{{Short description|High plateau in Ethiopia}} [[File:Sanetti Plateau, Ethiopia (9995206716).jpg|thumb|Sanetti Plateau in Ethiopia.]] [[File:Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis citernii).jpg|thumb|[[Ethiopian wolf]] with ''Helichrysum citrispinum'' - both are endemic species]] The '''Sanetti Plateau''' is a major [[plateau]] of the [[Ethiopian Highlands]], in the [[Oromia Region]] of [[Ethiopia]]. The plateau is the highest part of the [[Bale Mountains]], and is located within [[Bale Mountains National Park]].<ref name = biodiversity>L.J.G. van der Maesen, X.M. van der Burgt and J.M. van Medenbach de Rooy. 1994. ''The Biodiversity of African Plants: Proceedings, XIVth AETFAT Congress'', 22–27 August 1994, Wageningen, The Netherlands, Published by Springer, {{ISBN|978-0-7923-4095-9}}</ref>

==Geography== The plateau exceeds 4000 meters in elevation, and its highest point is [[Mount Tullu Dimtu]] at {{convert|4377|m|ft}}. The southern edge of the plateau forms a steep [[escarpment]], known as the Harenna escarpment, which descends from 3800 to 2800 meters elevation.

The northern slopes drain into the [[Shebelle River]], and the southern slopes are drained by tributaries of the [[Ganale Doria River|Ganale River]], including the [[Weyib River|Weyib]]. The southern slopes receive higher rainfall, generally 1000 mm or more annually, while the northern slopes are in the drier [[rain shadow]] of the mountains.

==Flora and fauna== The highest portion of the plateau, from approximately 3800 to 4377 meters, is covered by [[Afroalpine]] vegetation, including ''[[Helichrysum]]'' shrublands, [[tussock grass|tussock grasslands]] with ''[[Festuca abyssinica]]'' predominant, and groves of the giant lobelia ''[[Lobelia rhynchopetalum]]''. A belt of low [[Erica (plant)|ericaceous]] subalpine forest lies below the alpine zone, between 3800 and 3250 meters elevation, and extending up to 4000 meters in sheltered stream valleys. ''[[Erica arborea]]'' and ''[[Erica trimera]]'' are the characteristic plants, growing as shrubs or small trees. These alpine and subalpine plant communities are part of the [[Ethiopian montane moorlands]] ecoregion, and the plateau is the largest Afroalpine area in the Ethiopian Highlands.<ref name = Bussmann>Bussmann, Rainer W. (2006). "Vegetation zonation and nomenclature of African Mountains - An overview". ''Lyonia'' Volume 11(1), June 2006.</ref>

The [[Harenna Forest]] covers the southern slope of the Bale Mountains, below 3250 meters elevation. The upper elevations of the forest include extensive groves of bamboo (''[[Yushania alpina]]'') and cloud forest dominated by ''[[Hagenia abyssinica]]''. The drier northern slopes include some remnant woodlands of ''Hagenia abyssinica'', [[Juniperus procera|African juniper]] (''Juniperus procera''), and ''[[Hypericum revolutum]]'' below 3400 meters elevation. Much of the north slope's original dry woodland has been cleared for agriculture and pasture.<ref name =Bussmann/>

This region is known for its [[mammal]]s, [[amphibian]]s and [[bird]]s including many [[endemic (ecology)|endemic]] species. The plateau's afroalpine grasslands and shrublands are home to the largest population of the endangered [[Ethiopian wolf]] (''Canis simensis''). The endangered [[mountain nyala]] (''Tragelaphus buxtoni'') is found in the subalpine and upper montane woodlands. The [[Bale shrew]] (''Crocidura bottegoides'') is found only in the afroalpine grasslands of the plateau and clearings in the adjacent high-mountain forests.<ref name =Lavrenchenko>Lavrenchenko, Leonid. (2000). The mammals of the isolated Harenna Forest (southern Ethiopia): Structure and history of the fauna. ''Bonner Zoologische Monographien''. 46. 223-231.</ref>

The Sanetti Plateau once was habitat to packs of the [[endangered]] [[African wild dog|painted hunting dog]], (''Lycaon pictus'') but the presence of this canid is now in question here due to the [[Human overpopulation|population pressures of expanding human presence]].<ref>C. Michael Hogan. 2009. [https://web.archive.org/web/20101209234758/http://globaltwitcher.auderis.se/artspec_information.asp?thingid=35993 ''Painted Hunting Dog: Lycaon pictus'', GlobalTwitcher.com, ed. N. Stromberg]</ref>

==See also== * {{C|Bale Mountains|Bale Mountains topics}} * {{C|Geography of Oromia}}

== References == {{reflist}}

==External links== {{Commons category|position=left}}

{{coord missing|Ethiopia}}

[[Category:Plateaus of Africa]] [[Category:Landforms of Ethiopia]] [[Category:Bale Mountains]] [[Category:Ethiopian Highlands]] [[Category:Geography of Oromia]] [[Category:Ethiopian montane moorlands]]