Mount Hombori is an important location for biodiversity in the Sahel, with 150 different species of plants along with various species of mammals, birds, reptiles, and insects on its two-square-kilometer plateau surface.
In contrast to the surface of the plateau, the surrounding 10,000 square kilometers of flatlands contain only about 200 different species of plants.
A major contributing factor to Hombori's biodiversity is a lack of cattle grazing at the summit, which is protected on all sides by sheer cliffs.
[2] Mount Hombori is home to some animal species, namely reptiles and birds, but also some species of mammals including the rock hyrax and olive baboon.
[3] Mount Hombori is a significant archaeological site, with caves inhabited more than 2,000 years ago.