Green Treasures of Daallo Mountains
Daallo is the green paradise of Somalia.
Daallo or as it is officially known, Golis range mountains are located near the town of Erigavo, in the middle of the Sanaag region in Northern Somalia. Daallo Mountains have an elevation of some 4000 feet and the distance to the white-sand beach of Mayd, which is a paradise for lobster and fish lovers, is around 45 kilometers.
Sanaag, including Daallo, was historically inhabited by the ancient ancestors of most of the original Somali tribes. Compared to other parts of Somalia, which have often faced severe deforestation, Daallo is a totally unique place with its 60-miles-long thick forest comprising over 3000 different trees, shrubs and plants such as: Adenium, Damas tree, Green juniper, Acacia mellifera, Hayramat and Mooli flowers, Agave tree, Aloe vera, Buxus forest stand, Mira, and fruits of Dosoq (Buxus hildebrandtii) and other trees.
Some of the trees are 1000 years old. Also remnants of the ancient cedar forests may be found in Daallo – cedar tree is called Dayib in the Somali language. Many trees and plants found in Daallo also have medicinal value. Local people report that inhabitants of the mountainous Golis range area live long, over 90 years.
Upper cliff of the escarpment of the Surod Shimbiris (Juniper zone).
The evergreen vegetation of the Madar zone box tree (Buxus hildebrandtii).
Central cliff of Daallo with agave tree.
Guban pastoralists with goat and sheep have arrived to their temporary grazing area in the Surod meadow.
Upper cliff of the escarpment of Dalloo Arab (Juniper zone).
Western sector of the Daallo mountain with a thick forest of a variety of green vegetation.
Pastoralists on their route from Guban to Surod let their camels browse in the Madar zone.
Improved stage of honey production with a simple hive.
Signs of timber exploitation. The tree which has been cut down by an axe has been 30 to 40 years old.
A sort of man-made tunnel on the upper cliff on an escarpment.
Inner valleys of the plateau forest close to the escarpment.
Two kittens, one taking a nap and the other on guard, in the central Daallo forest.
Surface run off during a heavy rainfall in the evergreen zone.
The evergreen zone with Dodonaea viscosa and Cadia purpurea.
After Dayib trees have been cut off, shrub vegetation mainly consisting of Hayramat takes over the habitat. Inner valley South of Marso.
After mass exploitation of timber trees, without growing replacement some parts of Daallo are losing richness in vegetation and beauty.
Hussein Mohamed
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Photos: Courtesy of Abdinasser Ahmed Adam
Somaliland
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