Ethiopia owes its rich biodiversity to the combinations of a tropical locations and an altitudinal span ranging from 4,533 metres above sea level to 116 metres below sea level. The country is known for its unusually high level of endemism i.e. plant and animal species is not found owhere else in the world.
The varied flora embraces the world’s most extensive tracts if Afroalpine moorland, along with a varied mix of forest, savannah, desert and cultivation.
Adventures in Ethiopia will tell you about –
1. Desert and semi-desert scrubland – the Dankalia region, Omo Delta and Ogaden Desert all fall into this category. Vegetation is characterised by highly drought-resistant plants, such as small trees, shrubs and grasses.
2. Small leaved deciduous forest – woodlands that can be found all over the country (except the West) at an altitude of 900-1900 meters. Vegetation consists of drought-tolerant shrubs, but also trees, like various types of acacia.
3. Broad leaved deciduous forest – these forests occur mainly in the western and north-western parts of the country. Bamboo can also be found here – in the western valleys. Elephants, buffalos and common elands exist here.
4. Moist evergreen forest – in the south-western and western parts of the country. They are forests consisting of tall and medium-sized trees. Since it is more tropical, the birdlife here is very colourful and abundant.
5. Lowland semi-evergreen forest – this is the area around Gambela. Vegetation consists of semi-evergreen trees and shrubs and also grasses. Wildlife includes elephants, giraffes and lions.
6. Dry evergreen montane forest and grassland – covering much of the highlands in the North, North-west, central and Southern parts of the country. This habitat is home to a large number of endemic plants. Africa’s only rose, the Rosa Abyssinica is found here.
7. Afro-Alpine vegetation – this habitat is found in the national parks of the Bale, Guassa Plateau and Simien Mountains. Very special here is the heather, growing into large trees of up to 10 meters (instead of growing close to the ground).
8. Wetlands – these can occur along the Baro River and around Gambela in the West, but also in highlands and the North-west. Here fig-trees and tamarind trees grow along riverbanks. Crocodiles and hippos inhabit many rivers and the birdlife is particularly abundant here.