Ali Sabieh - Assâmo (6154)
Djibouti, Africa

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Year of last assessment: 2001

National site name: Ali Sabieh - Assâmo

Central coordinates: Latitude: 11.0500, Longitude: 42.8000

System: terrestrial

Elevation (m): 446 to 1292

Area of KBA (km²): 402.62571

Protected area coverage (%): 5.67

KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: The site comprises a lightly wooded, hilly region in the south-east of the country next to the border with Ethiopia. The majority of the site is sparsely vegetated with low (4–5 m) Acacia spp. and seasonal herbaceous cover; vegetation is denser in the many small wadis, with occasional large Ficus trees. There are settlements at Ali Addé and Assâmo, with small gardens cultivated in the wadi at Assâmo. The whole site is used for livestock-grazing; the human population has been greatly augmented in recent years by several thousand refugees from Somalia.

Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance because it meets one or more previously established criteria and thresholds for identifying sites of biodiversity importance (including Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites, and Key Biodiversity Areas)

Additional biodiversity: See Box and Table 2 for key species. Six of the Somali–Masai biome species are only known in Djibouti from this site. In addition, two Sahara–Sindian species and one Sahel biome species have also been recorded (see Table 2). The red-tailed Pytilia melba soudanensis occurs here, replacing the taxonomically indeterminate yellow-tailed form that has been seen in sites DJ001 and DJ002. Buteo augur also occurs and Circaetus gallicus has been recorded wintering. Non-bird biodiversity: Among mammals, the only Djibouti records of Dorcatragus megalotis (VU) are from two locations within the site, while Papio hamadryas (LR/nt), Litocranius walleri (LR/cd) and the tree Dracaena ombet (EN) also occur.

Habitats

Land use: agriculture

IUCN Habitat	Coverage %	Habitat detail
Grassland	49
Rocky Areas(e.g., inland cliffs, mountain peaks)	50

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Overgrazing and firewood-collection are both long-term problems, which are likely to have been exacerbated by the influx of refugees from Somalia.

Additional information