# Somali montane xeric woodlands: the northern mountains ecoregion > The northern mountain ecoregion of Somalia: where it runs, its climate and rainfall, juniper forests and frankincense trees, plants and animals found nowhere else, threats recorded by the government in 2016, and its protected areas. Source page: https://calankii.com/en/nature/somali-montane-xeric-woodlands/ Last checked: 2026-11-13 Publisher: Calankii (https://calankii.com) ## In short The Somali montane xeric woodlands are an ecoregion: a large area with its own mix of plants and animals, as mapped by the conservation group WWF (ecoregion code AT1319) ([Wikipedia, Somali montane xeric woodlands, backup](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somali_montane_xeric_woodlands)). "Xeric" means dry. The ecoregion covers the mountains that run parallel to Somalia's northern coast on the [Gulf of Aden](/en/relations/yemen/), from central Togdheer east to Cape Guardafui, and then down the coast south to Eyl (same source). Somalia's National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan of 2016 calls the same area the "*Juniperus excelsa* forest in the mountainous belt of Golis". It stretches through [Somaliland](/en/states/somaliland-1991-to-2026/) and [Puntland](/en/states/puntland/), from Shimbiris mountain to Raas Caseyr at the tip of the Horn ([Federal Republic of Somalia, National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (Ullah and Gadain, FAO SWALIM), 2016, p. 33](https://www.cbd.int/doc/world/so/so-nbsap-01-en.pdf)). ## Land and climate The western part is formed by the Golis and Ga'an Libah mountains; further east are the Cal Madow mountains of eastern Sanaag and northern Bari. A narrow coastal strip separates the mountains from the sea. The land rises from sea level to 2,416 m at Shimbiris, the highest point in Somalia. The higher mountains include outcrops of limestone and gypsum ([Wikipedia, backup](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somali_montane_xeric_woodlands); [NBSAP 2016, p. 33](https://www.cbd.int/doc/world/so/so-nbsap-01-en.pdf)). The climate is tropical and dry to semi-dry. Average temperatures range from 21 to 30°C in the lowlands and 9 to 21°C in the mountains. The lowlands get less than 200 mm of rain a year. The escarpment slopes near [Maydh](/en/regions/maydh/) get about 700 mm a year, the highest rainfall in Somalia ([NBSAP 2016, p. 33](https://www.cbd.int/doc/world/so/so-nbsap-01-en.pdf); [Wikipedia, backup](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somali_montane_xeric_woodlands)). ## Plants Plant cover changes with height, rain and soil. The hot coastal plains have little or no vegetation. The foothills carry open scrub of *Acacia*, *Commiphora* and *[Boswellia](/en/economy/frankincense-and-myrrh/)*. The escarpment slopes carry evergreen and semi-evergreen shrubs and small trees, among them *Dracaena schizantha*, *Barbeya oleoides*, *Mimusops laurifolia*, *Buxus hildebrandtii* and *Pistacia aethiopica*. The highest slopes carry remnant juniper woodland and forest of *Juniperus procera* and wild olive, *Olea europaea* ([Wikipedia, backup](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somali_montane_xeric_woodlands)). The 2016 national plan records more than ten plant species found only here, including the genus *Renschia*, which has a single species, four species of *Helianthemum* and one of *Thamnosma*. It notes that WWF and IUCN treat the area as a centre of plant endemism ([NBSAP 2016, p. 34](https://www.cbd.int/doc/world/so/so-nbsap-01-en.pdf)). The shrub *Boswellia frereana*, found only in this region, grows from near the coast up to about 750 m and produces frankincense resin ([Wikipedia, backup](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somali_montane_xeric_woodlands)). ## Animals The national plan lists the beira (*Dorcatragus megalotis*), Speke's gazelle, Salt's dik-dik and Soemmerring's gazelle. It records that they suffer from over-hunting and from competition with livestock for grazing. Near-endemic small mammals include the [Somali hedgehog](/en/nature/somali-hedgehog/), Louise's spiny mouse and the Somali elephant shrew ([NBSAP 2016, p. 34](https://www.cbd.int/doc/world/so/so-nbsap-01-en.pdf)). Three birds are endemic to the area: the [Somali pigeon](/en/nature/somali-pigeon/), the [Somali thrush](/en/nature/somali-thrush/) and the Warsangli linnet. The thrush and the linnet live only or mainly in the high juniper forests (same source). BirdLife International treats the ecoregion as the North Somali Mountains Endemic Bird Area ([Wikipedia, backup](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somali_montane_xeric_woodlands)). Endemic reptiles include the snakes *Spalerosophis josephscorteccii* and *Leptotyphlops reticulatus* and the lizard *Pseuderemias savagei* ([NBSAP 2016, p. 34](https://www.cbd.int/doc/world/so/so-nbsap-01-en.pdf)). ## Threats recorded in 2016 Consultation workshops in Puntland and Somaliland for the national plan named the main threats as the cutting of juniper trees for timber and firewood, heavy grazing by goats and other livestock, and the poaching of larger mammals. The plan states that the forests have been degraded and that much of the information on the area is old, because it was hard to reach for decades ([NBSAP 2016, p. 34](https://www.cbd.int/doc/world/so/so-nbsap-01-en.pdf)). ## Protected areas The national plan names forest reserves as the only protected areas in the ecoregion, for example the Daallo (Daloh) forest reserve of montane juniper, with other patches on the Surud and Cal Madow highlands ([NBSAP 2016, p. 34](https://www.cbd.int/doc/world/so/so-nbsap-01-en.pdf)). The World Database on Protected Areas lists Daallo Forest, Ga'an Libah and Ras [Hafun](/en/history/ancient-port-of-opone-ras-hafun/) among the protected areas of the ecoregion ([Protected Planet, Somalia](https://www.protectedplanet.net/country/SOM)). ## Related pages - [Mammals of Somalia](/en/nature/mammals-of-somalia/) - [Birds of Somalia](/en/nature/birds-of-somalia/) - [Sanaag](/en/regions/sanaag/) - [Bari](/en/regions/bari/) - [Togdheer](/en/regions/togdheer/) ## Sources - [Federal Republic of Somalia, National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, 2016](https://www.cbd.int/doc/world/so/so-nbsap-01-en.pdf) - [Protected Planet, World Database on Protected Areas, Somalia](https://www.protectedplanet.net/country/SOM) - [Wikipedia, Somali montane xeric woodlands (backup)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somali_montane_xeric_woodlands) --- I want to help with this: email hello@calankii.com. Fix this page: email hello@calankii.com with the page link and your source.