Fauna of variable humid subtropical forests of Eurasia. Natural zone: variable humid forests of Africa and Australia, characteristics, animals, plants, climate, soils

Variably humid forests. The zone of variable humid (including monsoon) forests extends in the east and south of Eurasia. The vegetation here is represented by both coniferous and deciduous trees (cedar, pine, oak, walnut, gingko) and evergreen trees (palms, ficuses, bamboo and magnolias), which grow mainly on red-yellow soils. The animal world is also characterized by a significant species diversity: monkeys, tigers, leopards, as well as endemics - a bamboo bear (panda), a gibbon, etc.

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Geography Grade 7

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"Natural zones of Eurasia" - Among the impenetrable thickets here you can meet orangutans, leopards, tapirs. Main animals: reindeer, arctic foxes, some species of birds. The latter prevails in the Asian taiga, in a cold, sharply continental climate. Arctic desert zone. Mixed and deciduous forests. The desert zone stretches through three geographical zones. The fauna here is represented by elephants, tigers, rhinos. Many reptiles and reptiles, as well as various insects. Along the mountain ranges of Siberia, tundra vegetation penetrates far to the south.

"Sights of Paris" - See Paris - and die! Arc de Triomphe in 1836 by Louis Philippe. Place des Stars is officially called Place Charles de Gaulle. The Sorbonne was founded in 1253 by Robert de Sorbonne. Georges Pompidou - Beaubourg. The Pantheon is a monument in which the tombs of the great people of France are located. The Eiffel Tower is the symbol of Paris. The Louvre is one of the largest and richest museums of fine arts in the world. Purpose: to get acquainted with the sights of Paris.

"The geographical position of the southern continents" - On the plains, composed of strata of sedimentary rocks. Questions: Into what oceans do the rivers of Africa and South America carry water? Why? Slide 7. Soil map. Igneous: ores of ferrous and non-ferrous metals, diamonds, noble and rare metals. General features of climate and inland waters. Slide 4. Minerals of the southern continents. Which climatic zones have the largest network of rivers and many lakes?

"Geographical shell of the Earth" - The modern appearance of the planet Earth. 1. Altitudinal zonality zonality… 6. Lithosphere is… Pupils of the 7th grade Matrosova A.E. A. state of the troposphere B. long-term weather pattern C. current state of the troposphere. A. on the plains B. in the mountains C. in the oceans 2. The geographic envelope is ... Test work. Right answers.

"Water in the World Ocean" - Without water, a person cannot live more than eight days. Thanks to water and in water, life arose on Earth. Then there is deadly dehydration of the body. You can't grow crops without water. We are starting to study the water shell of the Earth - the hydrosphere. Fundamental question: “Water! Group 2. Compare the area of ​​land and ocean. What is the temperature at different levels of the ocean?

"Savannas" - Branched acacias rise like huge umbrellas among tall grasses. Animal world. Savannah. economic activity of people. The average temperature in July and January is +22C. Soils. Geographical position. Climatic conditions. Umbrella acacia. Savannahs are located in the subequatorial belt.

Africa is the hottest continent on planet Earth. The equator line passing through the center of the Black Continent symmetrically divides its area into different natural zones. The characteristic of the natural zones of Africa allows you to form a general idea of ​​the geographical position of Africa, about the features of the climate, soil, flora and fauna of each of the zones.

What natural areas is Africa located in?

Africa is the second largest continent on our planet. This continent is washed by two oceans and two seas from different sides. But its main feature is its symmetrical arrangement to the equator. In other words, the equator line horizontally divides the continent into two equal parts. The northern half is much wider than southern Africa. As a result, all the natural zones of Africa are located on the map from north to south in the following order:

  • savannas;
  • variable-humid forests;
  • humid evergreen equatorial forests;
  • variable humid forests;
  • savannas;
  • tropical deserts and semi-deserts;
  • subtropical evergreen hardwood forests and shrubs.

Fig.1 Natural areas of Africa

Moist equatorial forests

On both sides of the equator is a zone of humid evergreen equatorial forests. It occupies a rather narrow strip and is characterized by numerous precipitations. In addition, it is rich in water resources: the deepest Congo River flows through its territory, and the Gulf of Guinea washes its banks.

Constant heat, numerous rainfall and high humidity have led to the formation of lush vegetation on red-yellow ferralite soils. Evergreen equatorial forests surprise with their density, impenetrability and variety of plant organisms. Their feature is versatility. It became possible due to the endless struggle for sunlight, in which not only trees, but also epiphytes and climbing vines take part.

The tsetse fly lives in the equatorial and subequatorial zones of Africa, as well as in the wooded part of the savannah. Her bite is deadly to humans, as she is a carrier of a "sleeping" disease, which is accompanied by terrible pain in the body and fever.

Rice. 2 Moist evergreen equatorial forests

Savannah

The amount of precipitation is directly related to the richness of the plant world. The gradual reduction of the rainy season leads to the appearance of a dry one, and the humid equatorial forests are gradually replaced by variable wet ones, and then they turn into savannahs. The last natural zone occupies the largest area of ​​the Black Continent, and makes up about 40% of the entire continent.

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Here, the same red-brown ferrallitic soils are observed, on which various herbs, cereals, and baobabs grow mainly. Low trees and shrubs are much rarer.

A distinctive feature of the savannah is a dramatic change in appearance - juicy tones of green during the rainy season fade sharply under the scorching sun during dry periods and become brown-yellow.

Savannah is unique and rich in wildlife. A large number of birds live here: flamingos, ostriches, marabou, pelicans and others. It impresses with an abundance of herbivores: buffaloes, antelopes, elephants, zebras, giraffes, hippos, rhinos and many others. They are also food for the following predators: lions, leopards, cheetahs, jackals, hyenas, crocodiles.

Rice. 3 African Savannah

Tropical deserts and semi-deserts

In the southern part of the mainland, the Namib Desert dominates. But neither it nor any other desert in the world can compare with the greatness of the Sahara, which consists of rocky, clay and sandy deserts. The amount of precipitation per year in sugar does not exceed 50 mm. But this does not mean that these lands are lifeless. The flora and fauna is quite scarce, but it exists.

Of the plants, it should be noted such representatives as sclerophyd, succulents, acacia. The date palm grows in the oases. Animals have adapted to the dry climate. Lizards, snakes, turtles, beetles, scorpions can do without water for a long time.

In the Libyan part of the Sahara, one of the most beautiful oases in the world is located, in the center of which there is a large lake, the name of which literally translates as “Mother of Water”.

Rice. 4 Sahara Desert

Subtropical evergreen hardwood forests and shrubs

The most extreme natural zones of the African continent are subtropical evergreen hardwood forests and shrubs. They are located in the north and southwest of the mainland. They are characterized by dry, hot summers and wet, warm winters. Such a climate favored the formation of fertile brown soils, on which the Lebanese cedar, wild olive, arbutus, beech and oak grow.

Table of Natural Areas of Africa

This table for grade 7 in geography will help you compare the natural areas of the mainland and figure out which natural area prevails in Africa.

natural area Climate The soil Vegetation Animal world
Hard-leaved evergreen forests and shrubs Mediterranean brown Wild olive, Lebanese cedar, oak, strawberry, beech. Leopards, antelopes, zebras.
Tropical semi-deserts and deserts Tropical Desert, sandy and rocky Succulents, xerophytes, acacias. Scorpions, snakes, turtles, beetles.
Savannah subequatorial Ferrolitic red Herbs, cereals, palms, acacias. Buffaloes, giraffes, lions, cheetahs, antelopes, elephants, hippos, hyenas, jackals.
Variable-humid and humid forests Equatorial and subequatorial Ferrolitic brown-yellow Bananas, coffee, ficuses, palm trees. Termites, gorillas, chimpanzees, parrots, leopards.

What have we learned?

Today we talked about the natural areas of the hottest continent on Earth - Africa. So let's call them again:

  • subtropical evergreen hardwood forests and shrubs;
  • tropical deserts and semi-deserts;
  • savannas;
  • variable-humid forests;
  • moist evergreen equatorial forests.

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Introduction

Eurasia is the largest continent on Earth, the area is 53,893 thousand square kilometers, which is 36% of the land area. The population is over 4.8 billion people.

The continent is located in the Northern Hemisphere between approximately 9° and 169° West longitude, with some of the Eurasian islands located in the Southern Hemisphere. Most of continental Eurasia lies in the Eastern Hemisphere, although the extreme western and eastern ends of the mainland are in the Western Hemisphere. Contains two parts of the world: Europe and Asia.

All climatic zones and natural zones are represented in Eurasia.

Natural zone - part of a geographical zone with homogeneous climatic conditions.

Natural areas take their name from their natural vegetation and other geographical features. The zones regularly change from the equator to the poles and from the oceans deep into the continents; have similar temperature and moisture conditions, which determine homogeneous soils, vegetation, wildlife and other components of the natural environment. Natural zones are one of the stages of physical and geographical zoning.

The main natural zones of the subequatorial and equatorial belts of Eurasia considered in the course work are the zone of variable humid, including monsoon forests, the zone of savannas and light forests, the zone of equatorial forests.

A zone of variable humid, monsoon forests develops on the plains of Hindustan, Indochina and in the northern half of the Philippine Islands, a zone of savannahs and woodlands - on the Deccan Plateau and the interior of the Indochina Peninsula, humid equatorial forests - throughout the Malay Archipelago, the southern half of the Philippine Islands, the southwest Ceylon and the Malay Peninsula.

The course work gives a detailed description of these natural areas, reflects the geographical location, climate, soil, flora, its ecological features, animal population and its ecological features. A topical topic is also developed - the environmental problems of the equatorial and subequatorial belts of Eurasia. First of all, these include the deforestation of moist equatorial forests and the desertification of savannahs under the influence of grazing.

Zone of variable humid, including monsoon forests

Geographical location, natural conditions

In the subequatorial zone, due to seasonal precipitation and uneven distribution of precipitation over the territory, as well as contrasts in the annual course of temperatures, landscapes of subequatorial variable humid forests develop on the plains of Hindustan, Indochina and in the northern half of the Philippine Islands.

Variably humid forests occupy the wettest areas of the lower reaches of the Ganges-Brahmaputra, coastal regions of Indochina and the Philippine archipelago, are especially well developed in Thailand, Burma, the Malay Peninsula, where at least 1500 millimeters of precipitation falls. On drier plains and plateaus, where the amount of precipitation does not exceed 1000-800 millimeters, seasonally moist monsoon forests grow, which once covered large areas of the Hindustan peninsula and southern Indochina (Korat Plateau). With a decrease in precipitation to 800-600 millimeters and a reduction in the rainfall period from 200 to 150-100 days a year, forests are replaced by savannas, woodlands and shrubs.

The soils here are ferralitic, but predominantly red. With a decrease in the amount of rain, the concentration of humus in them increases. They are formed as a result of ferralitic weathering (the process is accompanied by the decay of most of the primary minerals, with the exception of quartz, and the accumulation of secondary ones - kaolinite, goethite, gibbsite, etc.) and humus accumulation under the forest vegetation of the humid tropics. They are characterized by low content of silica, high content of aluminum and iron, low cation exchange and high anion absorption capacity, predominantly red and variegated yellow-red color of the soil profile, very acidic reaction. Humus contains mainly fulvic acids. Humus contain 8-10%.

The hydrothermal regime of seasonally humid tropical communities is characterized by constantly high temperatures and a sharp change in the wet and dry seasons, which determines the specific features of the structure and dynamics of their fauna and animal population, which noticeably distinguish them from communities of tropical rainforests. First of all, the presence of a dry season lasting from two to five months determines the seasonal rhythm of life processes in almost all animal species. This rhythm is expressed in the confinement of the breeding period mainly to the wet season, in the complete or partial cessation of activity during the drought, in the migratory movements of animals both within the biome under consideration and outside it during the unfavorable dry season. Falling into full or partial anabiosis is characteristic of many terrestrial and soil invertebrates, for amphibians, and migration is characteristic of some insects capable of flight (for example, locusts), birds, bats and large ungulates.

For tropical wet evergreens, or as they are sometimes called, rainforests are characterized by a three-tier structure of the tree canopy. The tiers are poorly demarcated. The upper tier consists of giant trees 45 m or more in height, 2-2.5 m in diameter. The middle tier is represented by trees about 30 m high with a trunk diameter of up to 90 cm. Smaller, exceptionally shade-tolerant trees grow in the third tier. There are many palm trees in these forests. The main area of ​​\u200b\u200btheir growth is the Amazon basin. Here they occupy vast areas, including, in addition to the northern part of Brazil, French Guiana, Suriname, Guyana, the southern part of Venezuela, the west and south of Colombia, Ecuador and the east of Peru. In addition, this type of forest is found in Brazil in a narrow strip along the Atlantic coast between 5 and 30°S. Similar evergreen forests also grow along the Pacific coast from the border of Panama to Guayaquil in Ecuador. Here are concentrated all types of the genus Svitania (or mahogany), rubber-bearing genus Hevea, Brazil nut (Bertolletia excelsa) and many other valuable species.

Tropical variable-humid deciduous forests distributed in the southeast of Brazil and in the south of Paraguay. Tree species in them are relatively small in height, but often with thick trunks. Legumes are widely represented in the forests. Subtropical deciduous broadleaf forests most common in the south of Brazil and Parguay, in the west of Uruguay and in the north of Argentina along the Parana and Uruguay rivers. montane evergreen forests cover the slopes of the Andes from Venezuela to central Bolivia. These forests are characterized by thin-stemmed low trees forming dense stands. Due to the fact that these forests occupy steep slopes and are far from populated areas, they are exploited very little.

Araucaria forests located in two isolated regions. The Brazilian Araucaria (Araucaria brasiliana) is predominant in the states of Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, as well as in Uruguay, Eastern Paraguay and Argentina. A less significant massif is formed by forests of Chilean araucaria (A. araucana) found in the Andes at 40°S. in the altitude range from 500 to 3000 m above sea level. seas. These forests are characterized by hardwood species, among which the most important is embuya (Phoebe porosa). In the undergrowth of the araucaria forests, the mate shrub, or Paraguayan tea (Ilex paraguariensis), is also widespread on plantations.

Low growing xerophilous forests distributed in the east of Brazil, in the northern part of Argentina and in the western part of Paraguay. The most important tree species in these forests is the red querbacho (Schinopsis sp.), from which tannin is obtained. mangrove forests occupy the coastal strip of the Atlantic part of South America. These forests are dominated by red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle), forming pure stands or mixed with Avicenna (Avicennia marina) and Conocarpus erecta.

In addition to timber harvesting, rubber, food products (seeds, nuts, fruits, beans, leaves, etc.), oils, medicinal substances, tannins, resins, including chicle (Zschokkea lascescens), raw materials for the production of chewing gum.

Venezuela. Evergreen (on laterites) and deciduous forests grow on the slopes of the spurs of the Andes and the Guiana Highlands. On the territory of the low llanos, tall-grass savanna with groves of the Mauritian palm is common, and in the high llanos, xerophilic light forests and shrub communities are common. Mangroves stretch around Lake Maracaibo, giving way to undersized xerophilous, and to the south - evergreen tropical forests. In the south of the country, in the upper reaches of the river. Orinoco and its right tributaries grow moist evergreen tropical forests, almost inaccessible to exploitation. Of the tree species of economic value, mahogany, roble colorado, baku, balsa, espave (Anacardium spp.), angelino (Ocotea caracasana), oleo-vermelho (Myroxylon balsamum), pao-roxo, guaiacum, tabebuya (Tabebuia pentaphylla ), ceiba (Ceiba pentandra), almasigo (Bursera simaruba), kurbaril (Hymenaea courbaril), adobe (Samanea saman), etc.


Landscape in the center of Venezuela

Colombia. According to natural conditions, two regions are distinguished: the eastern (plain) and the western (mountainous, where the Colombian Andes stretch). The first region is largely occupied by humid evergreen forests of the Magdalena basins and the left tributaries of the Amazon. To the north and west of the Guajira peninsula, along the Caribbean coast, low-growing xerophilous forests extend, in which divi-divi beans (Libidibia coriaria) are harvested for tannin. Guaiac wood (Guaiacum spp.) is also harvested here - this is one of the hardest and heaviest woods in the world, used for the manufacture of rollers, blocks and other engineering products.

Mangrove forests stretch along the Pacific and Caribbean coasts. In evergreen tropical hylaea, especially in the lower part of the Magdalena basin and along the mouth of the river. Atrato, kativo wood (Prioria copaifera) is harvested for export, as well as baku, or "Colombian mahogany" (Cariniana spp.), caoba, or real mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla), roble colorado, or Panamanian mahogany (Platymiscium spp.) , purple tree, or paoroxo (Peltogyne spp.), etc. In the eastern part of the elevated plain along the tributaries of the Orinoco, savanna-llanos with rare trees and gallery forests with Mauritius palm (Mauricia sp.) are common. The forests of the mountain regions of the Andes are characterized by a peculiar altitudinal zonality. On the lower parts of the lee slopes and on the northern ridges, deciduous forests or thorny shrubs are common. In the adjacent part of the mountains (from 1000 to 2000 m) mountain broad-leaved evergreen forests grow with tree ferns, wax palm (Copernicia cerifera), cinchona, coca (Erythroxylon coca) and various orchids. Cultivated crops include cocoa and coffee trees. At an altitude of 2000 to 3200 m, humid alpine hylaea, in which there are many species of evergreen oaks, shrubs and bamboos.

Ecuador. Three natural areas are distinguished on the territory of the country: 1) a watershed plateau with moist equatorial forests - hylaea, or selva(together with the upper reaches of the left tributaries of the Amazon); 2) Andes ranges; 3) the Pacific forest-savannah plain and the western slopes of the Andes. The evergreen tropical forests of the first region are poorly studied and difficult to access. On the western slopes of the Andes, up to a height of 3000 m, evergreen mountain broad-leaved forests (hylaea) grow, largely disturbed by slash-and-burn agriculture. They produce a lot of cinchona bark, as well as balsa, kapok from the fruits of ceiba, leaves of the toquilla palm, or hipihapa (Carludovica palmata), used to make Panama hats. Tagua palm (Phytelephas spp.) is also found here, the hard endosperm of the fruits of which is used to produce buttons, and various rubber plants. The lower part of the western slopes is characterized by evergreen tropical forests. In the river valley Guayas is intensively harvested for export balsa wood.

Guyana, Suriname, Guiana. The forests of these countries, located along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean and along the Guiana Highlands, are evergreen tropical with a number of valuable species. The green tree, or betabaro (Ocotea rodiaei), which is exported in Guyana and Suriname, stands out in particular. Apomate (Tabebuia pentaphylla), canalette (Cordia spp.), pekia (Caryocar spp.), espave (Anacardium spp.), habillo (Hura crepitans), wallab (Eperua spp.), carap (Carapa guianensis), virola are no less valuable. (Virola spp.), Simaruba (Simaruba spp.), etc.

Brazil. There are more than 7 thousand species of woody and shrubby plants in the flora, of which there are over 4.5 thousand species in the Amazonian selva. High bertholecia grow (giving brazil nuts, etc.), various rubber plants, including brazilian hevea, which has become a valuable plantation crop in many countries of South Asia and Africa, laurels, ficuses, brazilian mahogany, or "pau brazil", which gave the name to the country (Caesalpinia echinata), chocolate tree, or cocoa, mahogany, jacaranda, or rosewood, oleo vermelho, roble colorado and sapukaya, or paradise nut (Lecythis ustata), and many others. In the east, the selva turns into light palm forests, among which we note the valuable babasu palm (Orbignya speciosa), which has highly nutritious nuts. South of the Amazonian selva, landscapes of tropical dry woodlands are common - caatinga, in which trees grow that shed their leaves in the dry season and accumulate moisture in the rainy season, for example, the bottle tree (Cavanillesia arborea), thorny shrubs, cacti (Cereus squamulosus). In the floodplains, there is a carnauba, or wax, palm (Copernicia cerifera), from the leaves of which wax is collected, which is used in technology. From the south, subtropical deciduous forests adjoin forests dominated by palms and savannahs. In the southeast of the country, along the Brazilian Highlands, there are araucaria forests from the Brazilian, or Paran, araucaria (pinheiro, or "Brazilian pine"). Along with it, embuya, tabebuya, cordia grow, and in the undergrowth of yerbamate, Paraguayan tea is prepared from its leaves. Araucaria forests are involved in intensive exploitation.

Along the Atlantic coast and at the mouth of the Amazon, mangrove forests grow, dominated by red mangrove with an admixture of black mangrove (Avicennia marina) and white mangrove (Conocarpus erecta). Tannin is extracted from the bark of these trees.

Road from Calama (Chile) to LaPaz (Bolivia)

Chile. The main forest area is concentrated in the southern half of the country along the Pacific slopes of the Andes. In the region of 41-42 ° S.l. there is a significant array of araucaria forests, dominated by pure stands of pinot, or Chilean araucaria, often called "Chilean pine" (Araucaria araucana). To the south are mixed broad-leaved deciduous forests of the temperate zone with different species of southern beech (Nothofagus spp.), representatives of laurels - linge (Persea lingue), ulmo (Beilschmiedia berteroana). In the extreme south, there are coniferous forests of alerse (Fitzroya cupressoides) and sipres (Pilgerodendron uviferum) with an admixture of canelo (Drimys winteri). The bark of the latter contains substances with antiscorbutic properties.

Argentina. There are several natural regions. The east is dominated by evergreen forests, in which more than 100 species of trees of great economic importance grow. Among them are cabreuva (Myrocarpus frondosus), kanzherana (Cabralea oblongifolia), Brazilian araucaria, tabebuya, etc. In the west, evergreen ice grows along the slopes of the Andes at an altitude of 2000-2500 m above sea level. seas. Palo blanco (Calycophyllum multiflorum), cedro-salteno (Cedrela balansae), roble-criolo (Amburana cearensis), nogal-criolo (Juglans australis), tarco (Jacaranda mimosifolia), type-blanco (Tipuana tipu), etc. In the south, along the slopes of the Andes, subantarctic vegetation extends, among which several species of southern beech, alerce, "Cordillera cypress" (Austrocedrus chilensis), etc., are distinguished. palosanto (Bulnesia sarmientoi), guaiacan (Caesalpinia paraguarensis), etc. To the south, along the eastern slopes of the Andes, there are xerophilic broad-leaved forests of the temperate zone with algarrobo, acacias (Acacia caven), carcass (Celtis spinosa), quebracho-blanco.

Paraguay. Forest cover 51%. In the east of the country, mixed tropical evergreen and deciduous forests are common, turning in the west (in the Gran Chaco region) into woodlands and savannahs. The main tree species is quebracho blanco (Aspidosperma quebracho-blanco).

Uruguay. Forests occupy an insignificant part of the total territory of the country and are located in the lower reaches of the Rio Negro and in the valley of the river. Uruguay. The forest cover of the country is 3%. Large areas are beginning to be occupied by artificial plantations - pines on coastal dunes and eucalyptus plantations.

Published according to the monograph: A.D. Bukshtynov, B.I. Groshev, G.V. Krylov. Forests (Nature of the world). M.: Thought, 1981. 316 p.

The subequatorial climatic zone is transitional and occurs in the northern and southern hemispheres, from to tropical zones.

Climate

In summer, in the zones of the subequatorial zone, the monsoon type of climate prevails, which is characterized by a large amount of precipitation. Its characteristic feature is the change of air masses from equatorial to tropical depending on the season of the year. In winter, dry trade winds are observed here.

The average monthly temperature varies between 15-32º C, and the amount of precipitation is 250-2000 mm.

The rainy season is characterized by high rainfall (almost 95% per annum) and lasts about 2-3 months. When easterly tropical winds prevail, the climate becomes arid.

Countries of the subequatorial belt

The subequatorial climatic zone passes through the countries of: South Asia (the Hindustan Peninsula: India, Bangladesh and the island of Sri Lanka); Southeast Asia (Indochina peninsula: Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines); southern part of North America: Costa Rica, Panama; South America: Ecuador, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, Guiana; Africa: Senegal, Mali, Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Togo, Benin, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Sudan, Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania , Burundi, Tanzania, Mozambique, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Angola, Congo, DRC, Gabon, and the island of Madagascar; Northern Oceania: Australia.

Natural zones of the subequatorial belt

Map of natural zones and climatic zones of the world

The subequatorial climatic zone includes the following natural zones:

  • savannas and woodlands (South America, Africa, Asia, Oceania);

And light forests are predominantly found in the subequatorial climatic zone.

Savannas are a mixed grassland. The trees here grow more measuredly than in the forests. However, despite the high density of trees, there are open spaces covered with grassy vegetation. Savannahs cover about 20% of the Earth's land mass and are often located in the transition zone between forests and deserts or pastures.

  • altitudinal zones (South America, Africa, Asia);

This natural zone is located in mountainous areas and is characterized by climate change, namely, a decrease in air temperature by 5-6 ° C as the height above sea level rises. Altitude zones show less oxygen and lower atmospheric pressure, as well as increased ultraviolet radiation.

  • variable-moist (including monsoon) forests (South America, North America, Asia, Africa);

Variably humid forests, along with savannahs and light forests, are predominantly found in the subequatorial zone. The flora is not distinguished by a wide variety of species, in contrast to the humid equatorial forests. Since there are two seasons in this climatic zone (dry and rainy), the trees have adapted to these changes and for the most part they are represented by broad-leaved deciduous species.

  • humid equatorial forests (Oceania, Philippines).

In the subequatorial zone, moist equatorial forests are not as common as in the equatorial zone. They are characterized by a complex structure of the forest, as well as a wide variety of flora, which is represented by evergreen tree species and other vegetation.

Soils of the subequatorial belt

This belt is dominated by red soils of variable rainforests and tall grass savannahs. They are characterized by a reddish tint, granular structure, low humus content (2-4%). This type of soil is rich in iron and has negligible silicon content. Potassium, sodium, calcium and magnesium are found here in negligible amounts.

Mountain yellow earth, red earth and lateritic soils are common in Southeast Asia. In South Asia and central Africa, black soils of dry tropical savannas are found.

Animals and plants

The sub-equatorial climatic zone is home to fast growing trees, including balsa trees and members of the genus Cecropia, as well as trees that grow longer (over 100 years), such as succulents and various types of entandrophragma. Gaboon redwoods are common in tropical rainforests. Here you can find baobab, acacia, various types of palm, spurge and parkia, as well as many other plants.

The subequatorial climatic zone is characterized by a variety of fauna, especially birds (woodpeckers, toucans, parrots, etc.) and insects (ants, butterflies, termites). However, there are not many terrestrial species, these include.

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