Steppe de Gafsa (6947)
Tunisia, Africa

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Year of last assessment: 2016

National site name: Steppe de Gafsa

Central coordinates: Latitude: 34.5962, Longitude: 8.7120

Elevation (m): 150 to 150

Area of KBA (km²): 243.57748

KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: This site includes the area to the north of the town of Gafsa, bounded by Oued el Kebir and Oued Sidi Aich, and comprises large areas of grassland dominated by Stipa tenacissima, with Juniperus phoenicea occurring commonly in the hills. Average annual rainfall is less than 150 mm.

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) KBA identified in the CEPF Ecosystem Profile of the Mediterranean Hotspot (2017). Taxonomy, nomenclature and global threat category follow the 2016 IUCN Red List.

Additional biodiversity: See Box and Table 2 for key species. Also common in this sub-desert region are Falco biarmicus, Cursorius cursor, Pterocles orientalis and Oenanthe deserti. Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.

Habitats

Land use: agriculture | hunting

IUCN Habitat	Coverage %	Habitat detail
Artificial - Terrestrial	48
Grassland	48
Wetlands(Inland)	5

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The main threats are poaching of gamebirds and increasing desertification due to the ploughing up of the grasslands for agriculture.

Threat level 1	Threat level 2	Threat level 3	Timing
Agriculture & aquaculture	Annual & perennial non-timber crops	Small-holder farming	Ongoing
Biological resource use	Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals	Intentional use (species being assessed is the target)	Ongoing

Additional information