Biodiversity in Tunisia (TUN)
| FishBase | Complete | Literature | Reference | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Families | Species | Families | |||
| Marine | 456 | 203 | No | |||
| Freshwater | 4 | 1 | Yes | Vatova, A., 1975 | ||
| Total | 471 | 209 | No | |||
Ref. Vatova, A., 1975
| Conservation | The following information is to be sought: - Status of knowledge of the freshwater fauna; - Existence of conservation plans; - Information on major aquatic habitats or sites within the country; - Current major threats to species; - Future potential threats to species; - Contact(s) for further information. |
| Geography and Climate |
Tunisia has an area of 15,536 sq. km. The Atlas Mountains dominate the topography of the northern part of the country, rising to a maximum elevation of 1,544 m asl. The south is mainly desert (40% of the total land area). The interior is hot and dry, while the coastal zone is more moderate. The north generally receives adequate rainfall. Due to low runoff and high salinities water quantity and quality limit irrigation agriculture in most parts of the country. Ref. Vanden Bossche, J.-P. and G.M. Bernacsek, 1990 |
| Hydrography |
Lakes: Kelbia (100 sq. km.) and Sidi Mansour (35 sq. km.) are the two largest low-salinity lakes. There are several others of less than 1.0 sq. km. A number of salt lakes and marshes occur in the country, some of large basin size (i.e., Chott Djerid, 4,580 sq. km.; Chott Fedjadj, 570 sq. km.; Sabkhet Sidi El Hani, 360 sq. km.). The term "chott" or "sebkha" defines a non-permanent water body (swamp or lake), submitted to the occurrence of seasonal precipitation.
Rivers, floodplains and swamps: four small river systems discharge into the Mediterranean Sea; the Oued Medjerda is the largest of these. Several landlocked rivers discharge into salt lakes. Total national runoff is only 2.5 sq. km./year of rainfall of 33 cu. km./year (90% is lost as evaporation).
Reservoirs: there are 14 large dams/reservoirs with a combined area of over 176 sq. km. The two largest are Bourguiba-Saad (90 sq. km.) and Sidi Salem (43 sq. km.). The total impounded volume is 1.451 cu. km. or 58% of total annual runoff. There are some 15 small earthen dams which store irrigation and potable water. Combined area is circa 2.0 sq. km. There are also small reservoirs associated with nine principal oases, with a combined area of 0.03 sq. km.
Coastal lagoons: there are seven important coastal lagoons with a combined surface area of 5550 sq. km.; the largest are Bibane (230 sq. km.), Bizerte (150 sq. km.) and Ichekeul (100 sq. km.). Ref. Vanden Bossche, J.-P. and G.M. Bernacsek, 1990 |