What plants are on mainland Africa. Nature, plants and animals of Africa. Masai Mara National Park

The article contains information about plants characteristic of this territory. Gives examples of endangered species of plants and animals. Indicates the areas of application of the gifts of nature.

Plants of Africa

The African continent ranks second in the world in terms of area and population. Thanks to the variable climate, a variety of plant species grow here.

The vegetation of Africa is quite diverse. This is influenced by the presence of different climatic zones within the continent. In the subequatorial belt zone, the presence of many exotic plant species is noted. In the savanna area, the advantage is given to such thorny bushes as:

terminalia;
acacia;
varieties of low growing trees.

Features of the continent's flora

The flora of the deserts of Africa is sparse. It consists of grasses and dotted areas covered with shrubs and trees in oases.

On the territory of rare oases of the Sahara, the unique Erg Chebbi date palm grows.

In the depressions you can find halophytic plants that are resistant to salt.

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Rice. 1. Halophytic plants.

Over time, the vegetation of desert areas has adapted to irregular rainfall and frequent droughts. This is indicated by diversity physiological characteristics, which can be boasted by plants that live only on these land areas.

In the mountainous regions of the desert you can find many endemic species. The Sahara Mountains are home to acacias, tamarisks, wormwood, ephedra, doum palm, oleander, thyme and palmate dates. People living in the oases have adapted to successfully grow figs, olives, many types of fruit and citrus trees, as well as a variety of vegetable crops.

Rice. 2. Oleander.

A unique desert plant, Velvichia, whose growth period exceeds more than a thousand years, grows two huge leaves. Their length is over 3 m. They grow thanks to dew and fog, since these are the only sources of life-giving moisture among the desert expanses.

In the equatorial belt of the continent, the most significant areas of tropical forests in the world have been preserved, which may soon disappear forever.

Rice. 3. Velvichia and acacia.

Some representatives of the flora are under threat of complete extinction. An example is the baobab tree. These trees are the most ancient representatives flora continent. Some trees are over three thousand years old. Baobab tree trunks are used as natural water storage containers. The ebony tree is also in danger of becoming extinct. Its wood is quite heavy. It is highly valued among the indigenous inhabitants.

The flora of Africa has its own symbol - acacia.

The trees are adapted to hot and dry climates. They grow throughout most of the black continent. Often, acacia leaves are the only greenery that animals can eat. Many animals of the African savannah are among the species living in the Red Book. Endangered species include cheetahs and African lions. Due to climate change, individuals of this species are threatened by habitat loss.

Africa is home to many varieties of aloe species. These plants are quite juicy with sweet nectar. Nectar serves as bait for a large number of birds. Aloe juice is used in medicinal production and cosmetology.

What have we learned?

We found out which tree is the plant symbol of the continent. We learned what influences the diversity of the plant world. We understood what irreversible climate change could lead to.

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The fauna and flora of Africa is very diverse. Full-flowing rivers flow here (the Congo is second only to the Amazon in terms of water content), beautiful huge lakes (Victoria) and deep-water lakes (Tanganyika), the second deepest after Lake Baikal. Here is the largest desert in the world (Sahara), the huge crater of the extinct volcano Ngorongoro, the most long river in the world (Nile) and the most amazing and unique animals and plants found only in Africa. Africa is a continent in which geographical zoning alternates according to all the rules. Africa has all types of landscapes from equatorial rain forests to lifeless deserts, from high mountain glacial peaks to mangroves and coral reefs. Africa is famous for its wildlife. Only in Africa can you see a fantastic sight - millions of flocks of white and pink flamingos.

In the far north of Africa and the far south, hard-leaved evergreen forests grow, followed by deserts and semi-deserts, savannas, zones of variable forests, and zones of permanently moist forests. Zoning is slightly disrupted in the foothills, highlands and mountains, but there are few such places on the mainland.
To the north and south of the equator, along the coast of the Gulf of Guinea and in the Congo River basin, permanent-humid and variable-humid forests grow. On their territory it falls throughout the year a large number of moisture and a lot of heat.
There are up to 1000 species of different trees growing in equatorial forests; the main feature of tropical rain forests is the predominance of woody plants in them. The tallest, up to 80 meters high: ficus, ceiba, wine tree, oil palm, wine palm. Just below grow banana palms, tree ferns, sandalwood, mahogany, rubber trees, Liberian coffee tree and others. The number of species of flowering plants growing in equatorial rain forests is enormous, reaching up to 15 thousand species. Such forests are characterized by the phenomenon of cauliflory: the formation of flowers and then fruits on the trunks or hard branches of trees. There are a huge number of vines and climbing plants here.
IN vast areas, primary equatorial forests have been cut down, and secondary forests and shrubs are appearing in their place. Light-loving trees and shrubs appear in abandoned fields and clearings. Such trees can rise several meters in height over the course of a year. A layer of small trees and a dense shrub forest develops. There's a lot here fruit trees and bushes that serve as food for animals.
Many of the equatorial animals live in trees: rodents, insects, birds, as well as numerous species of monkeys. The equatorial forests are also home to terrestrial animals: cyst-eared pigs, leopard, African deer - a relative of the okapi giraffe. In impassable places of equatorial forests you can still meet the largest apes - gorillas. Gorillas are found nowhere else on the globe.
P.P. writes about tropical rain forest. Vtorov and N.N. Drozdov: “For most of the year, the weather regime in the equatorial forests is surprisingly constant. Before sunrise, there is a pleasant coolness... You can hear the cries of birds, and monkeys move in the treetops in search of food. But the sun quickly rises higher, and gradually the signs of life become less obvious. The diverse chorus of birds subsides, the heat becomes more and more oppressive, the sky becomes clouded with dark powerful clouds, and a downpour and thunderstorm breaks out. However, the rain passes quickly, and the fleeting coolness is replaced by suffocating heat. Only in the evening does a barely noticeable fresh breeze begin to blow again, and after sunset everything comes to life again. Now the tone is set by crickets, cicadas, a variety of frogs and toads...”
In southern Africa and in some mountainous areas, along the Mediterranean coast, subtropical forests, broad-leaved and coniferous-deciduous, grow.
To the south of the equatorial forests, open forests, park savannas, and deserted savannas are more common; there are almost no tall grass savannas preserved. On the Somali Peninsula, vast areas of savannah are occupied by thorny bushes.
The further you move south and north from the equator, the rarer the equatorial forests become, their composition changes, it becomes poorer, and individual areas of savannas begin to appear among the forests. The further you go, the less tropical rainforests there are, limited only to river valleys. They are replaced by forests that shed leaves in the dry season or savannah.
Next come the savannas, which occupy up to 40% of the continent's territory. Savannah is very different from equatorial forests. The world of savannas is a special world, translated from Portuguese language means "steppe with trees." Huge areas completely covered with isolated trees and fast-growing grasses.
The vegetation of savannas is completely dependent on precipitation. In places closer to the equator, where it rains 7 to 9 months a year, grasses reach up to three meters in height. Where the rainy season lasts only six months, the height of the grasses is not very high, the first trees begin to appear here, usually baobabs, as well as acacias with an umbrella-shaped crown. Tree-like acacias are found everywhere in Africa, except for moist equatorial forests and montane forests. African acacias are very interesting, they have feathery leaves, long thorns or curved spines as a way of protection. One type of acacia has more interesting way protection to be untouched and uneaten. At the base of each thorn of this acacia, an ovoid swelling grows. When the swelling dries, a colony of ants fills the sac. As soon as some animal is ready to feast on the fresh young shoots of the acacia tree, a colony of ants spills out of its pouch and the ants attack the intruder.
Forests with many palm trees stretch along the river valleys, somewhat reminiscent of tropical rainforests. The further you go north and south from the equator, the more significant the change. appearance spread out before your eyes. On the border with semi-deserts, where the wet season lasts only 2-3 months a year, thorny bushes and sparse thorny grasses, tree-like plants and milkweeds grow in desert shrouds.
Both the rainy weather and the dry season here last for six months. Tropical downpours that follow drought leave a lasting impression. The rain is preceded by heat and stuffiness, then a large black cloud appears in the sky, the first rumbles of thunder are heard and immediately whole waterfalls fall on the ground.
The African savannah has the largest concentration of large animals in the world: rhinoceroses, giraffes, elephants, hippopotamuses, zebras, buffalos, hyenas, lions, leopards, cheetahs, jackals, crocodiles, hyena dogs. The most numerous animals of the savannah include: hartebeest, giraffe, impala, Thomson's gazelle, Grant's gazelle, and blue wildebeest. Giraffe gazelles live in dry areas of savannas. Springlgboks can still be found in the Kalahari Desert. The number of herbivores reaches up to eighty representatives.
Large areas of northern and southern Africa are occupied by tropical deserts. The largest desert in Africa is the Sahara, stretching for 5,000 kilometers from the Red Sea coast in the east to the Atlantic Ocean in the west. From north to south the desert stretches for 2000 kilometers.
The Sahara is not one large desert, but many independent large semi-deserts, to the east is the Libyan semi-desert, and from the majestic Nile to the Red Sea stretches the Arabian desert. In the north is the Nubian Desert (Sudan). In Algeria there are Greater Western and Greater Eastern Ergi.
The Sahara Desert recorded the highest positive temperature on the globe, +59 degrees in the shade (Tripoli). The Sahara received the least amount of precipitation, and in some desert areas there is no precipitation at all. The Sahara is the largest sand desert in the world by area - about 600 thousand square kilometers. The largest daily temperature changes are observed in Western Sahara and exceed 30 degrees.
The sun's rays strongly warm the earth's surface. The vegetation of the Sahara is very sparse (in some places there are sparse thorny bushes and isolated tufts of grasses), and in some places there is none at all.
Oases are rich in vegetation. Only in the oases of the Sahara Desert does the unique Erg Chebbi date palm grow, and halophytic plants that are resistant to salt are also found. Desert plants have adapted to irregular rainfall and drought. This is noticeable in their method of reproduction and preferred desert habitats.
The animal world of the Sahara is small, but all animals are adapted to the hot climate: oryx antelopes and adax antelopes, Dorcas gazelles and Loder's gazelles. Animals are able to travel long distances in search of water and food. Small rodents also live here; there are many representatives of the hamster, squirrel, mouse, and jerboa families. Among the mammals of the Sahara Desert, the spotted hyena, common jackal, maned sheep, Cape hare, Ethiopian hedgehog, Dorcas gazelle, saber-horned antelope, Anubis baboon, wild Nubian ass, cheetahs, jackals, foxes, mouflon and others predominate. There are permanent birds in the Sahara, as well as migratory ones. Snakes, turtles, and lizards live in the desert.
South Africa is home to the Namib Desert and the Kalahari Desert. The Namib Desert is the coolest and harshest desert in the world. The width is from 50 to 150 kilometers, the length is 1500 kilometers.
The flora of the desert is diverse in composition; many euphorbias, endemic species, and Crassulaceae grow here. In the Namibian desert grows a unique Welwitschia plant, characterized by a short and thick stem and two creeping, wide leaves, which the plant grows throughout its life, which is more than 1000 years, reaching a length of three meters.
The leaves are attached to a stem, which resembles a huge radish up to 120 centimeters in diameter and protruding 30 centimeters from the ground. Welwitschia leaves reach a length of up to three meters. Velvichia feeds on fog and dew, the only sources of moisture available in the desert.
Another amazing plant, nara, grows in the Namibian desert. It grows in the wetter sands of the dunes. Many desert animals feed on the fruits of the nara: porcupines, elephants, antelopes and others.
In the Congo River basin lies most of rain forest of Africa. In the tropical forest it is always humid and dark and hot. There is always not enough light here. Congo's forests contain up to 25,000 plant species. In a tropical forest, it is almost impossible to see anything at a distance of a meter: the ground is shaded by foliage, everything is blocked by dense bushes, vines climbing along the trunks of tall trees, overgrown ferns and moss, and fallen trees. The branches of low bushes are so tightly intertwined that the crowns are no longer visible because of them. tall plants and trees of the first tier. Tall trees (80 meters) are crowned with lush crowns, and below the trunks rest on disc-shaped outgrowths on the roots.
It's very easy to get lost in such a forest. The rainforest was described by the English scientist Leslie Brown: “You cannot behave frivolously in the equatorial forest. It is always twilight here, the air is humid, heavy and still. The wind sighs in the crowns of large trees high above, but its breath is not felt on the ground among the bushes. The call of invisible birds, the crack of a broken branch, the cry of a monkey or the buzzing of insects only enhance the impression of oppressive silence. You involuntarily begin to step slowly and carefully, measuring each step. Gradually a feeling of awe comes over you. And the more you learn about the forest, the further this first unconscious feeling of danger threatening you recedes. Anyone who has experienced this will always be attracted to the tropical forest with unrelenting force.”

General concepts

All living organisms on the planet today are conventionally divided into five kingdoms:

plants;
animals;
mushrooms;
bacteria (grinders);
viruses.

In this article we look at plants.

Plants appeared on Earth approximately $3 billion years ago. Most of them are photosynthetic green living organisms, leading a sedentary lifestyle, attached to the substrate. Among them there are both unicellular (protozoa) and multicellular representatives. Plants live in both ground-air and aquatic environments. Geographically, they settled throughout the territory globe from pole to pole. Even in arctic and tropical deserts you can find a plant organism.

Natural areas of Africa

The distribution of plants around the planet is influenced by many factors. But conditions such as:

temperature;
humidity;
soil characteristics;
influence of living organisms;
human activity.

Definition 2

Large areas of land with homogeneous natural complexes formed as a result of the interaction of heat and moisture are called natural areas .

Each natural zone differs from the neighboring one not only in climate, but also in soil cover, quantitative and qualitative composition of flora and fauna.

Due to the features geographical location Africa natural areas(except for the zone of moist equatorial forests) are duplicated on both sides of the equator.

On the mainland there are such natural areas(from the equator to the north and south):

equatorial rainforests ;
variable-moist forests ;
savannas and woodlands ;
semi-deserts and deserts ;
hard-leaved forests and shrubs ;
azonal complexes of mountainous regions - areas of altitudinal zonation .

Features of the flora of Africa

Up to approximately $7°$ la. , on both sides of the equator, in a warm climate and high humidity, on red-yellow feralite soils multi-tiered dense vegetation with year-round vegetation was formed. Therefore, these forests are evergreen, and the cut trees do not have growth rings.

Light-loving trees reach towards the sun, forming the upper tier. They reach a height of $40-50 m, sometimes up to $60 m. Under them, other trees, less demanding of light, grow in several tiers. There are bushes and grass below. All tiers are intertwined with climbing plants - vines.

Note 1

Therefore, a light twilight always reigns in the equatorial forests.

There are more than $1000 species of trees alone. Plant representatives: ficus, tree ferns, Liberian coffee tree, ebony tree, mahogany tree, ironwood tree, breadfruit, cocoa tree , bananas (the largest herbaceous plant).

Approximately 40% of Africa's area is occupied by savannahs and woodlands. There is less moisture. Therefore, there are fewer trees and more herbaceous forms of vegetation and shrubs.

Shroud and woodland plants: baobab, umbrella acacia, aloe, agave, euphorbia (including trees), numerous herbs.

Desert vegetation is very poor. Plants vegetate quickly during short wet periods. And then they dry out. Plants with long root systems are common ( camel thorn, velvichia ). Meet Solyanka, wormwood, wild watermelon, lichens . In oases, plant species diversity is greater. Are important date palm, figs, olives .

In the subtropics grow plants with small leaves, hard stems studded with thorns and prickles, and there are coniferous and deciduous trees. They also grow figs, citrus . Has long grown in the Nile Valley papyrus .

Today, humans play a decisive role in the distribution and species diversity of plants. The areas of virgin forests are being reduced, the land is being plowed up, some plants (agricultural crops) are being planted, while others are being destroyed as weeds.

Currently, crops such as wheat, barley, corn, sorghum, peanuts, cotton, tobacco, rice, sugar cane, citrus bananas, apricots, pomegranates, peaches, coffee, cocoa, rubber . Today, environmentalists are faced with the task of preserving the untouched places of Africa in their natural form, prevent the extinction of many plants.

It is directly dependent on the weather. During each period of drought, the savannah loses its brightness and turns into a sea of dried grass and sultry gloom. And after a few days of rain, nature becomes unrecognizable.

Savannah vegetation has adapted to the dry continental climate and long droughts and has a strongly xerophytic character. All grasses usually grow in tufts. The leaves of cereals are dry and narrow, hard and covered with a waxy coating. The foliage on the trees is small, protected from excessive evaporation. Many species are characterized by a high content of essential oils.

Elephant grass (Pinnisetum purpureum, P. Benthami) is typical of savannah grasses. It got its name because elephants love to eat its young shoots. In areas where the rainy season lasts longer, the height of grasses can reach three meters. During drought, the above-ground part of the shoot dries out and is often destroyed by fires, but the underground part of the plant is preserved and gives new life after rains.

The hallmark of the savannah is the baobab tree (Adansonla digitata). The height of the tree reaches 25 meters, it is characterized by a thick (up to 10 meters in diameter) trunk and a huge spreading crown. And recently, a giant baobab was discovered in Africa, 189 meters high and with a trunk diameter at the base of 44 meters. These are long-lived trees, some reaching 4-5 thousand years old.

The baobab blooms for several months, but each flower lives only one night. Flowers are pollinated by bats. Baobab is also called the “monkey tree” because its fruits are a favorite food for monkeys. The man in the baobab uses everything: he makes paper from the inner layer of the bark, eats the leaves, gets food from the seeds. special substance adansonine, which is used as an antidote for poisoning.

Acacia savannas are also common in Africa. More common are Senegalese, whitish, giraffe acacia and other species (Acacia albida, A. arabica, A. Giraffae). Due to its crown, which has a flattened shape, the acacia is called umbrella-shaped. The adhesives contained in the bark are widely used in industry, and the wood is used to make high-quality expensive furniture.