# Sanetti Plateau > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Sanetti_Plateau > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Sanetti_Plateau.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanetti_Plateau > Source revision: 1328348892 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) High plateau in Ethiopia Sanetti Plateau in Ethiopia. [Ethiopian wolf](/source/Ethiopian_wolf) with *Helichrysum citrispinum* - both are endemic species The **Sanetti Plateau** is a major [plateau](/source/Plateau) of the [Ethiopian Highlands](/source/Ethiopian_Highlands), in the [Oromia Region](/source/Oromia_Region) of [Ethiopia](/source/Ethiopia). The plateau is the highest part of the [Bale Mountains](/source/Bale_Mountains), and is located within [Bale Mountains National Park](/source/Bale_Mountains_National_Park).[1] ## Geography The plateau exceeds 4000 meters in elevation, and its highest point is [Mount Tullu Dimtu](/source/Mount_Tullu_Dimtu) at 4,377 metres (14,360 ft). The southern edge of the plateau forms a steep [escarpment](/source/Escarpment), known as the Harenna escarpment, which descends from 3800 to 2800 meters elevation. The northern slopes drain into the [Shebelle River](/source/Shebelle_River), and the southern slopes are drained by tributaries of the [Ganale River](/source/Ganale_Doria_River), including the [Weyib](/source/Weyib_River). The southern slopes receive higher rainfall, generally 1000 mm or more annually, while the northern slopes are in the drier [rain shadow](/source/Rain_shadow) of the mountains. ## Flora and fauna The highest portion of the plateau, from approximately 3800 to 4377 meters, is covered by [Afroalpine](/source/Afroalpine) vegetation, including *[Helichrysum](/source/Helichrysum)* shrublands, [tussock grasslands](/source/Tussock_grass) with *[Festuca abyssinica](/source/Festuca_abyssinica)* predominant, and groves of the giant lobelia *[Lobelia rhynchopetalum](/source/Lobelia_rhynchopetalum)*. A belt of low [ericaceous](/source/Erica_(plant)) 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](/source/Erica_arborea)* and *[Erica trimera](/source/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](/source/Ethiopian_montane_moorlands) ecoregion, and the plateau is the largest Afroalpine area in the Ethiopian Highlands.[2] The [Harenna Forest](/source/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](/source/Yushania_alpina)*) and cloud forest dominated by *[Hagenia abyssinica](/source/Hagenia_abyssinica)*. The drier northern slopes include some remnant woodlands of *Hagenia abyssinica*, [African juniper](/source/Juniperus_procera) (*Juniperus procera*), and *[Hypericum revolutum](/source/Hypericum_revolutum)* below 3400 meters elevation. Much of the north slope's original dry woodland has been cleared for agriculture and pasture.[2] This region is known for its [mammals](/source/Mammal), [amphibians](/source/Amphibian) and [birds](/source/Bird) including many [endemic](/source/Endemic_(ecology)) species. The plateau's afroalpine grasslands and shrublands are home to the largest population of the endangered [Ethiopian wolf](/source/Ethiopian_wolf) (*Canis simensis*). The endangered [mountain nyala](/source/Mountain_nyala) (*Tragelaphus buxtoni*) is found in the subalpine and upper montane woodlands. The [Bale shrew](/source/Bale_shrew) (*Crocidura bottegoides*) is found only in the afroalpine grasslands of the plateau and clearings in the adjacent high-mountain forests.[3] The Sanetti Plateau once was habitat to packs of the [endangered](/source/Endangered) [painted hunting dog](/source/African_wild_dog), (*Lycaon pictus*) but the presence of this canid is now in question here due to the [population pressures of expanding human presence](/source/Human_overpopulation).[4] ## See also - [Bale Mountains topics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Bale_Mountains) - [Geography of Oromia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Geography_of_Oromia) ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-biodiversity_1-0)** 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](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-7923-4095-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-7923-4095-9) 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Bussmann_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Bussmann_2-1) Bussmann, Rainer W. (2006). "Vegetation zonation and nomenclature of African Mountains - An overview". *Lyonia* Volume 11(1), June 2006. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Lavrenchenko_3-0)** Lavrenchenko, Leonid. (2000). The mammals of the isolated Harenna Forest (southern Ethiopia): Structure and history of the fauna. *Bonner Zoologische Monographien*. 46. 223-231. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** C. Michael Hogan. 2009. [*Painted Hunting Dog: Lycaon pictus*, GlobalTwitcher.com, ed. N. Stromberg](https://web.archive.org/web/20101209234758/http://globaltwitcher.auderis.se/artspec_information.asp?thingid=35993) ## External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Sanetti Plateau](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Sanetti_Plateau). --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Sanetti Plateau](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanetti_Plateau) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanetti_Plateau?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.