Presentation on the topic "Natural zones of Africa". Features of natural areas of Africa Report on natural areas of Africa

The equator line passes through the center of the African continent, and thus symmetrically divides it into different natural zones. Zones equatorial forests are replaced by savannas, savannas pass into semi-deserts, semi-deserts into deserts.

Of great importance for the formation of natural zones is the number of reservoirs, the level of precipitation, as well as economic activity person.

Equatorial forest and savanna zone

evergreens woodlands occupy the territory from the Congo River to the coast of the Gulf of Guinea. The climate in this area is very hot and humid. Unlike equatorial forests South America, in Africa, trees with less thick bark grow, palm trees are rare among them.

In the equatorial forests of Africa grow unique species trees, the wood of which is considered the most expensive in the world - ebony and mahogany. Tropical rainforests grow on the east coast of Africa and in the east of the island of Madagascar.

The forests of equatorial Africa are framed by savannahs. The vegetation level of the savanna is directly dependent on the level of precipitation falling in the region.

So, during rainy periods, there are cereal plants, the height of which reaches 5 m. During periods of prolonged drought, the territory of the shroud is covered with dry plants and shrubs. Very often in the savannas there are baobabs, acacias and euphorbias.

Deserts and semi-deserts

In the northern part of Africa, deserts occupy a large area of the territory. It is here that the largest desert in the world, the Sahara, is located. Vegetation in the Sahara is poorly developed: here there are plants that have a well-developed mechanical tissue and are highly drought-resistant.

Cereal plants are found in the Southern Sahara, shrubs are common in the north of the desert. Date and coconut palms grow in the oases of the Sahara desert. There are two deserts in South Africa: the Karoo and the Namib.

Succulent plants are common here, mainly aloes and spurges, as well as acacia shrubs. On the outskirts of the African deserts there are semi-deserts, which were formed as a result of massive deforestation in the savannahs. Tuberous and bulbous plants, as well as feather grass, are typical for semi-deserts.

fauna resources

Breeding European breeds of animals in Africa is almost impossible. This is because European species cannot withstand climatic conditions this continent. Animals such as hippos, giraffes, elephants and antelopes are common throughout Africa.

These animals are not whimsical to the conditions environment, can withstand high temperatures and lack of water resources, do not suffer from venomous bites insects, in particular the tsetse fly, which lives in equatorial and subequatorial Africa.

Africa - one of the few places on Earth geographical zoning by all rules. In the extreme north and south, there are zones of hard-leaved evergreen forests and shrubs, then zones of semi-deserts and deserts, savannahs, variable and permanently wet forests. The latitudinal zonality is violated only in the mountains and highlands, but there are few of them on the mainland.

Permanently humid and variable humid forests are located on both sides of the equator in the Congo Basin and along the coast of the Gulf of Guinea. The formation of the zone is due to the large amount of heat and moisture entering the territory throughout the year. The soils of these forests are red and yellow ferralitic.

Equatorial forests are diverse in composition. There are about 1000 species of trees. The upper tier (up to 80 m high) is formed by ficuses, oil palm, wine palm, ceiba kola tree, etc. Bananas, tree ferns, Liberian coffee tree, red and sandalwood trees, as well as rubber trees grow in the lower tiers. Many animals of the equatorial forests live on trees (birds, rodents, insects, as well as numerous monkeys - monkeys, chimpanzees, etc.). Terrestrial inhabitants include bushy-eared pigs, an African deer, related to the okapi giraffe. largest predator equatorial forests leopard. In remote places, the largest great apes gorillas that are not found anywhere else.

North and south of the equator, wet equatorial forests become thinner, their composition becomes poorer, patches of savannas appear among the massifs of continuous forest. Gradually, the humid equatorial forest is limited only to river valleys, and on the watersheds they are replaced by forests shedding leaves for the dry season or savannah.

Savannahs occupy vast expanses in Africa, about 40% of its area. By appearance savannahs are very different from equatorial forests. The soil and vegetation of the shrouds depend on the length of the rainy season. Closer to the equatorial forests, where the rainy season is 7-9 months, red and ferrallitic soils are formed, grasses reach 3 m in height. Where the duration of the rainy season is less than 6 months, red-brown soils are common, with not very tall grasses, among which baobabs and various umbrella-shaped acacias appear. On the border with semi-deserts, where the wet season lasts only 2-3 months a year, deserted savannas are formed with dry thorny bushes and rare thorny grasses. Euphorbia, tree-like plants are found. Nowhere in the world is there such an accumulation of large animals as in African savannah: a variety of antelopes, zebras, giraffes, elephants, buffaloes, rhinos, hippos. Such a number of animals is possible due to the abundance of varied food. Many predators - cheetahs, jackals, hyenas, lions, leopards, cheetahs, crocodiles.

Tropical deserts also occupy a significant area on the mainland in its northern and southern parts. The largest of them is the Sahara, stretching for 5000 km from Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Red Sea coast in the east. From north to south, the Sahara stretches for 2000 km.

Sahara, like many other deserts of the world, is the collective name of a group of deserts, among which a number of independent large deserts stand out. Her East End occupied by the Libyan desert. The Arabian Desert stretches from the Nile to the Red Sea. The Nubian Desert is located in the north of Sudan. In Algeria - Great Western and Great Eastern Ergi.

Sahara as a desert belongs to a number of the highest world indicators: the most heat registered on the globe+59°C in the shade (Tripoli city), the most big square sandy deserts- about 600 thousand km 2; the least amount of precipitation (does not fall at all in some areas); daily temperature fluctuations in Western Sahara exceed 30 degrees.

The annual amount of precipitation in the Sahara is almost everywhere less than 100 mm. The sun's rays are very hot earth's surface. AT summer time the heat reaches 40-50°C in the shade. The vegetation of the Sahara is very sparse in places it does not exist at all. In some places thorny bushes and individual bunches of herbs grow. Rich vegetation is developed only in oases. Animals of the Sahara are adapted to a hot climate, so oryx antelopes (the most large antelope Sahara) and addax, the gazelles of Dorcas and Loder are capable of running long distances in search of water and food. Of the mammals, rodents are numerous. Representatives of the family of hamsters, mice, jerboas, squirrels live here. Predators include jackals, hyenas, foxes, and cheetahs. There are birds, both migratory and permanent. Reptiles include lizards, turtles, and snakes.

AT South Africa the Namib and Kalahari deserts are located. The coastal Namib Desert is one of the coolest and harshest deserts in the world. The length is about 1500 km, with a width of 50 to 150 km.

The desert flora is exceptionally diverse in composition. There are numerous species of the families of Euphorbia, Crassulaceae, and many endemic species. The Namib Desert is characterized unique plant velvichia - with a short and thick stem and two dense, wide long leaves creeping along the ground, reaching 3 m in length.

Africa is characterized by great diversity, because the mainland itself is located on the equator and stretches from it for thousands of kilometers. Among their main species, there is a zone of equatorial forests, savannahs and light forests, as well as deserts and semi-desert territories, evergreen forests and shrubs.

Since in Africa with latitude the amount of heat and humidity gradually increase or decrease, and the relief is very diverse, this causes the natural zones of Africa within the equatorial forests to be subdivided into humid equatorial, variable humid forests. As for savannahs and light forests, one can distinguish between wet and dry areas.

As for the animal world in the zone of equatorial forests, it is characterized by great diversity. A huge part of these animals is adapted to life on trees. They include monkeys, different kinds birds, as well as rodents and insects. Among the terrestrial fauna in Africa there are many elephants, rhinos, as well as hippos, small ungulates, etc. You can see lizards and snakes. As for insects, the most dangerous view of these is the tsetse fly, whose bite causes sleeping sickness in humans.

The soils of deserts and semi-deserts do not form a continuous cover. They have a very low content. organic matter, but a lot of mineral salts. If there are places where groundwater is near the surface of the earth, the vegetation there is characterized by diversity. Such places are called oases.

natural areas characterized by a variety of climatic conditions, therefore they have their own characteristics. The fact is that some of the animals can for a long time do without water, while others can travel long distances in search of it.

In the zone of subtropical hardwood forests, the amount of precipitation falls according to a certain season. Summers are very hot, while winters are wet and mild. The soils here have acquired a natural brown hue.

Africa, whose natural zones are characterized by a variety of both climatic conditions and animal and flora, is a continent with a pronounced latitudinal zonality.

The black continent stands out in world geography in that the natural zones of Africa on the map are located almost correctly and symmetrically. This is due to the flat landscapes that are available almost everywhere on the mainland, as well as to the uniform position relative to the equator. Latitudinal zonality also depends on the amount of precipitation, which is uneven in these conditions.

However, in mountainous areas such a harmonious distribution is disturbed, the zones change with height. There are few such territories on the continent. Vegetation cover is also different in each zone, and this depends on the properties of the soil and climate conditions.

In the region of the equator, located in the center of Africa, there are equatorial forests (variably or permanently humid), the next natural zones extending north and south from the central area are savannahs, they are replaced by semi-deserts and deserts, but the mainland is framed by narrow strips of hard-leaved shrubs and forests (evergreen).

Map of natural areas of Africa

All the natural zones of Africa on the map are located in this order on the African mainland (from north to south):

Central equatorial characterized by numerous precipitation, there are also rich water resources- Congo River, Guinean coast. In addition, constant heat affected the formation of local vegetation.

Local soils have two shades - red and yellow, they are ferralitic, as the table of natural zones of Africa says, because due to chemical processes on the surface rocks those became enriched with aluminum and iron. Such soil is not fertile, because all the substances that appear in it quickly decompose, and then are washed out or absorbed by the flora.

The plants living here do an excellent job with the existing conditions:

constant heat;
high humidity;
numerous rainfall.

For this they have:

hard and dense leaves;
supporting roots;
several tiers.

The number of representatives of the flora is huge, many trees are different valuable timber They also have edible fruits with a good taste.

Not fewer species and living beings

pigs;
deer;
okapi;
gorillas;
insects;
invertebrates;
microorganisms.

The following in the table of natural areas of Africa are variable wet forests, then comes the turn of the largest savannah, they are almost 40% of the entire mainland.

This zone is clearly different from the previous ones at first sight.

The amount of vegetation is related to rainfall and varies by region and season. When the rains are active, the grasses reach great heights, in places of drought the savannahs are covered with dead wood, bushes, there are rare trees (acacias most often).

Almost exactly we can say that it largely depends on this zone, because in the savannas there is great amount national parks, as it is home to a unique array of wild animals that attract travelers from all over.

Meet here:

giraffes;
zebras;
rhinos;
elephants;
hippos.

Of particular interest to visitors are predators:

lions;
hyenas;
cheetahs;
crocodiles.

The rich world of fauna includes many birds:

ostriches;
flamingos;
storks;
marabou;
ibis.

In the districts semi-deserts savannahs are overgrown with thorny vegetation - herbs and shrubs, there are tree-like plants, euphorbia.

Considerable territories are allocated for desert, especially in the northern sub-region where there is the majestic Sahara. These lands are by no means lifeless, here, although rare, they are found:

Animals are just as adaptable.

turtles;
lizards;
snakes;
beetles;
scorpions.

In different deserts throughout the mainland, there are certain representatives of flora and fauna, which depends on climatic and other conditions, each of them is unusual and multifaceted.

The most extreme natural zones of Africa on the map are characterized by the presence hard-leaved vegetation, they are in the very south or north, respectively. There are fertile brown soils that have formed under the following natural conditions mediterranean climate:

hot summer, dry;
warm winter, wet.

Natural areas of Africa, table

The main differences that characterize African natural areas:

climate;
soil;
vegetation;
animal world.

All these parameters are interconnected, because as a result of an established climate, certain soils are formed, on which only some plants grow. Vegetation becomes the basis of nutrition and habitat for representatives of the fauna. Based on the combination of all these indicators, the image of a particular zone is formed.

The table below of African natural zones gives a clear picture of all parts of the mainland.

On the territory of Africa, three main natural zones can be distinguished, which are very different from each other. it forests (equatorial and variable humid), savannas and tropical desert. If we consider the mainland from north to south (vertically), then in in general terms it can be said that the equatorial forests are located in the central part, on both sides of them there are savannahs, then also on both sides - deserts and semi-deserts (although in the southern part of the mainland the desert area is much smaller than in the north).

In addition to the equatorial forests, savannas and tropical deserts There are areas in Africa with altitudinal zonality , in addition, in the very north of the mainland there are areas with mediterranean natural area(hard-leaved evergreen forests and shrubs), there is also a small area in the north with steppes.

For zone equatorial forests characterized by an abundance of warmth and a large number of precipitation. The rains are coming all year round However, most of them fall in spring and autumn. Most of This natural area is located in the basin of the river network of the Congo River, which feeds the forests. Congo is the most abundant river in Africa (and the second after the Amazon in the world).

Equatorial forests are evergreen, ancient, they have many tiers, dense vegetation. A huge number of plant species - about 25 thousand (this is also the second place after the forests of the Amazon). In forests, trees can be divided into upper, middle and lower tiers. Shrubs and ferns grow under the canopy of trees. There are few grasses in the equatorial forests, because there is not enough light under the numerous trees. However, there are creepers. Common types of trees: red, ebony, sandalwood, cinnamon, oil palm, etc.

The equatorial forests are home to many species of monkeys, birds, insects, and reptiles. At the same time, from predatory mammals only the leopard is found.

The main activities of the indigenous inhabitants of the equatorial forests are the collection of fruits, hunting, the collection of honey, the cultivation of oil palm, coffee, rubber trees.

Equatorial forests on their northern and southern borders are replaced variable-moist forests . In such forests there is already a change of wet and dry periods of the year, trees can be deciduous and shed their leaves during the dry period.

Moving north and south from the equator variable-moist forests the zone is coming savannas and woodlands. Also, this natural zone runs through the eastern part of Africa in equatorial belt. Most of the savannas are in subequatorial belt. It is characterized by a change of equatorial and tropical air masses. When the equatorials come air masses, the rainy season begins, when the tropical - a period of drought. However, throughout the year the temperature in the savannas is quite high.

Since rainy and dry periods alternate in the savannas, it is characterized by a vivid manifestation of seasonal phenomena in wildlife. During a drought (in winter, that is, in December-February in the northern hemisphere and June-July in the southern hemisphere), lakes and rivers are almost halved. At this time, numerous animals of the savannas concentrate near water bodies. Thus, during this period, they are characterized by a nomadic lifestyle. Antelopes, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, elephants, hippos, lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, etc. predominate in the savannas. Many cereal grasses grow in the savannahs, and occasionally there are trees - baobabs and acacias. During the drought period, the grass dries up, and the shrubs shed their leaves. Fires are common in savannahs.

The soils of the savannas are quite fertile, but unstable. They are difficult to use for a long time agriculture. The peoples living in the shroud are engaged in nomadic and semi-nomadic cattle breeding and agriculture. Millet, sorghum, peanuts, corn, rice, etc. are grown here.

tropical desert characterized by a very small amount of precipitation throughout the year, large annual and daily temperature differences. Often in deserts sandstorms. Tropical deserts arise under the influence of dry continental tropical air brought by the trade winds. In the part of Africa that lies in the Northern Hemisphere, tropical deserts occupy the entire tropical belt of the mainland. In the part of Africa lying in the Southern Hemisphere, the deserts are located in the west-south part, closer to the subtropical zone. Here they are not as extensive as in northern Africa.

There are almost no permanent rivers in tropical deserts. They all dry up. However, the Nile in the Sahara is an exception to this rule. This is the most long river in the world.
There are few plants and animals in the desert. Plants are mainly represented by xerophytic (drought-adapted) shrubs (barberry, saxaul) and grasses with strong root systems. Desert animals are representatives of rodents, reptiles, birds, antelopes, etc.

In the desert, people live in oases (here groundwater comes to the surface), in the Nile Valley. People are often engaged in nomadic pastoralism (breeding camels).