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