SAHARA DESERT : TENERE

  
Central Sahara with the 5 Mountain areas (gooogle maps)

The Sahara is the largest hot desert of the world. With its 9,000,000 square kilometers it is 26 times larger than Germany. The Sahara expands over eleven states in the north of Africa.

GEOMORPHOLOGY

Only 20 per cent of the Sahara is covered by sand. Labyrinth-like sandstone formations, volcanic mountain areas, high plateaus and gravel plains are only a few of the geomorphologic formations in the Sahara (Busche 1998). A great variety of rock formations make up the area the nomads live in.

The “Tuareg” society live in the Sahel and in and around five mountain ranges in the Sahara: the Ahaggar, Ahnet, Azjer, Air and Adrar mountains.

CLIMATE

Big fluctuations in temperature shape the arid climate of the Central Sahara. During winter nights the temperature can drop below zero, while during winter days it can climb as high as 30 °C. On summer days the temperature can reach over 50 °C. The average precipitation does not reach more than 100 mm per year.

 A new scientific study on the greening of the Sahel. The main reason for the greening of the Sahara and the Sahel has been an increase in rainfall since the mid-1980s. LINK

FLORA

Tamarisk and acacias trees are the most noticeable plants in the Sahara desert. Only a few resistant plants grow in the valleys of the Central Sahara. The Central Sahara is one of the poorest regions concerning the abundance of species on earth. Nomads have knowledge on how to use the plants in the desert and they know which plants their animals prefer to eat.
After heavy rain delicate little plants grow even on dunes.

 

COMMON TREES:

 

Tabarakkat / Tibarakkatin (Tamarisk)

The tamarisk is a widely spread tree species in the Sahara desert. It often grows on earth banks. It is used by nomads as cover from the sun and windbreakers, because it is thornless. The nomads use the tree as firewood. But it is not well liked as it produces a lot of smoke. Goats like to eat the long leaves of the tamarisk. Tea made of the leaves is used by the nomad women as medicine.

Absar / Ibsaren ("Male" Acacias)

The umbrella-like acacia has long, strong thorns and small leaves. Children like to eat the green bean-pods and the resin. The young animals are fed with pods (Amellege) and leaves (Ella) in the winter season. The firewood of the acacia is preferred by the nomads, because it produces less smoke. The branches are used for building pens for the young animals.

Tamat / Timatten ("Female" Acacia)

This plant is bush-like and has thorns and small leaves. The tree has little yellow blossoms  in the spring. The nomad women use the bark for tanning skins. The resin can be large, but the resin of the absar is better liked. Good firewood. The branches are often very long and straight, therefore nomad women use the wood for building racks.

Taggart (large Acacia species)
This acacia is very large. Nomad women use the black dried pods to tan skin. The tree is rare in the Sahara.

 

COMMON PLANTS:

Alkad/Ilkadan  (Colocynth)

Goats like to eat the bitter cucumber, but it is not edible for people. The fruits are the size of a grapefruit.

Afezu (Dry Grass Species)

Afazo is an important forage plant for dromedaries and small livestock. The ash of the bush is mixed with tobacco. The blades of grass are used to make mats (Esebar).

Tullult/Tullutin (Nard Grass)
This bush often grows on small sand heaps. Nomads use it as a windbreaker. Sheep like to eat it, goats not as much.

Alwat (Crucifers)

Alwat is a cabbage-like plant, which is rich in water and grows after the rainfalls in autumn. Dromedaries like to eat it. It can get as large as a big bush und has blue blossoms. It is edible, but nowadays it is no longer used as food. It is a typical winter plant, which is used as dried food (hay) in summer.

Tanetfirt (Fleawort)

This plant is often found in the Central Sahara. It looks like camonile and has yellow blossoms. It is a good forage plant, but makes the milk of the dromedaries taste bitter. The nomads use the plant to cover their huts in summer.

Abellengad (Mignonette)

This plant looks like a Cretan bear’s tail. Dromedaries eat them, but it makes the milk of the dromedaries taste bitter and their skin starts to itch. The black seeds of the plant are used by nomad women as medicine.

Turha (Sodom apple)

The leaves of the large scrubs are filled with toxic milky juice. The rubbery leaves are eaten by the goats. The plant has large oval fruits. The wood is used as building material, because it is very light. The nomads sometimes use the wood as firewood, but it creates a lot of smoke.

Afalahlah (Henbane)
The solanum has meaty leaves and is very toxic. It has small blue blossoms.

 

FAUNA

Darkling beetles, ants, lizards, mice, fennecs, birds and gazelles are part of the rich Saharan fauna. Jackals are the enemy of the nomads, because they kill their livestock. Scorpions and vipers can be dangerous for people especially in summer. Humans and animals live in an extreme environment, where only a good knowledge about the conditions in the desert guarantees survival.

 

Terms of animals in  Tamahaq