biological diversity and tropical forests in tunisia - PART

B. Fauna
There are several islands that provide nestfng habitat, especially for
flamingos. In 1972, c. 10,000 flamingos were recorded breeding at Sidi el
Haci (carp 1980). Lesser numbers breed there fairly regularly, making the
site of international importance. The frequency of nestkng may have
decreased in recent years.
Excessive salt also restricts the invertebrate fauna and therefore
bird use is lower than that of other aebkhets, such as Kelbia. A variety
of waders pass through on migration and permanent residents of the
adjacent area include palm dove, great grey shrike, fulvous babbler,
lesser short-toed lark and crested lark.
C. Icflaences
Human influences include cultivation close to the edge of the lake and
some egg collecting by local villagers (carp 1980). The ecosystem would
be secsitive to alterations in the watershed feeding the lake.
3.3.2.6. Sebkhet El Djem
Twelve kilometers south of the city of El Djem, 50 km north of Sfax,
and 20 km west of the sea, is the 3,000 ha Sebkhet El Djem. Water depths
reach 3 - 4 m when the lake is full, but it is frequently dry in summer.
The s-~rroundicg region is rolling hills, cultivated to cereals and olives.
A. Vegetation
The south shore is fairly steep and there is only a narrow band of
halophile vegetation. On the north side the halophiles extend for 100 -
300 m over the gently sloping terraic.
There are several small islands and 2 larger islands that provide
nesting cover for black-winged stilts, flamingos and avocets. which
cested there ic the early 1970~~ but may no longer breed there regularly
(M. Smart, pers. comm.). Other birds reported for Sebkhet El Djem (carp
1980, Morgan 1982, Van Di jk 1986) include:
Pochard (over 10,000) Little stint Great grey shrike
Coot (33,000) Kentish plover Blackbird
tn White-headed duck (349) Hoopoe Song thrush
c Collared pratincole Swallow Fulvous babbler
Cream colored courser Crane Short-toed lark
c Slecder-billed gull Rock dove Chaffinch
c Cull-billed tern Palm dove Starlicg
Lesser short-toed lark
n = Nesticg Bsrds
t = Threatened Species