biological diversity and tropical forests in tunisia - PART

3.3.1.7. Bahiret el Bebane (~ibane.~agoon)
Bahiret el Bibane is on the southeant coast of Tunisia, only 15 km
from the Libyan border. The lagoon is approximately 35 km long and has an
area of c.30,000 ha. Large sand bars separate the lagoon from the sea,
but there is a sizable outlet allowtng free interchange of water. The
lagoon is shallow with a sandy bottom over a limestone substrate.
A. Vegetation
Upland areas around the lagoon are vegetated by associations typical
of the southern Subdesertic Littoral Steppe (Section 3.5.3). The edge
vegetation is composed of halophile associations dominated by:
Halocnemum sp. Atrfplex sp
Zygophyllum album Juncus sp
NAS Limoniastrum guyonianum . Lygeum spartum
NAS = North African Sahara Endemic
The islands at the entrance to the lagoon are rich in nesting birds
(0lney 19651, notably several species of Laridae such as slender-billed
g-dl, caspian tern and gull-billed tern (carp 1980). Large numbers of
migrating birds (see figure 4) pass through or winter at the lagoon,
incladicg the threatened white stork.
Bahiret el Bibane is encircled by roads, some of which run along the
water's edge. Fishing and hunting is common at the lake, but not at
excessively high levels.