to Arabian Gulf countries. Uncontrolled hunting, especially of un regulated, is a fundamental threat in numerous regions of this hotspot (Bruchhaus, 2004). The table below represents recorded extinctions in the Horn of Africa (Bruchhaus, 2004).   Hotspot Original Extent (km 2) 1,659,363 Hotspot Vegetation Remaining (km 2) 82,968 Endemic Plant Species 2,750 Endemic Threatened Birds 9 Endemic Threatened Mammals 8 Endemic Threatened Amphibians 1 Extinct Species† 1 Human Population Density (people/km 2) 23 Area Protected (km 2) 145,322 Area Protected (km 2) in Categories I-IV* 51,229 Solutions that could help protect biodiversity A wide range of conservation approaches are utilized in protecting diversity in hotspots such as establishment , expansion and the management of protected regions and the implementation of inventive economic choices like conservation concessions and ecotourism. Conservation of also needs influencing behavior of individuals ate local level, via education, and at national level, via awareness campaigns and policy work. It entails working together with global firms to make sure that their business activities don’t contribute to further loss of biodiversity (Myers, et al, 2000). Conservation measures in the Horn of Africa and their success and failures The protection of the Horn of the continent of is being carried out by through establishment as well as the management of both the sanctuaries. For instance, the Arabian Oryx sanctuary can be used in the re-introduction of species that seem to face extinction Arabian oryx, whilst Jebel national reserve is a home of the panthera pardus minor. There are numerous sanctuaries and national parks in Ethiopia, such as the Chew Bahir wildlife reserve and A wash national park, designed for the protection of the remaining populaces of desert inhabiting ungulates. Bruchhaus, (2004) argues that these conservation activities are entirely insufficient for the long term conservation of its biodiversity. An increased level of preservation activity together with targeted financing of all the areas is crucial in its own right and assists in providing both social as well as environmental sustainability essentials to safely observe government through the counties Student 3 Endemic species and species lost in the Horn of Africa There exists about five thousand local plant species in the Horn of Africa. Out of this, 2750 species are prevalent. A good number of endemic species are found in Socotra as well as the northern parts of Somalia. Socotra has proven to have a relatively greater extent of genetic endemism. About 13 of the hotsots containing about sixty endemic genuses are mainly found in Archipelago. The home of Africa is a habitat to 2 different endemic genuses of plants. They include Barbeyacea. This type of plant is represented by an evergreen species of plant known as barbeya oleides. The Other type is Dirachmaceae, which is mainly represented by threatened species known as Dirachman socotrana found in Socotra regions and D. somalensis found in central Somalia. According to (Miller, & Bazara’a, 1998).Some of the famous species in the area include cucumber tree, the daban palm, and the yeheb nut. Twenty four out of six hundred and ninety seven species are endemic. Seven are found in Somalia and they include BuloBurti Boubou, bushshrike among others. The other six species are specifically found in Socotra. There exist about 20 endemic varieties of mammals within the mentioned hot spots. Most prevalent species include the antelopes and speke’s gazelle. The region is also known for its high levels of endemism among the reptiles. The reptiles are about 90 and are made up of nearly 285 species. Apart from the plant and animal species, there are about 100 frewater fish. 10 of these are endemic. The endemic species are cave dueling which mainly found in Somali region, two of them are blind and they are Barbopsis devecchi and phreatichthys andruzzii (Thulin et al, 1998). The table below represents endemism at the Horn of Africa (Thulin et al 1998). Taxonomic Group Species Endemic Species Percent Endemism Plants 5,000 2,750 55.0 Mammals 220 20 9.1 Birds 697 24 3.4 Reptiles 285 93 32.6 Amphibians 30 6 20.0 Freshwater Fishes 100 10 10. Yeheb nut as an endemic plant in the Horn of Africa The yeheb nut, scientifically known as Cordeauxia edulus is always green, small in nature but is sometimes the form of shrub being made up of yellow flowers together with highly nutritious and edible seeds. These kinds of species are found in areas that are dry regions which are also bushy in the central Somalia as well as the eastern parts of Ethiopia. These regions basically have deep sand. Yeheb is also found in Kenya and Sudan and it is generally used for food and the withdrawal of the purple coloured dye. The local population of the species in particular are endangered through extinction due to the animals grazing and making use of nutritious seed as a source of food, which hinders the development of new tricks (El-Zeany & Gutale, 2000). The Beira antelope as an endemic animal in the horn of Africa Dorcatragus megalotis is the scientific name for Beira antelope. It is a small antelope. This type of antelope are mainly found in arid and unwelcoming regions of eastern Ethiopia, in northern parts of Somalia and some areas of Djibouti the Beira antelope can easily survive without necessarily taking water. The species have gotten used to dry habitats. They basically get the entire water required from their sources of food supply. The problem of degradation as well as uncontrolled hunting has been a major concern. Just like the majority of antelopes, Beira has been proven to be highly active during the morning as well as in the evenings. It then rests at midday. Beira proves to be remarkably vigilant and is altered to the slightest disturbances by its big ears. The moment it is startled, Beira moves swiftly across loose stones (Heckel, & Hammer, 2008). The destruction and a possible extinction of Beira antelope or yeheb nut can lead to creation of imbalance within the system. This is due to the fact that the interaction of that both the plants and the animals have with other forms of species within the ecosystem are likely to affect their existence and eventual extinctionThis makes them compromise their level of activities. Summary The Horn of Africa is one of the greatest hotspot in the entire globe, which only nearly five of its original habitat is still surviving. This hotspot is a home of numerous endemic species of animals and plants and is well known for being a source of biological resources for several years. The ancient Greeks, Romans and Egyptians sent caravans and expeditions to the hotspot for myrrh, frankincense and other biological products to be taken back using the incense route via the Arabian deserts. Human activity, particularly overgrazing near watering points and the resultant land degradation is the major threat to the biodiversity of the Horn of Africa. References Brooks, T., Mittermeier, R., Rylands, A., & Fonseca, G., (2002). Habitat loss and extinction in the hotspot of biodiversity. Conservation Biology, 16(4), 909-923. Myers, N., Mittermeier, G. Mittermeier, , & J. Kent. 2000. Biodiversity hotspots for conservation priorities. Nature 403:853-858 Heckel, J., & Hammer, S. (2008). Dorcatragus megalotis. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Edwards, S., Tadesse, M., Demissew, S., & Hedberg, I. (Eds.). 2000. Flora of Ethiopia and Eritrea, Vol. 2(1). Addis Ababa, Ethiopia & Uppsala, Sweden. Miller, A.G. & Bazara’a, M.( 1998). The conservation status of the flora of the Soqotran Archipelago. New York: United Nations Publications Thulin, M., Bremer, B., Richardson, J., Niklasson, J., Fay, M.F. & Chase, M.W. (1998).. Family relationships of the enigmatic rosid genera Barbeya and Dirachma from the horn of Africa region. Pl. Syst. Evol. 213:103-119. Bruchhaus, E., (2004). Hotspot Horn of Africa: Between integration and disintegration. Berlin: Lit Verlag Zachos, F., (2011). Biodiversity Hotspots: Distribution and Protection of Conservation Priority Areas. New York: Springer. Rescigno, V., (2010). Biodiversity Hotspots: Environmental Science, Engineering and Technology. New York: Nova Science Pub Inc. El-Zeany A., & Gutale , F., (2000). The nutritional value of Yeheb-nut (Cordeauxia edulis Hemsl. Nahrung 26:797-802 Hotspot Original Extent (km 2) 1,659,363 Hotspot Vegetation Remaining (km 2) 82,968 Endemic Plant Species 2,750 Endemic Threatened Birds 9 Endemic Threatened Mammals 8 Endemic Threatened Amphibians 1 Extinct Species† 1 Human Population Density (people/km 2) 23 Area Protected (km 2) 145,322 Area Protected (km 2) in Categories I-IV* 51,229 Read More