Edough massif
Encyclopedia
Maghreb
The Maghreb is the region of Northwest Africa, west of Egypt. It includes five countries: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Mauritania and the disputed territory of Western Sahara...
area in Northern Africa.
These mountains are located in the Kabylie
Kabylie
Kabylie or Kabylia , is a region in the north of Algeria.It is part of the Tell Atlas and is located at the edge of the Mediterranean Sea. Kabylia covers several provinces of Algeria: the whole of Tizi Ouzou and Bejaia , most of Bouira and parts of the wilayas of Bordj Bou Arreridj, Jijel,...
region and are a segment of the alpine chain of eastern Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
. The Edough massif stretches between the Cap de la Garde Peninsula and the Cap de Fer massif.
Its highest point is the Bou Zizi (1008 m) between Annaba
Annaba
Annaba is a city in the northeastern corner of Algeria near the river Seybouse. It is located in Annaba Province. With a population of 257,359 , it is the fourth largest city in Algeria. It is a leading industrial centre in eastern Algeria....
and El Marsa
El Marsa
El Marsa is a town in Algiers Province, Algeria. The population is 11,860.- External links :*...
.
Geological type: Miocene
Miocene
The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about . The Miocene was named by Sir Charles Lyell. Its name comes from the Greek words and and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern sea invertebrates than the Pliocene. The Miocene follows the Oligocene...
crystalline metamorphic
Metamorphic rock
Metamorphic rock is the transformation of an existing rock type, the protolith, in a process called metamorphism, which means "change in form". The protolith is subjected to heat and pressure causing profound physical and/or chemical change...
core complex.
Ecology
The Edough massif has a Mediterranean forest cover where the cork oakCork Oak
Quercus suber, commonly called the Cork Oak, is a medium-sized, evergreen oak tree in the section Quercus sect. Cerris. It is the primary source of cork for wine bottle stoppers and other uses, such as cork flooring. It is native to southwest Europe and northwest Africa.It grows to up to 20 m,...
, a hardy Mediterranean tree, predominates. Snow is not rare in the winter and the mountains are often covered with fog, which allows ferns to grow among the undergrowth. This forest is very vulnerable to fire. Vast surfaces have been devoured by the flames in the last decades.
The Edough Massif was the last home of the lion
Lion
The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
s (Panthera leo) in North Africa. The last lion of Algeria was killed in the Edough massif in 1890.
The Edough massif is the natural habitat of the Edough Ribbed Newt (Pleurodeles poireti
Pleurodeles poireti
The Algerian Ribbed Newt, Edough Ribbed Newt, Poiret's Newt, or Triton de Poiret is a species of salamander in the Salamandridae family.It is found only in the Edough massif, in the North East of Algeria....
), an endangered species.