Africa Africa Climate Climate and and VegetatioVegetationn
ClimateClimate
equator runs straight through the equator runs straight through the middle of Africa, high middle of Africa, high temperaturestemperatures
both Tropic of Cancer and both Tropic of Cancer and Capricorn –the Tropics—hot and Capricorn –the Tropics—hot and wet or hot and drywet or hot and dry
climate is mild the farthest from climate is mild the farthest from the equator—N and S tips the equator—N and S tips
Elevation Elevation as elevation increases, temperatures as elevation increases, temperatures
decreasedecrease some mountain peaks with snow never some mountain peaks with snow never
melt even though on the equatormelt even though on the equator
RainfallRainfall
Africa as whole gets plenty—it is Africa as whole gets plenty—it is just unevenly distributed just unevenly distributed
Cairo=1 inch a year Cairo=1 inch a year Nairobi, Kenya=38 inches a yearNairobi, Kenya=38 inches a year rain comes and goes, seasons, rain comes and goes, seasons,
huge uncertaintyhuge uncertainty
drought—drought—period of period of time with time with little or no little or no rainfallrainfall
rainforestrainforest—rain —rain every dayevery day
savanna—savanna—rain is rain is seasonalseasonal
RainforestRainforest along equator, high temps along equator, high temps
and tons of rainand tons of rain complex ecosystem, complex ecosystem,
plants living on plants, plants living on plants, many levels, many levels, canopycanopy at at toptop
soil is not fertile –too much rain soil is not fertile –too much rain washes away nutrients—washes away nutrients—leachingleaching
main areas are western and central main areas are western and central AfricaAfrica
rainforests are threatened because of rainforests are threatened because of farming, logging, roads and miningfarming, logging, roads and mining
SavannaSavanna
large open areas of grassland large open areas of grassland with few trees and bushwith few trees and bush
largest areas south of Saharalargest areas south of Sahara warm temps and rainfall in the warm temps and rainfall in the
summersummer
baobab treesbaobab trees—tall and spindly —tall and spindly branches, branches, acacia trees-acacia trees--umbrellas-umbrellas
great deal of wildlife, large great deal of wildlife, large animalsanimals
SahelSahel
semiarid land just south of Sahara, dry semiarid land just south of Sahara, dry grasslandsgrasslands
a transition zone between Savanna and a transition zone between Savanna and Desert, Desert, desertificationdesertification—fires, erosion, —fires, erosion, animalsanimals
hot temps, a little rain that is seasonal hot temps, a little rain that is seasonal and sometimes not at alland sometimes not at all
DesertsDeserts -north and south of the equator-north and south of the equator Sahara Sahara in the north, in the north, Namib and Namib and
KalahariKalahari in the south in the south all incredibly hot and dry, contain all incredibly hot and dry, contain
mountains mountains
Sahara=largest in world, sand, Sahara=largest in world, sand, rock, gravelrock, gravel
equal to the continental US, all equal to the continental US, all elevationselevations
Top Related