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Africa Climate and Vegetation

Africa has a variety of climates and vegetation types due to its proximity to the equator and changes in elevation. In the north and south, deserts like the Sahara experience high temperatures and little rainfall. Between the deserts lie savannas with seasonal rainfall and grasslands dotted with trees. Near the equator are rainforests with daily rainfall and complex ecosystems, though the soil is low in nutrients. Drought and desertification threaten some bordering semi-arid regions like the Sahel. Elevation also impacts climate, with cooler temperatures at higher elevations.

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KISAKYE ANTHONY
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296 views13 pages

Africa Climate and Vegetation

Africa has a variety of climates and vegetation types due to its proximity to the equator and changes in elevation. In the north and south, deserts like the Sahara experience high temperatures and little rainfall. Between the deserts lie savannas with seasonal rainfall and grasslands dotted with trees. Near the equator are rainforests with daily rainfall and complex ecosystems, though the soil is low in nutrients. Drought and desertification threaten some bordering semi-arid regions like the Sahel. Elevation also impacts climate, with cooler temperatures at higher elevations.

Uploaded by

KISAKYE ANTHONY
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Africa

Climate
and
Vegetation
Climate

 equator runs straight through the


middle of Africa, high temperatures
 both Tropic of Cancer and Capricorn –
the Tropics—hot and wet or hot and
dry
 climate is mild the farthest from the
equator—N and S tips
Elevation
 as elevation increases, temperatures
decrease
 some mountain peaks with snow never melt
even though on the equator
Rainfall

 Africa as whole gets plenty—it is just


unevenly distributed
 Cairo=1 inch a year
 Nairobi, Kenya=38 inches a year
 rain comes and goes, seasons, huge
uncertainty
 drought—
period of
time with
little or no
rainfall
 rainforest—
rain every
day
 savanna—
rain is
seasonal
Rainforest
 along equator, high temps
and tons of rain
 complex ecosystem, plants
living on plants, many
levels, canopy at top
 soil is not fertile –too much rain washes
away nutrients—leaching
 main areas are western and central Africa
 rainforests are threatened because of
farming, logging, roads and mining
Savanna

 large open areas of grassland with few


trees and bush
 largest areas south of Sahara
 warm temps and rainfall in the
summer
 baobab trees—tall and spindly
branches, acacia trees--umbrellas
 great deal of wildlife, large animals
Sahel

 semiarid land just south of Sahara, dry


grasslands
 a transition zone between Savanna and
Desert, desertification—fires, erosion, animals
 hot temps, a little rain that is seasonal and
sometimes not at all
Deserts
 -north and south of the equator
 Sahara in the north, Namib and
Kalahari in the south
 all incredibly hot and dry, contain
mountains
 Sahara=largest in world, sand, rock,
gravel
 equal to the continental US, all
elevations

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