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Walia Special Edition on the Bale Mountains (2011) - Zoologische ...

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comparis<strong>on</strong> we see <strong>the</strong> rarest land cover class is glades, covering a mere 1-3% over <strong>the</strong> study period<br />

(Table 2). It is clear that distinct vegetati<strong>on</strong> z<strong>on</strong>ing occurs depending <strong>on</strong> altitudinal range (Fig. 3).<br />

In areas of higher elevati<strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> landscape is dominated by Afroalpine vegetati<strong>on</strong> c<strong>on</strong>taining pasture,<br />

shrubland–grassland, woodland and Erica, whereas <strong>the</strong> lower altitudinal belts are largely covered<br />

by tropical m<strong>on</strong>tane forest. A sharp cline in vegetati<strong>on</strong> types is observed down <strong>the</strong> steep escarpment<br />

throughout <strong>the</strong> central belt of <strong>the</strong> study area. Here shrubland cover becomes Erica forest which<br />

lower down becomes m<strong>on</strong>tane forest. This variability in land cover classes occurs within a distance<br />

of 10 km and from an altitude of 3200 m a.s.l. to 2000 m a.s.l.<br />

Figure 3. Maps showing <strong>the</strong> Land cover of <strong>the</strong> study area prepared by supervised classificati<strong>on</strong> for<br />

(A) 1973, (B) 2000 and (C) 2005<br />

SHR-GL-PAS<br />

PAS<br />

HEL<br />

ESH<br />

EF<br />

OWL<br />

MF<br />

GLA<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>Walia</str<strong>on</strong>g>-<str<strong>on</strong>g>Special</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Editi<strong>on</strong></str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Bale</strong> <strong>Mountains</strong> 124

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