Temperature in the equatorial forests of Africa. Climate zones? Moist equatorial forests of Africa. What plants grow in equatorial forests

02.05.2020

Our planet contains many amazing and interesting phenomena. In many countries there are some unique manifestations of nature, for example, in Russia it is impenetrable taiga, which makes up 90% of the country's vegetation, in deserts there are aged cacti, and evergreen moist equatorial forests grow on the line of the Earth's equator. Gilea or selva are located in the equatorial climatic zone, retreating several hundred kilometers in its southern and northern direction.

All year round temperature in these areas, on average, it is 25-28°C above zero, while during the day the air heats up to 35-40°C, and at night it drops to 10-15°C. It has practically no fluctuations and this is the place where the real summer dominates all 365 days of the year with maximum exposure to ultraviolet rays.

Moving closer to the subequatorial and tropical zones, as well as rising to the mountains, the average monthly indicator of atmospheric heating decreases by 2-4 ° C, respectively, in summer for the Southern Hemisphere and in winter for the Northern Hemisphere.

Moist equatorial forests have a climate, as is already clear, rainy. They fall in the form of rainstorms, accompanied by thunderstorms, and in a year they always reach a mark of more than 1,500 mm, having a large amplitude of fluctuations, for example, on the coast it is not surprising when showers “pour out” by 8,000 - 10,000 mm. At such high air temperatures, precipitation evaporates rather quickly, saturating the environment with high humidity. Otherwise, the water level above the ground would have a value of 10 meters.

The zone of the equatorial belt is most susceptible to solar exposure, because every day, 365 days a year, it nourishes the inhabitants, plants, animals with ultraviolet rays for 12 hours. The maximum reduction of daylight hours by 1-2 hours occurs in the winter months for each Hemisphere, increasing back in summer.

All this creates excellent conditions for the best growth, development and saturation of the climate of humid equatorial forests. South and North America, Africa, including Madagascar, Asia (southern India, China, Myanmar, regions of Southeast Asia), Australia, the islands of New Guinea and Indonesia have hylaea, selva, rain tropical or humid tropical forests in their territories.

They are represented by multi-tiered trees that have a wide base and reach a height of 40-100 meters. The upper tiers are the most developed, powerful, protected from sunburn, excessive evaporation and storm flows, while the lower ones are more tender. Huge crowns do not allow rays to reach the ground and undergrowth to grow, but when such an opportunity arises (cutting down a tree or weakening), the illuminated place very quickly overgrows with lianas, shrubs, small trees, forming the well-known impenetrable jungle.

Half of all plant species are found in this zone, the most famous for each of us are ficuses, palm trees (bananas, coconuts), cocoa trees, coffee, ferns, orchids, etc. Climate has made humid equatorial forests one of the "lungs of the planet" and an important ecosystem , because their existence provides 28% of the world's oxygen cycle and participate in air cooling. They are a source of minerals, materials for medicine, genetics, food and woodworking industries.

In the very center of Africa, in the basin of the great African river Congo, north and south of the equator line and along the shores of the Gulf of Guinea, there are humid equatorial forests of Africa. The forest zone is located in the equatorial climate zone. It is hot and humid here all year round. Usually in the morning the weather is hot and clear. The sun rises higher and bakes more and more. As the temperature rises, evaporation increases. It becomes damp and stuffy, like in a greenhouse. In the afternoon, cumulus clouds appear in the sky and merge into heavy lead clouds. The first drops fell, and a violent thunderstorm broke out. It rains for an hour or two, sometimes more. Rushing streams of rainwater rush through the forest. Countless streams merge into wide rivers. By evening the weather clears up again. And so almost every day from year to year.

There is an abundance of water everywhere. The air is saturated with moisture, plants and soil are saturated with water. Vast areas are swampy or subject to flooding. The abundance of heat and moisture favors the lush development of dense evergreen woody vegetation. Plant life in the equatorial forests never stops. Trees bloom, bear fruit, shed old foliage and put on new ones throughout the year.

Eternal twilight reigns under the multi-storey green vault of the forest. Only in some places a ray of the sun breaks through the foliage. Oil palm grows in bright places. The palm vulture likes to eat its fruits. 100 or more species of trees can be counted on 1 hectare of the equatorial forest. Among them are many valuable species: ebony (ebony), red, rosewood. Their wood is used to make expensive furniture and is exported in large quantities.

The forests of Africa are the birthplace of the coffee tree. Bananas are also indigenous Africans. And the cocoa tree was brought here from America. Large areas are occupied by plantations of cocoa, coffee, bananas, pineapples.

Most animals have adapted to life in trees. Mammals are characterized by a variety of monkeys. The lord of the African equatorial forest, the world's largest ape - the gorilla. The favorite food of gorillas is the core of banana stalks. There are very few gorillas left and hunting for them is strictly prohibited. There is a forest antelope bongo, an African wild boar, in the depths of the forest you can meet a very rare hoofed animal akapi. Of the predators, there is a leopard, which climbs trees perfectly.

The world of birds is very rich: kalao - a hornbill, a parrot, a Congolese peacock, tiny sunbirds that feed on flower nectar. Many snakes, incl. poisonous, chameleons that feed on insects.

The inhabitants of the equatorial forest zone are excellent hunters. The significance of hunting is all the more great because the development of cattle breeding is hindered by the spread of the tsetse fly. The bite of this fly is detrimental to livestock and causes severe illness in humans. Rivers abound in fish. And fishing is more important than hunting. But swimming is dangerous. There are many crocodiles here.

I. Equatorial moist forests.

This is a natural (geographical) zone stretching along the equator with some shift to the south from 8° north latitude.

up to 11°S The climate is hot and humid. All year round, average air temperatures are 24-28 C. The seasons are not pronounced.

At least 1500 mm of precipitation falls, since here is an area of \u200b\u200blow pressure (see Atmospheric pressure), and on the coast the amount of precipitation increases to 10,000 mm. Precipitation falls evenly throughout the year.

Such climatic conditions of this zone contribute to the development of lush evergreen vegetation with a complex layered structure of the forest.

The trees here have little branching. They have disc-shaped roots, large leathery leaves, tree trunks rise like columns and spread their thick crown only at the top. The shiny, as if varnished surface of the leaves saves them from excessive evaporation and burns from the scorching sun, from the impact of rain jets during heavy showers.

In plants of the lower tier, the leaves, on the contrary, are thin and delicate.

The equatorial forests of South America are called selva (port. - forest). This zone here occupies much larger areas than in Africa. The selva is wetter than the African equatorial forests, richer in plant and animal species.

The upper tier of equatorial forests is formed by ficuses, palms (200 species).

In South America, ceiba grows in the upper tier, reaching a height of 80 m. Bananas and tree ferns grow in the lower tiers. Large plants are entwined with vines. There are many blooming orchids on the trees.

Sometimes flowers form directly on tree trunks (for example, a cocoa tree).

The soils under the forest canopy are red-yellow, ferrolitic (containing aluminum and iron).

The fauna of the equatorial forests is rich and varied. Many animals live in trees. Numerous monkeys - monkeys, chimpanzees. Diverse birds, insects, termites. Terrestrial inhabitants include small ungulates (African deer, etc.). In the equatorial forests of Africa, a relative of the giraffe lives - the okapi, which lives only in Africa.

The most famous predator of the selva of South America is the jaguar. Constantly wet conditions have allowed frogs and lizards to thrive in trees in the equatorial forests.

The equatorial forest is home to many valuable plants, such as the oil palm, from the fruits of which palm oil is obtained.

The wood of many trees is used to make furniture and is exported in large quantities. These include ebony, the wood of which is black or dark green. Many plants of the equatorial forests provide not only valuable wood, but also fruits, juice, bark for use in technology and medicine.

Elements of equatorial forests penetrate into the tropics along the coast of Central America, to Madagascar.

The main share of equatorial forests is located in Africa and South America, but they are also found in Eurasia, mainly on the islands.

As a result of significant deforestation, the area under them is sharply reduced.

The sun rises higher and bakes more and more. As the temperature rises, evaporation increases. It becomes damp and stuffy, like in a greenhouse. In the afternoon, cumulus clouds appear in the sky and merge into heavy lead clouds.

The first drops fell, and a violent thunderstorm broke out. It rains for an hour or two, sometimes more. Rushing streams of rainwater rush through the forest.

Countless streams merge into wide rivers. By evening the weather clears up again. And so almost every day from year to year.

The trees of the equatorial forest grow in several tiers.

The upper tier is formed by the most light-loving plants. They reach 60 meters in height. Under the cold of the tallest trees, trees of smaller height, more shade-tolerant, grow. Even lower is a dense undergrowth of young tree growth and various shrubs. Everything is intertwined with flexible vines.

Eternal twilight reigns under the multi-storey green vault of the forest. Only in some places a ray of the sun breaks through the foliage.

Oil palm grows in bright places.

The palm vulture likes to eat its fruits. 100 or more species of trees can be counted on 1 hectare of the equatorial forest. Among them are many valuable species: ebony (ebony), red, rosewood. Their wood is used to make expensive furniture and is exported in large quantities.

The forests of Africa are the birthplace of the coffee tree. Bananas are also native Africans. And the cocoa tree was brought here from America. Large areas are occupied by plantations of cocoa, coffee, bananas, pineapples.

Most animals have adapted to life in trees.

Mammals are characterized by a variety of monkeys. The gorilla is the lord of the African equatorial forest, the world's largest ape.

The favorite food of gorillas is the core of banana stalks. There are very few gorillas left and hunting for them is strictly prohibited. There is a forest antelope bongo, an African wild boar, in the depths of the forest you can meet a very rare hoofed animal akapi. Of the predators, there is a leopard, which climbs trees perfectly.

The world of birds is very rich: kalao - a hornbill, a parrot, a Congolese peacock, tiny sunbirds that feed on flower nectar.

Many snakes, incl. poisonous, chameleons that feed on insects.

But swimming is dangerous. There are many crocodiles here.

The humid equatorial forests of South America or the selva, as they are also called, are located in the Amazon basin (the Amazonian rainforests are the largest rainforest), in the north of South America, are common on the Atlantic coast of Brazil (Atlantic forest). The climate is hot and humid. The temperature is kept at around 24-28 degrees. Atmospheric precipitation falls at least 1500 mm. As you approach the coast, this figure increases to 10,000. The soils in the forests are red-yellow, contain aluminum and iron.

The vegetation of the forest forms a complex layering. The trunks of large plants are interconnected by vines.

The leaves have a dense surface to avoid excessive evaporation of moisture. Tree trunks rise like columns. The crowns branch closer to the top, thus forming a kind of canopy. The animal world is quite diverse. Due to the lack of light, its terrestrial representatives are few. These include hippos, rhinos, etc. Most often, animals live in the crowns of trees.

They are represented by monkeys, sloths, squirrels, etc. More than 2000 species of fish, a large number of birds (woodpeckers, parrots, tacanas) and reptiles (tree snakes, iguanas, agamas) make the fauna of these tropical forests unique.

In addition to the bizarre species of ichthyofauna, the warm puffy waters of the equatorial belt can also boast of equally amazing specimens - fantastic inhabitants of the ocean depths and shallow waters.

Since ancient times, this area has been inhabited by the human imagination with all kinds of monsters, creatures dangerous to humans. The reality turned out to be even more incredible than the most sophisticated mind of an experienced sailor could imagine.
Today, a person descending with scuba gear or on a mini-submarine came close to the delightful inhabitants of the kingdom of Neptune.

It seems that the equator is the center of this very kingdom - if not a great empire!

It is no coincidence that sailors, crossing the famous parallel, celebrated the feast of the ancient god of all seas. Here, under the thickness of the ocean waters warmed by the sultry sun, most of the incredible creatures from the retinue of a formidable deity are hidden.

There are giants among them, there are dwarfs. Diverse in coloration of their highly unusual bodies, they amaze with fins, gills, jaws, beaks, tentacles, shells, protective or decorating growths, and many other features of their external appearance.

This incredible menagerie contains typical, less typical and not at all typical representatives of all 33 types of animals!
The ocean is teeming with corals creating reefs, islands and archipelagos. Reefs give
a haven for numerous invertebrates: sponges, sea anemones, mollusks, crustaceans, aquatic worms.

This prey attracts here all kinds of fish that look like old sailboats, bright butterflies, fiery sparks. Following the fish come predators - attacking relatives of fish, like sharks, as well as dolphins and prodolphins.
Bey, this ecological pyramid exists due to microscopically small crustaceans, algae, protozoa and larvae, suspended in the surface layer of ocean water. This mass of organisms is called plankton. They feed on corals and sponges ... And at the same time, the largest inhabitants of the underwater world and the entire planet are whales.

In addition to microscopic algae, there are also real jungles of lush marine vegetation in the ocean. They provide shelter and food for sea urchins, many other invertebrates, fish, and marine mammals such as the endangered, good-natured giant dugongs.
About corals, sea polyps, mollusks, whales, dugongs and dolphins will be described in detail in the following sections.

Of course, the wealth of equatorial waters is by no means exhausted by the collected material; the authors simply offer the reader's attention in this section the most interesting information about the most remarkable marine animals.

The fauna of the equatorial forests is rich and varied. Elements of equatorial forests penetrate into the tropics along the coast of Central America, to Madagascar. The main share of equatorial forests is located in Africa and South America, but they are also found in Eurasia, mainly on the islands.

This is a natural (geographical) zone stretching along the equator with some shift to the south from 8° north latitude. up to 11°S The climate is hot and humid. Such climatic conditions of this zone contribute to the development of lush evergreen vegetation with a complex layered structure of the forest. The trees here have little branching. In plants of the lower tier, the leaves, on the contrary, are thin and delicate. The equatorial forests of South America are called selva (port. - forest). This zone here occupies much larger areas than in Africa.

Soils of the equatorial forests of Africa

Many animals live in trees.

Terrestrial inhabitants include small ungulates (African deer, etc.). In the equatorial forests of Africa, a relative of the giraffe lives - the okapi, which lives only in Africa. The rainforests of Africa are a source of high-quality valuable wood, which is produced by ebony, redwood and rosewood trees.

Natural areas of Africa

Animals of the humid equatorial forests of Africa are represented mainly by species that lead an arboreal lifestyle.

Tropical forests are the realm of monkeys, such as monkeys, baboons, mandrills. Crocodiles and pygmy hippos live in the rivers and on their banks.

Also, many plants of the equatorial forests give not only valuable wood, but also fruits, juice, bark, which are used in technology and medicine. As a result of significant deforestation, the area under them is sharply reduced.

Large plants are entwined with vines. Also, red-yellow ferrallitic soils of moist equatorial forests are unsuitable for agriculture; young soils formed on volcanic rocks are best suited for this. The population of humid equatorial forests The humid and hot climate of the equatorial belt cannot be called favorable for human health.

African jungle - animal world.

In order to feed the tribe, the men earn their living by hunting, fishing and gathering.

In tropical rainforests, the lack of sunlight in the lower layer tends to greatly hinder the formation of undergrowth.

Trees in tropical rainforests share several characteristics that are not seen in plants in less humid climates.

These include the most characteristic trees of the first tier.

In America, they are represented by the types of svetenii, in Africa - by the types of kaya, entandrophragma. These plants are shade tolerant and tend to have heavy and hard woods such as the Gaboon mahogany (Aucumea klainiana).

In the rain forest structure, 3 tree tiers are usually distinguished. The upper tier consists of individual giant trees 50-55 m high, less often 60 m, the crowns of which do not close.

African jungle flora

The role of spore plants is great: ferns and club mosses.

This layer consists of a small number of very tall trees rising above the forest canopy, reaching a height of 60 meters (rare species reach 80 meters). The crowns of most tall trees form a more or less continuous layer of foliage - the forest canopy. Usually the height of this level is 30 - 45 meters.

The study of the forest canopy is still at an early stage.

Between the forest canopy and the forest floor there is another level called the undergrowth. It is home to a number of birds, snakes and lizards. Despite the lush vegetation, the quality of the soil in such forests leaves much to be desired.

In tropical forests, epiphytes are mainly from the Orchid and Bromeliad families. Tropical rainforests are a source of timber, food, genetic, medical materials, and minerals.

Tropical forests are also responsible for cycling about 28% of the world's oxygen.

Often rainforests are also referred to as the "lungs of the earth". Equatorial forests occupy the territory of the Amazon in South America, the valleys of the Congo and Lualaba rivers in Africa, are also located on the Greater Sunda Islands and on the east coast of Australia.

Perhaps 40% of all animals on the planet live in the crowns of the trees of the equatorial forest! Its study is especially difficult, so the canopy of the equatorial forest was figuratively called another unknown living "continent".

Large animals simply would not be able to move through the impenetrable wilds of the equatorial jungle.

Moist equatorial forests are characterized by the presence of several tiers of plants. When viewing the presentation, write down the animals that live in the equatorial forests of Africa. The first impression of the equatorial forest is chaos in nature.

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The geographical position, evenness of the relief contributed to the location of the geographical zones of Africa (equatorial, subequatorial, tropical and subtropical) and natural zones twice on both sides of the equator. With a decrease in moisture north and south of the equator, the vegetation cover becomes more sparse and the vegetation more xerophytic.

In the north, there are many types of plants. In the center and in the south, the most ancient representatives of the planet's vegetation have been preserved. Among flowering plants there are up to 9 thousand endemic species. In the rich and diverse fauna (see. Nowhere in the world is there such an accumulation of large animals as in the African savannah. Elephants, giraffes, hippos, rhinos, buffaloes and other animals are found here. A characteristic feature of the animal world is the wealth of predators (lions, cheetahs , leopards, hyenas, hyena dogs, jackals, etc.) and ungulates (dozens of species of antelopes).Among the birds there are large ones - ostriches, vultures, marabou, crowned cranes, bustards, hornbills, crocodiles live in the rivers.

In the natural zones of Africa there are many animals and plants that are not found in others. The African savannas are characterized by the baobab, whose trunk reaches 10 m in diameter, the doom palm, the umbrella acacia, the tallest animal in the world - the giraffe, lions, and the secretary bird. In the African forest (hylaea) the great apes gorilla and chimpanzee, pygmy giraffe okapi live. In tropical deserts, there is a one-humped camel dromedary, a fennec fox, as well as the most poisonous mamba snake. Only lemurs live on.

Africa is the birthplace of a number of cultivated plants: oil palm, cola tree, coffee tree, castor beans, sesame, African millet, watermelons, many indoor flower plants - geraniums, aloe, gladioli, pelargonium, etc.

Zone of moist equatorial forests (giley) occupies 8% of the mainland - the basin and the coast of the Gulf of Guinea. The climate here is humid, equatorial, warm enough. Precipitation falls evenly, more than 2000 mm per year. The soils are red-yellow ferralitic, poor in organic matter. A sufficient amount of heat and moisture promotes the development of vegetation. In terms of the richness of the species composition (about 25 thousand species) and the area, the humid equatorial forests of Africa are second only to the humid South America.

Forests form 4-5 tiers. Giant (up to 70 m) ficuses, oil and wine palms, ceiba, cola tree, and breadfruit grow in the upper tiers. In the lower tiers - bananas, ferns, Liberian coffee tree. Among the vines, the rubber-bearing liana landolphia and the rattan palm liana (up to 200 m in length) are interesting. This is the longest plant in the world. Red, iron, black (ebony) trees have valuable wood. There are many orchids and mosses in the forest.

There are few herbivores in the forests and fewer predators than in other natural areas. Of the ungulates, the pygmy okapi giraffe is characteristic, hiding in dense forest thickets, forest antelopes, water deer, buffalo, and hippopotamus are found. Predators are represented by wild cats, leopards, jackals. Of these, the brush-tailed porcupine and broad-tailed flying squirrels are common. Monkeys, baboons, mandrills are numerous in the forests. Great apes are represented by 2-3 species of chimpanzees and gorillas.

The transition zone between the equatorial forests and are subequatorial variable-humid forests. They border the humid equatorial forests with a narrow strip. Vegetation gradually changes under the influence of a shortening of the wet period and an intensification of the dry season as one moves away from the equator. Gradually, the equatorial forest turns into a subequatorial, mixed, deciduous-evergreen forest on red ferrallitic soils. The annual precipitation decreases to 650-1300 mm, and the dry season increases to 1-3 months. A distinctive feature of these forests is the predominance of trees of the legume family. Trees up to 25 m high shed their leaves during the dry period, a grassy cover forms under them. Subequatorial forests are located on the northern edge of the equatorial rainforests and south of the equator in the Congo.

Savannahs and woodlands occupy large areas of Africa - the marginal rises of the Congo, the Sudanese plains, the East African plateau (about 40% of the territory). These are open grassy plains with groves or individual trees. The zone of savannahs and light forests encircles humid and variable-moist forests from the Atlantic to and extends north to 17 ° N. sh. and south to 20°S. sh.

Savannahs have alternating wet and dry seasons. In the wet season in the savannah, where the rainy season lasts up to 8-9 months, lush grasses grow up to 2 m high, sometimes up to 5 m high (elephant grass). Among the continuous sea of cereals (cereal savanna), individual trees rise: baobabs, umbrella acacia, doum palms, oil palms. During the dry season, the grasses dry up, the leaves on the trees fall off, and the savannah becomes yellow-brown. Under the savannas, special types of soils are formed - red and red-brown soils.

Depending on the duration of the wet period, savannahs are wet or tall grass, typical or dry, and deserted.

Wet, or tall grass, savannahs have an insignificant dry period (about 3-4 months), and the annual precipitation is 1500-1000 mm. This is a transitional area from forest vegetation to typical savannah. The soils, like those of the subequatorial forests, are red ferralitic. Among the cereals - elephant grass, bearded man, from trees - baobab, acacia, carob, doom palm, cotton tree (ceiba). Evergreen forests are developed along the river valleys.

Typical savannahs are developed in areas with precipitation of 750-1000 mm, the dry period lasts 5-6 months. In the north, they stretch in a continuous strip from to. In the southern hemisphere they occupy the northern part. Characterized by baobabs, acacias, fan palms, shea tree, cereals are represented by bearded man. Soils are red-brown.

Deserted savannas have less rainfall (up to 500 mm), the dry season lasts 7-9 months. They have a sparse grass cover, and acacias predominate among shrubs. These savannahs on red-brown soils stretch in a narrow strip from the coast to the Somali peninsula. In the south, they are widely developed in the basin.

African savannahs are rich in food resources. There are more than 40 species of herbivorous ungulates here, antelopes are especially numerous (kudu, eland, pygmy antelopes). The largest of them is the wildebeest. Giraffes are preserved mainly in national parks. Zebras are common in the savannas. In some places they are domesticated and replace horses (not susceptible to tsetse bites). Herbivores are accompanied by numerous predators: lions, cheetahs, leopards, jackals, hyenas. Endangered animals include the black and white rhino and the African elephant. Birds are numerous: African ostriches, guinea fowls, francolins, marabou, weavers, secretary bird, lapwings, herons, pelicans. In terms of the number of species of flora and fauna per unit area, the savannahs of Africa are unmatched.

Savannas are relatively favorable for tropical farming. Significant areas of the savannas are plowed up, cotton, peanut, corn, tobacco, sorghum, and rice are cultivated.

North and south of the savannas are tropical semi-deserts and deserts occupying 33% of the mainland. it is distinguished by a very low amount of precipitation (no more than 100 mm per year), scanty xerophytic.

Semi-deserts are a transitional area between savannahs and tropical ones, where the amount of precipitation does not exceed 250-300 mm. A narrow strip in shrub-grass (acacia, tamarisk, tough cereals). In South Africa, semi-deserts are developed in the interior of the Kalahari. The southern semi-deserts are characterized by succulents (aloe, spurge, wild watermelons). During the rainy period, irises, lilies, amaryllis bloom.

In North Africa, it occupies vast areas with precipitation up to 100 mm, in South Africa the Namib Desert stretches in a narrow strip along the western coast, and in the south is the Kalahari Desert. According to vegetation, the deserts are grass-shrub, shrub and succulent.

The vegetation of the Sahara is represented by individual bunches of cereals and thorny shrubs. From cereals, wild millet is common, from shrubs and semi-shrubs - dwarf saxaul, camel thorn, acacia, jujube, euphorbia, ephedra. Solyanka and wormwood grow on saline soils. Around shotts - tamarisks. The southern deserts are characterized by succulent plants that resemble stones in appearance. In the Namib Desert, a kind of relic plant is common - majestic velvichia (stump plant) - the lowest tree on Earth (up to 50 cm tall with long fleshy leaves 8-9 m long). There are aloe, euphorbia, wild watermelons, bush acacias.

Typical desert soils are gray soils. In those parts of the Sahara, where groundwater is close to the surface of the earth, oases are formed. All the economic activities of people are concentrated here; grapes, pomegranate, barley, millet, and wheat are grown. The main plant of the oases is the date palm.

The fauna of semi-deserts and deserts is poor. In the Sahara, among large animals, there are antelopes, wild cats, fennec foxes are found. Jerboas, gerbils, various reptiles, scorpions, phalanxes live in the sands.

Tropical rainforest natural area found on the island of Madagascar and in the Dragon Mountains. It is characterized by ironwood, rubber and rosewood trees.

The transition zone between tropical deserts and subtropical evergreen forests and shrublands is subtropical semi-deserts and desert steppes. In Africa, they occupy the interior regions of the Atlas and Cape mountains, the Karoo plateau, and the Libyan-Egyptian coast to 30°N. sh. The vegetation is very sparse. In North Africa, these are cereals, xerophytic trees, shrubs and shrubs, in South Africa - succulents, bulbous, tuberous plants.

Zone subtropical evergreen hardwood forests and shrubs represented on the northern slopes of the Atlas Mountains and in the west of the Cape Mountains.

The forests of the Atlas Mountains form cork and holm oaks, Aleppo pine, Atlas cedar with an undergrowth of evergreen shrubs. Maquis is widespread - impenetrable thickets of hard-leaved evergreen shrubs and low trees (myrtle, oleander, pistachio, strawberry tree, laurel). Typical brown soils form here. In the Cape Mountains, vegetation is represented by Cape olive, silver tree, African walnut.

In the extreme south-east of Africa, where there is a humid subtropical climate, lush mixed subtropical forests grow, represented by evergreen deciduous and coniferous species with an abundance of epiphytes. The zonal subtropical forests are red soils. The fauna of the northern subtropics is represented by European and African species. Red deer, mountain gazelle, mouflon, jungle cat, jackals, Algerian fox, wild rabbits, tailless narrow-nosed magot monkey live in the northern subtropical forests, canaries and eagles are widely represented among birds, and in the south - earthen wolf, jumping antelope, meerkats.

The natural zones of Africa are located symmetrically with respect to the equator. Northern and - "dry". Deserts and semi-deserts prevail here, the outskirts are occupied by cruel-leaved forests and shrubs. Central (equatorial) Africa is “humid”, humid equatorial and variable-humid subequatorial forests grow there. To the north and south of Central Africa and in the elevated East - savannas and woodlands.

Geographic features

Africa is the second largest continent (the first is Eurasia), washed from the north by the Mediterranean Sea, from the northeast by the Red Sea, from the west by the Atlantic Ocean, from the south and east by the Indian Ocean. Africa is part of the world that includes the continent of Africa and the surrounding islands. The total area of the territory is 30.3 million square meters. km (6% of the total area of the planet).

Remark 1

The equator crosses Africa unevenly. The larger, northern part of the continent extends in the north to the Mediterranean Sea, and in the northeast to the Arabian Peninsula.

The relief of Africa is mostly flat. The main landforms are:

Atlas Mountains - (north-western regions);
the Tibesti and Ahaggar highlands - the Sahara;
Ethiopian highlands - eastern regions;
East African Plateau - southeast;
The Draconian and Cape Mountains are the southern regions.

The largest deserts are located on the territory of Africa: Sahara (north), Kalahari (south), Namib (southwest).

The Nile flows through Africa from south to north - one of the longest rivers in the world. The major rivers of Africa also include: Niger (western regions); Congo (central Africa); Limpopo, Zambezi, Orange River (to the south).

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Climatic conditions

The climatic conditions of Africa are determined by its geographical position, the environment of the oceans, air circulation, and the nature of the underlying surface. It is located in the zone of hot climatic zones, intersected by the equator line. Africa is one of the hottest continents on the planet. Here is Dallol - the hottest place on the planet.

Climatic conditions on the mainland are diverse: heat and moisture are unevenly distributed. Most precipitation (up to 10 thousand mm per year) is received by the southwestern regions of the foot of the Cameroon volcano.

The main climate-forming factor is the location of the territory relative to the equator. It determines the heating of the earth's surface and air.

Main types of climate:

equatorial;
subequatorial (arid in the north and humid in the south);
tropical desert;
subtropical mediterranean.

Climatic zones

equatorial belt. Passes through the central regions of Africa, the coastal regions of the Gulf of Guinea. Characterized by the absence of seasons, humid and hot air masses, heavy rainfall throughout the year. The air warms up to +25 ºС. The average annual rainfall is 2000-3000 mm. Moisture- and heat-loving plants grow in the equatorial region. There are many dense evergreen forests - giley.

Subequatorial belts. They are located north and south of the equator. It occupies more than a third of the entire territory of Africa.

Characteristic features of the subequatorial climate:

There is a change of seasons: dry and wet. The presence of seasons is due to the successive influence of equatorial and tropical air masses, temperature regime and moisture conditions.
Summer is the rainy season, humid equatorial air masses prevail; winter is the dry season, dominated by the dry air of tropical trade winds.
The duration of the dry season is from 2 to 10 months. The average temperature is over +20 ºС. The average annual rainfall is up to 1000 mm.
The duration of the rainy season and the amount of precipitation decrease towards the outskirts of the subequatorial belt.
There is less rainfall in the northern regions. The hottest time is the beginning of the rainy season. The average monthly temperature can reach +30 ºС.
In the cool months of the humid period, the average temperature is +20 ºС.

savannah zone. Stretched within the subequatorial zone. The influence of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans on the climate of the savanna zone is limited by mountain ranges located in the northern, eastern and southeastern regions of the continent. Features of the flora and fauna are determined by the alternation of seasons (dry and wet), the shortcomings of full-flowing channels and moisture for the growth of full-fledged forests.

Northern and southern tropical belts. A characteristic feature is high temperatures and low rainfall, which contributes to the formation of deserts. Significant areas are affected by the arid tropical climate. The highest temperature indicators are observed here: from +35 ºС to +40 ºС.

North Africa receives extremely little moisture and a lot of solar radiation. The air temperature rarely drops below +20 ºС. In the tropics, snow lies on the mountain peaks, and desert and semi-desert regions lie at the foot.

The Sahara is the largest desert in Africa. On its territory, a temperature maximum of +58 ºС and a temperature minimum of -3 ºС were recorded. During the day, on hot sand, the temperature can reach +60-70 ºС, and at night it can drop to +10 ºС. Daily temperature fluctuations can reach up to 50 ºС.

Precipitation in the deserts is extremely low - up to 100 mm per year. Sometimes precipitation does not reach the surface of the earth and dries up in the air. The life of the indigenous population is concentrated in oases.

subtropical belt. It occupies southern Africa and a narrow strip of the northern coast. The climate here is subtropical Mediterranean. This is a transitional zone, its features are determined by the properties of atmospheric air in temperate and tropical latitudes. The alternation of two seasons is characteristic: dry and rainy. There is a lot of precipitation, their maximum amount falls on the north- and south-western regions of the continent in winter, and in the south-eastern regions in summer.

In the equatorial zone, multi-tiered dense tropical rainforests grow, in the subequatorial zone, galley forests predominate, and different types of savannas are found in the watershed spaces. At the mouths of the rivers flowing into the Gulf of Guinea, mangroves grow.

At present, the climate of the mainland is becoming arid, deserts are moving south and north. At the same time, frequent river floods occur. Catastrophic natural changes are associated with anthropogenic activities: intensive felling of trees, widespread construction of roads, cities, active development of cattle breeding and agriculture.