Home > Sahara Desert (ecoregion)

1 Overview

The Sahara was one of the first regions of Africa to be farmed. However, desertificationDesertification is the degradation of land in arid, semi arid and dry sub-humid areas into desert, resulting from various factors including climatic variations and human activities. Modern desertification often arises from the demands of increased populat set in around 3000 BC. Some historians and anthropologists have suggested that over-grazing by the domestic animals (particularly pigThe domestic pig is usually given the scientific name Sus scrofa though some authors call it S. domesticus reserving S. scrofa for the wild boar. It has been a domesticated animal for approximately 5,000 to 7,000 years. The animal is found across Europe,s) of ancient civilizations of the region was a primary factor in its eventual desertificationDesertification is the degradation of land in arid, semi arid and dry sub-humid areas into desert, resulting from various factors including climatic variations and human activities. Modern desertification often arises from the demands of increased populat. The Sahara is largely undisturbed. The most degradation is found in areas where there is water, such as aquifer oases or along the desert margins where some rain usually falls most years. In these areas, animals such as addaxes, scimitar-horned oryxes, and bustardBustards Australian Bustard''. Animalia : Chordata : Aves : Gruiformes Otididae Bustards are large terrestrial birds mainly associated with dry open country and steppes in the Old World. They make up the family Otididae . Bustards are omnivorous and nests are over-hunted for their meat.

The southern border of the Sahara is marked by the SahelSee also Sahel, Tunisia, a region of eastern Tunisia. The Sahel (from Arabic ''sahil for shore or border) is the boundary zone in Africa between the Sahara to the north and the more fertile region to the south, known as the Sudan (not to be confused with.

Only one area of conservation is recorded in the Sahara: Zellaf Nature Reserve in Libya (1000 km²) (WCMC 2000).

2 Regions

• Tanezrouft
• Ténéré