6.

0 LESSON SIX VEGETATIVE COVER OF AFRICA

6.1 Introduction
This lesson introduces the learners to the vegetation types and their characteristics generally on the
African continent as related to other tropical zones around the whole world. Vegetation distribution and
some main factors that make floristic variations within the African continent have been highlighted.

6.2 Objectives
By the end of this lesson you should be able to:

a. Discuss the vegetative coverage and their general characteristics on the

African continent.
b. Describe the main factors influencing vegetation distribution, types in Africa.
c. Explain problems facing vegetation decline on the African continent.
d. Draw a map showing vegetation regions and types in Africa.

6.3 Vegetation diversification in Africa

Africa has a wide variety of vegetation and range from (or between) deserts to humid regions. In the
continent of Africa the vegetation doe vary from equatorial coast belts to the highest peaks of mountains of
Africa.

In many parts of Africa the quality of vegetation cover depends on the landform characteristics as
follows:

a) The spacing of the trees and their size.

b) The height of the grasses.
c) The resulting textural patterns in colour i.e. in either green or brown.
And also this is controlled by the estimatic regimes in floristic unposition depending on distances
from the water masses.

That is why the plants of north –west Africa are comparable to those of the Mediterranean zone.
Those plants of Sudan zone and the Sahara in south west Asia having the same climatic conditions.

The plants of Madagascar resemble those in some parts of Africa and south East Asia and
Madagascar have peculiar features which was separated during mid-tertiary periods.

But bigger parts of Africa the forest have been cleared for agricultural aims, hunters have also
burned savannah grasslands for driving out the animals or game.

Pastoralists have grazed their herds over the savannah grasslands exhausting some plants over the
years.

6.3.1 Tropical Rain Forest

Moist or Tropical Rain Forest is characterized by large number of tree species of different heights
and ages related to those forest of India and Malasia (Malaya). In places the canopy is open and some parts
the canopy is very closed.

Some forests are characterized by lianas, especially where young trees crowd together or in dense
formation.

Sometimes leaves and branches from canopies or layers into two three levels of over 40 to 50ft
above the ground, but some layers are at about 100ft where trees are extremely tall.

And the so called emergent tall trees obtain the height of 150ft or even higher than this level.

Tropical Rain Forest are usually confined to lowland zones where rainfall is equally distributed
throughout the year with annual rainfall totals of over 1500mm (about 60in.).

In dries margins the number of tree species of evergreen becomes less and less and the number of
deciduous trees increases. Here soil differences have a greater effect on the flora composition.

Such composition of the forest varies too with altitude, where forests above about 3000ft (about
1000m) including only 1/10 of the species normally found in the lowland rain forest.
 Such montane forests are scattered all across Africa, from Cameroon mountain to the highlands
bordering the rift valley and beyond to the slopes of the East Africa volcanic mountains to the east of rift
valley, where the assemblages of tree species found in each of these forests indicate a striking similarities.

In order to give evidence (or explain) to this situation there has been a suggestion that sometimes
during quaternary period when the climate was cooler than now, forest of the montane type may have
reached down much further to occupy a continues belt across the upland country of central Africa of which
the patches are merely (or little) remnants.

Within low-lying swampy zones, for especially near the Niger delta and on the floor of the Congo
basin, where rivers flood wide zones for months at a time, the forest trees are adapted to life in fresh- water
swamps and stand high on silt roots.

Around the coasts of east and west Africa, especially in the Niger delta, where alluvium is inundated
for much of the time with fresh or brackish water, the mangroves Risophera and Avicennia have colonized
the muds and overhang winding creeks and pools.

6.3.2 Tropical Savannah (i) Moist Woodland Savannah, (ii) Dry Woodland
Savannah
The term ‘Savannah’ means a mixture of grass and trees, but there are many kinds of savannah:

(i) Woodland grassland (as above no(i), having annual rainfall of 600-1370mm – i.e. open mixture
of trees and shrubs and tall growth of grass and common in most area of Uganda.
(ii) Woodland (as above no. (ii), with annual rainfall of 750-1120mm, i.e. with rather long dry
season.
Trees here form a mainly continuous cover over ground vegetation of grasses, herbs and shrubs e.g.
miombo woodland in much of Central Tanzania.

Usually, the term savannah is used to denote (indicate, the sign) the sub-humid tropical woodland
and grassland, which occupies the plateau region/area/one of south central and east Africa.
 This zone extends westward along the northern margins of the Congo River Basin to the Atlantic
coast south of the Gambia River.

A number of plant species in the northern part are closely related to those of Indian parts or some
regions in India. Others are more typical of south-central Africa.

The savannah flora south of the Equator is very rich in plants and a remarkable number of the plants
here are able to resist fire and drought. Brachystegia trees are among the most typical trees of south and east
Africa, and they are not found in West Africa.

Also (iii) bushland with 250-625mm having bushy trees and low grass cover in much of Eastern and
North-Eastern Kenya.

Some tall woodland trees such as chipya and marguesia woodland of Zambia, are not clearly
distinguishable from the rest of rain forest.

The savannah of the more humid areas of west Africa include large number of high-forest species
and are sometimes called derived savannah because they are believed to have replaced rain forest as a result
of human activities that interfered with more soundable tropical rain forest that altered the original or the
physiognomic form.

There are other formations, dominated by evergreen trees which lack the evergreen trees which lack
the physiogromic characteristics of rain forest and so are generally regarded as savannah.

Usually the boundary between savannah and high forest is very distinct, and such boundaries are
being sharpened every year by grass fires which are held up by islands and peninsulas of forest and sweep
through dry grasses, between gnarled fire resistant trees typical of savannah woodland.

6.3.3 Desert Steppe (Steppe and Desert)

Within the desert margins, where the mean annual rainfall decreases to less than 510mm (20in), the
proportion of thorny species in the woodland increases, grasses are shorter than in the more humid savannah
and plants are more specialized in their adaptation to drought conditions.
 As the rainfall decreases still further the gaps between plants increase and eventually vegetation is
confined mainly to the margins of storm-water channels and the borders of temporary lakes where trees such
as date-palms, tamarisk, and certain acacias can obtain water from soil at depth.

6.4 Vegetation Types Of Africa

There are about ten vegetation types in Africa. They are:

1. Moist forest (at low and medium altitude)

This type embraces Congo Basin, west Africa coast forest area, parts of central Africa ( Clarke, et.al.
1975)

2. Moist woodland savannah.

Outering of Congo Basin, west Africa coast up to Zambia – Mozambique coasts, central
Madagascar.

3. Dry woodland savannah.

A west east zone of savannah usually on edges of deserts –Sahara and Kalahari.

4. Wooded and grass steppe.

As No. 3 but occupies most parts of low Ethiopian plateau on low slopes Kalahari desert.

5. Desert steppe.

Mostly bordering with desert zones after the coastal desert of Namibia – southern end of Sahara.

6. Desert

Real Sahara desert and coast desert of Namibia.

7. Temperate and sub-tropical Grass land.

Northern-Eastern parts of Drakensburg mountain.

8. Mediterranean.
 West, North, East slopes of the atlas mountains.

9. Cape Macchia

Mostly occupies the south low slopes of cape ranges.

10. Mountain vegetation.

6.5 Climate and Vegetation

Natural Resources of Africa

The relationship between climate and vegetation is easily noticed in the continent of Africa.

Even with rapid removal of plant life by animal and man still extensive vegetation zones do exist.

The climate and its associated vegetation affects the patterns of life which man may determine to
lead and has a direct bearing on the economic development of a region

Climatic and vegetation zones are considered as natural areas and their economic values are usually
discussed together in the modern land use patterns.

Natural resources in Africa include:

a) Soil resources.
b) Vegetation resources.
c) Water resources: I rivers ii lakes, iii oceans, (iv) dams (v) swamps.
d) Mineral resources.
e) Energy resources.

6.6 Summary
In this lesson we have described the floristic variation within the Africa continent such variations
depend on a number of various factors that control the vegetational ranges and distribution on the African
continent from the coastal low-plains through African plaleax to the high mountain peaks of Africa.
Vegetation regions and types that vary from equatorial forests to desert and savannah types, determined
mainly by climatic regimes have been highlighted.

6.7 Review Questions

 Explain the factors influencing the vegetation distribution in Africa.
 Identify the major vegetation types and distribution over the African continent. Discuss at least
three main problems facing vegetation detoriation in Africa.
6.8 Definition of Key Words

Canopy – Hanging tree branches, almost touching each other forming

shelter below trees.

Savannah – Mixture of grass and trees within the tropical zones.

Physiognomy – Vegetative appearance of the height density plus cover

characteristics.

6.9 Further Reading

a) A.T Grove (1971) Africa, south of Sahara.
b) Clerke, et. al. (1975): an advanced Geography of Africa.
c) Richard White (1990): Africa in Focus; A physical, Human and Economic Geography.
d) W. J. Minnus (1991); geography of Africa.