Al-Madow Mountain Forest

Somalia is a home for a great number of endemic plant species which are unique to the local ecological conditions. Some of these species are not found anywhere else in the world. One of the distinctive areas for indigenous plant species is Al-Madow, a dense mountain forest in northern Somalia, extending from several kilometers west of Bossaso to northwest of Erigavo with an altitude of 700 to 800 m above sea level. It peaks at almost 2500 m in Shimbiris, northwest of Erigavo. The mean annual rainfall in Al-Madow is high, ranging from 750 to 850 mm in addition to winter rains, fog and mist. As a result of favorable climatic conditions, the area has richer flora and fauna than many other parts of Somalia, and harbors some of the rarest and most localized animal and plant species.

Studies conducted in 1995 by a team of botanists from Uppsala University in Sweden constitute the most extensive botanical survey ever done in the area.  The study concluded that the area houses important germplasm which requires protection from overexploitation and destruction by humans.  The team recommended that the local forest should be conserved as a national reserve, as it plays an important role in the mountain range’s ecosystem and represents a valuable natural resource.  In addition, the forest offers unique opportunities for education and research.

Among the various species in the area is a plant locally known as Sallama. It is one of the plant species used by the small-scale farmers in the area as a biological agent to protect their crops (mainly vegetables) against insects and diseases.  In order to produce this agent, the plant leaves are collected and fermented for about two weeks. Then the solution is used as a spray against the pests.  Farmers claim that this practice controls insect and disease damages but the level and the extent of the control has yet to be quantified. Further scientific study is required to verify this claim. Other species of economical important include Frankincense and Myrrha which produce resins that are valuable and are marketed row or through the extraction of essential oils that are used for perfumes and have medicinal properties.

With the lack of proper government policies for plant utilization and conservation, the local plant species are threatened, as well as the livestock which depend on these plants. The numerous under-exploited plants indigenous to Al-Madow ensure that a proper study and assessment would yield benefits both to the region’s human inhabitants and to agricultural and medical sciences in general. SATG in partnership with Horn Relief is planning to carry out the identification of plant species used in crop protection and in traditional medicinal practices. Detailed exploratory and conservation studies of the Al-Madow mountain range are needed to ascertain the present status of these areas, and to provide guidelines for and highlight the benefits of sustainable agricultural practices in the face of scarce forest resources.