biological diversity and tropical forests in tunisia - PART

and the second association is composed of moderately to strongly halophile
species, iccluding
Salicornia (several sp) Halocnemwn etrobilaceum
Arthrocnemum indicum Halopeplis amplexicaulis
.Marine Flora. The marine flora of the Gulf of Hammamet is
characterized by eome of the same algae species as are found in the Gulf
of Tunis (section 3.1.2), but the overall species composition is closer to
that of the Gulf of Cabes (section 3.1.4).
B. Fauna
Mammals. Jackals, red fox and Egyptian mongoose prey on' brown hare
Algeriac hedgehogs Erinaceus algirus and small rodents, such as jerboa
Jaculus oriectalis and the North African endemics Shaw's jird Meriones
- shawi an-erbillus campestris (~ernard 1969). At Cap Bon wild
boars occasionally venture from the hills into coastal areas, but it is
not their primary habitat.
Birds. Duricg migratioc periods thousands of shorabirds rest on the
shoras a ~ d in the sebkhets along the Gulf of Hammamet. Most of the
species that visit the rest of the Tunisian coast also stop between El
Haouaria and Rass Kaboudia. During the summer, the number of birds and
species is gr6atly reduced; however, in July of 1987 the following species
were commor. or ware begiming to arrive in the area:
C. Influences
Gannet
Grey heror.
Little 5gret
Flamicgo
Shelduck
Oystercatcher
Avocet
Black-winged stilt
Ringed plover
Kectish plover
Little stint
Temminck' s stint
Little ricged plover
Commoc sandpiper
Curlew sandpiper
Spotted redshank
Redshank
Greenshank
Black-tailed godwit
Slender-billed gull
Little gull
Herring gall
Mediterranean gull
Caspian tern
Little tern
Black tern
Palm dove
Hoopoe
Collared pratincole
Swallow
Great grey shrike
Fan-tailed warbler
Thousands of people go to the beaches daily during the eummer;
especially near Nabeul, Hammamet and Sousse. Large areas of coastline
have been developed for tourism (hotels, managed beaches) and other areas
have been degraded by heavy pedestrian and vehicle traffic. Hunting and
poaching occurs in the coastal sebkhets and cultivation has broken up many
of the halophile zoces. The Gulf of Hammamet is fished by individual and
commercial opera tors. Overfishicg and pollution are affecting the size,
quantity acd quality of the catch.