The Socotra Island xeric shrublands is a terrestrial ecoregion that covers the large island of Socotra and several smaller islands that constitute the Socotra Archipelago. The archipelago is in the western Indian Ocean, east of the Horn of Africa and south of the Arabian Peninsula. Politically the archipelago is part of Yemen, and lies south of the Yemeni mainland.
Socotra has a uniquely diverse ecosystem. The islands are home to a high number of endemic species; up to a third of its plant life is endemic. It has been described as "the most alien-looking place on Earth."[2]
Socotra is considered the jewel of biodiversity in the Arabian Sea.[3] In the 1990s, a team of United Nations biologists conducted a survey of the archipelago's flora and fauna. They counted nearly 700 endemic species, found nowhere else on earth; only New Zealand,[4] Hawaii, New Caledonia, and the Galápagos Islands have more impressive numbers.[5] In 2008 Socotra was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[6]
The ecoregion is at increasing risk from human activities. The WWF describes the Socotra Archipelago's conservation status as "Critical/Endangered".[7][8][9]
^Eric Dinerstein, David Olson, et al. (2017). An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm, BioScience, Volume 67, Issue 6, June 2017, Pages 534–545; Supplemental material 2 table S1b. [1]
^Huntingford, George Wynn Brereton (1980). The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea. Hakluyt Society. p. 103. ISBN 978-0-904180-05-3.
^FACTBOX-Socotra, jewel of biodiversity in Arabian Sea. Reuters, 2008-04-23
^Taonga, New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu. "1 – Native plants and animals – overview – Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand". www.teara.govt.nz. Retrieved 2017-06-09.
^Burdick, Alan (25 March 2007). "The Wonder Land of Socotra". T Magazine. The New York Times. Retrieved 9 November 2009.
^"EU to protect Socotra archipelago environment". Saba Net. Yemen News Agency (SABA). 15 April 2008.
^"Islands east of the Horn of Africa and south of Yemen". WWF. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
^"Socotra Island xeric shrublands". Global Species. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
^"Socotra Island xeric shrublands". EOL. 6 May 2014. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
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