biological diversity and tropical forests in tunisia - PART

2. BACKGROUND INFOREATIOC ON TUNISIA
2.1 . THE COUNTRY
Betveec Algeria acd Ljbya 5s Tucisia, the coiictry with the
corthercmost extecsioc ic Africa. The smallest of the Haghreb cations
(16 millioc hectares), Tiicisia has a rich cultural acd social heritage,
as well as a diversity of catural ecosystems. Macy empires have played a
role ic the history of Tunisia, racgicg from Phoenicians through the
Romans, Byzactices, Arabs and Ottomac Turks, to the French. Uclike the
other Maghreb catiocs, the Arab icvasiocs in Tunjsia were so thorough that
the origical Berber popdatioc cow ocly represects 1 % of the total;
cocficed mainly to the moiir.taics in the northwest and the dry soiitherc
parts of the couctry. The total cat.ioca1 populatioc ic mid-:985 was
7,259,000.
Xbo~t 355 of Picisia's labor force is icvolved ic agricdtiire; growing
wheat, barley, olives acd cltriis fruit (76 of arable lard) or raising
sheep, goats, cattle acd camels. Thus, 25% of Tiicisia is cultivated acd
grazicg ccccs OE nost xc.ilt:vated acd ucdeveloped lard.
2.2. CLIMATE
I?-e to the varied topDgraphy, extecsjve coastline, long !I-S axis acd
the presecce of the Sahara desert, the climatic cocditiocs of Tucisia vary
greatly thro~gho~t. the coiictry. Yearly raicfalls vary from a few
millineters Ic the soiith to over 7500 mm ic the cortherc moiictaics.
Raicfall is nost. ab::cdart ic spricg and autumc, with the lowest percentage
ic snrnmer. Scow falls or macy of the higher mouctaic peaks, biit
csually melt.s ic 2 matter of days.
o
Tem erat.;res vary from below 0 C duricg wicter ic the moiictaics to
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over 50 ic the snmer south of Cafsa. However, ic most of the couctry
the tenpsrat~res are noderated by the Mediterraceac Sea. Temperature and
precip5 tatioc deta for locatiocs ic each goiivercorat ( admicistrative
district) are giver ic Table 1.
Wicds are also affected by the Hediterraceac, and daily lard breezes
acd sea breezes occur along most of the coast, as well as frequent
strocger wicds. Ac inportact wicd-related climate factor is the
occcrrecce of Sirocco virds, which are hot, dry wicds from the Sahara that
dessicate vegetatioc acd soils in the summer.
A system of classifyicg temperatiire acd precipitatioc data, used
widely Sc the literat~re oe !lorth Africac biological diversity is that of
bioclinetes. Bi oclimates are based or temperature and precipi tatioc data
zsicg Fkberger's ?iotj ect , obtaiced bg the followirg form~la :