African zones flora and fauna. Features of natural areas of Africa

The distribution of natural zones in Africa is also almost symmetrical relative to the equator and depends mainly on the uneven distribution of precipitation.

Moist evergreen equatorial forests occupy the Congo Basin and the coast of the Gulf of Guinea north of the equator. These forests are distinguished by their enormous species diversity (more than 1000 plant species), height (up to 50 m) and multi-tiered nature (tree crowns fill almost the entire space). Animals are also distributed into tiers. Swarming in the loose soil and forest floor are hordes of microfauna, a variety of invertebrates, as well as shrews, lizards and snakes. The ground layer is inhabited by small ungulates, forest pigs, forest elephants, and gorillas. The crowns of trees were chosen not only by birds, but also by monkeys, colobus monkeys, chimpanzees and even rodents and insects, often reaching very large sizes. There, on large branches, a leopard rests and lies in wait for its prey. Ants, termites and amphibians are common in almost all tiers; pygmy hippopotamuses and okapi (relatives of giraffes) are found near water bodies. Geochemical processes with the participation of microorganisms and soil fauna are actively taking place here, accompanied by the formation of iron and aluminum oxides. Rocks acquire a special structure and color, so-called weathering crusts are formed, on which red-yellow ferralite soils (ferrum - iron, aluminum - aluminum) are formed. Many of the plants of the equatorial forests are used on the farm and introduced into cultivation: banana, coffee tree, oil palm, etc.

From the south and north the zone of moist equatorial forests is bordered by zone of variable-humid deciduous forests, and then - a zone of open forests and savannas, which is associated with the appearance of a dry period, which lengthens as it moves away from the equator.

About 40% of Africa's territory is occupied savannah, where small groups or single specimens of umbrella-shaped trees (baobabs, umbrella acacias, mimosas, palms), and sometimes thickets of bushes rise among the tall grasses. Their leaves are usually small, hard, pubescent, the trunks are covered with thick bark. The baobab is the tree of life of the savannah and one of the most famous trees in the world. Usually these “fat green men” are not very tall, but there are individual specimens that reach a hundred meters in height and several tens of meters in circumference. Moreover, there is a report that an absolutely gigantic baobab was discovered in the African savannas, 189 m tall and with a trunk diameter of 43.4 m - and this is already an absolute world record among trees. The ways in which these trees are used are amazing. Fruits, seeds, young shoots and leaves are eaten. Soap and oil are made from the ashes of burnt fruits, and glue is made from pollen. But the most original uses are found in the trunks of these giants. For example, it is known that in the hollow of one baobab tree a shelter with a door and a window was installed, in the hollow of another - a bus station with a waiting room, and in the third - a bathhouse.

Tree-like spurges and aloe with fleshy, spiny leaves grow in dry savannas. During the rainy season, the savannah is an ocean of greenery; during the dry season, it becomes yellow, brown, and sometimes black from fires. Red ferralite or red-brown soils of savannas are more fertile than the soils of moist equatorial forests, since humus accumulates during the dry period.

The African savanna is a country of large herbivores. These are giraffes, elephants, antelopes, zebras, buffaloes, rhinoceroses. There are many predators: lions, leopards, cheetahs, there are jackals and hyenas that eat carrion. Numerous birds nest along the banks of rivers and lakes, hippos and crocodiles live.

To preserve the nature of savannas, the well-known national parks of Kivu, Virunga in Zaire, Katera in Rwanda, and Serengeti in Tanzania were created. They are actively visited by tourists all over the world and generate huge income. A lot of scientific work is being done there.

Large areas to the north and south of the savannahs are occupied by zones of tropical semi-deserts and deserts. It experiences only irregular, sporadic rainfall, once every few years in some areas. The zone is characterized by extreme dry air, large daily temperature ranges, and dust and sand storms. The surface of deserts is covered with rocks or sands, salt marshes in place of dried salt lakes, or clay where there once were seas.

The vegetation here is very sparse and specific. The leaves are either replaced by spines or are very small, the roots spread both widely and far into the soil. Some plants can live in saline soils, others have a short development cycle (they live only after rains). In search of scarce food and water, desert animals can travel long distances (ungulates, such as antelopes) or go without water for a long time (some reptiles, camels); some of them are nocturnal. The soils are poor in organic matter, but rich in mineral salts. With irrigation, this, on the one hand, makes it possible to grow many crops, but on the other hand, it creates the problem of secondary salinization of soils and groundwater. As a result, agricultural land turns into barren salt marshes.

In the extreme north and south of the continent there is zone of subtropical hard-leaved evergreen forests and shrubs with brown soils.

On elevations of the relief it appears altitudinal zone. The highest peaks of the continent (Kilimanjaro, Kenya), even in tropical and equatorial latitudes, are covered with eternal snow and glaciers.

The geographical position and evenness of the relief contributed to the location of the geographical zones of Africa (equatorial, subequatorial, tropical and subtropical) and natural zones twice on both sides of the equator. With decreasing humidity north and south of the equator, the vegetation cover becomes thinner and the vegetation more xerophytic.

In the north there are many Mediterranean plant species. In the center and south, the most ancient representatives of the planet’s vegetation have been preserved. Among flowering plants there are up to 9 thousand endemic species. Africa has rich and diverse wildlife(see Fig. 52 on p. 112). Nowhere in the world is there such a concentration of large animals as in the African savannah. Elephants, giraffes, hippos, rhinoceroses, buffalos and other animals live here. A characteristic feature of the animal world is the wealth of predators (lions, cheetahs, leopards, hyenas, hyena dogs, jackals, etc.) and ungulates (dozens of antelope species). Among the birds there are large ones - ostriches, vultures, marabou, crowned cranes, bustards, hornbills, and crocodiles live in the rivers.

Rice. 52. Typical representatives of the animal world of Africa: 1 - elephant; 2 - hippopotamus; 3 - giraffe; 4 - lion; 5 - zebra; 6 - marabou; 7 - gorilla; 8 - crocodile

In the natural areas of Africa there are many animals and plants that are not found on other continents. African savannas are characterized by the baobab, whose trunk reaches 10 m in diameter, the doum palm, the umbrella acacia, the tallest animal in the world - the giraffe, lions, and the secretary bird. The African equatorial forest (Gilea) is home to the great apes gorilla and chimpanzee, and the dwarf giraffe okapi. Tropical deserts are home to the dromedary camel, the fennec fox, and the most poisonous snake, the mamba. Lemurs live only on the island of Madagascar.

Africa is the birthplace of a number of cultivated plants: oil palm, cola tree, coffee tree, castor bean, sesame, pearl millet, watermelon, many indoor flower plants - geranium, aloe, gladioli, pelargonium, etc.

Zone of moist equatorial forests (gil) occupies 8% of the continent's territory - the Congo River basin and the coast of the Gulf of Guinea. The climate here is humid, equatorial, and there is enough heat. Precipitation falls evenly, more than 2000 mm per year. The soils are red-yellow ferrallitic and poor in organic matter. Sufficient heat and moisture promote the development of vegetation. In terms of the richness of species composition (about 25 thousand species) and area, the moist equatorial forests of Africa are second only to the moist equatorial forests of South America.

The forests form 4-5 tiers. In the upper tiers grow giant (up to 70 m) ficus trees, oil and wine palms, ceiba, cola tree, and breadfruit tree. In the lower tiers there are bananas, ferns, and a Liberian coffee tree. Among the lianas, the rubber-bearing liana landolfia and the rattan palm liana (up to 200 m in length) are interesting. This is the longest plant in the world. Valuable wood is found in red, iron, and black (ebony). There are a lot of orchids and mosses in the forest.

Forests have few herbivores and fewer predators than other natural areas. Among the ungulates, the typical okapi dwarf giraffe hides in dense forest thickets; forest antelopes, water deer, buffalo, and hippopotamus are found. Predators are represented by wild cats, leopards, and jackals. The most common rodents are the brush-tailed porcupine and the broad-tailed flying squirrel. There are numerous monkeys, baboons, and mandrills in the forests. Apes are represented by 2-3 species of chimpanzees and gorillas.

The transition zone between equatorial forests and savannas is subequatorial variable-humid forests . They border humid equatorial forests in a narrow strip. Vegetation gradually changes under the influence of a shortening of the wet season and an intensification of the dry season as one moves away from the equator. Gradually, the equatorial forest turns into a subequatorial, mixed, deciduous-evergreen forest on red ferrallite soils. Annual precipitation decreases to 650-1300 mm, and the dry season increases to 1-3 months. A distinctive feature of these forests is the predominance of trees of the legume family. Trees up to 25 m high shed their leaves during the dry season, and a grassy cover forms under them. Subequatorial forests are located on the northern edge of the equatorial rainforests and south of the equator in the Congo Basin.

Rice. 53 African savannah

Savannah And woodlands occupy large areas of Africa - the marginal uplifts of the Congo Basin, the Sudanese plains, the East African Plateau (about 40% of the territory). These are open grass plains with groves or individual trees (Fig. 53). The zone of savannas and woodlands encircles humid and variable-humid forests from the Atlantic to the Indian Oceans and extends north to 17¨ N. w. and south to 20¨S. w. Savannas are characterized by alternating wet and dry seasons. During the wet season in the savanna, where the rainy season lasts up to 8-9 months, lush grasses grow up to 2 m high, sometimes up to 5 m Fig. 53. In the African savanna (elephant grass). Among the continuous sea of ​​cereals (cereal savanna), individual trees rise: baobabs, umbrella acacia, doum palms, oil palms. During the dry season, the grasses dry out, the leaves on the trees fall off, and the savanna turns yellow-brown. Special types of soils are formed under savannas - red and red-brown soils.

Depending on the duration of the wet period, savannas are wet or tall grass, typical or dry, and desertified.

Wet, or tall grass, savannas have a short dry period (about 3-4 months), and the annual precipitation is 1500-1000 mm. This is a transitional area from forest vegetation to typical savanna. The soils, like those of subequatorial forests, are red ferrallitic. Among the cereals are elephant grass, bearded grass, and trees include baobab, acacia, carob, doum palm, and cotton tree (ceiba). Evergreen forests are developed along the river valleys.

Typical savannas are developed in areas with precipitation of 750-1000 mm, the dry period lasts 5-6 months. In the north they extend in a continuous strip from the Atlantic Ocean to the Ethiopian Highlands. In the Southern Hemisphere they occupy the northern part of Angola. Characteristic are baobabs, acacias, fan palms, shea wood, and cereals are represented by bearded vulture. The soils are red-brown.

Desertified savannas have less precipitation (up to 500 mm), the dry season lasts 7-9 months. They have a sparse grass cover, and acacia trees predominate among the shrubs. These savannas on red-brown soils extend in a narrow strip from the coast of Mauritania to the Somali peninsula. In the south they are widely developed in the Kalahari Basin. African savannas are rich in food resources. There are more than 40 species of herbivorous ungulates, especially numerous antelopes (kudu, eland, dwarf antelope). The largest of them is the wildebeest. Giraffes are preserved mainly in national parks. Zebras are common in savannas. In some places they are domesticated and replace horses (they are not susceptible to tsetse fly bites). Herbivores are accompanied by numerous predators: lions, cheetahs, leopards, jackals, hyenas. Endangered animals include the black and white rhinoceros and the African elephant. Birds are numerous: African ostriches, guinea fowl, guinea fowl, marabou, weavers, secretary birds, lapwings, herons, pelicans. In terms of the number of species of flora and fauna per unit area, the savannas of Africa have no equal.

Savannas are relatively favorable for tropical agriculture. Significant areas of savannas are plowed, cotton, groundnuts, corn, tobacco, sorghum, and rice are cultivated.

To the north and south of the savannas are located tropical semi-deserts And desert , occupying 33% of the continent's territory. The desert zone is characterized by very low precipitation (no more than 100 mm per year) and sparse xerophytic vegetation.

Semi-deserts are a transitional region between savannas and tropical deserts, where precipitation does not exceed 250-300 mm. A narrow strip of semi-deserts in North Africa is shrub-cereal (acacia, tamarisk, hard cereals). In South Africa, semi-deserts are developed in the interior of the Kalahari. The southern semi-deserts are characterized by succulents (aloe, spurge, wild watermelons). During the rainy season, irises, lilies, and amaryllis bloom.

In North Africa, vast areas with precipitation up to 100 mm are occupied by the Sahara Desert; in South Africa, the Namib Desert stretches in a narrow strip along the west coast; in the south there is the Kalahari Desert. Based on the vegetation, deserts are divided into cereal-shrub, dwarf shrub and succulent deserts.

The vegetation of the Sahara is represented by individual tufts of cereals and thorny bushes. Among the cereals, wild millet is common, and among the shrubs and subshrubs - dwarf saxaul, camel thorn, acacia, jujube, spurge, and ephedra. Solyanka and wormwood grow on saline soils. There are tamarisks around the shots. Southern deserts are characterized by succulent plants that resemble stones in appearance. In the Namib Desert, a unique relict plant is common - majestic Velvichia (stump plant) - the lowest tree on Earth (up to 50 cm tall with long fleshy leaves 8-9 m long). There are aloe, spurge, wild watermelons, and acacia bushes.

Typical desert soils are gray soils. In those places of the Sahara where groundwater is close to the surface of the earth, oases are formed (Fig. 54). All economic activities of people are concentrated here; grapes, pomegranates, barley, millet, and wheat are grown. The main plant of the oases is the date palm.

Rice. 54. Oasis in the Sahara

The fauna of semi-deserts and deserts is poor. In the Sahara, among the large animals there are antelopes, wild cats, and fennec foxes. Jerboas, gerbils, various reptiles, scorpions, and phalanges live in the sands.

Natural area tropical rain forests found on the island of Madagascar and in the Drakensberg Mountains. It is characterized by ironwood, rubber and rosewood trees.

The transition zone between tropical deserts and subtropical evergreen forests and shrubs is subtropical semi-deserts And desert steppes . In Africa, they occupy the interior regions of the Atlas and Cape Mountains, the Karoo Plateau and the Libyan-Egyptian coast up to 30° N. w. The vegetation is very sparse. In North Africa these are cereals, xerophytic trees, shrubs and subshrubs, in South Africa - succulents, bulbous, tuberous plants.

Zone subtropical evergreen hardwood forests And bushes represented on the northern slopes of the Atlas Mountains and in the western Cape Mountains.

The forests of the Atlas Mountains consist of cork and holm oaks, Aleppo pine, Atlas cedar with an undergrowth of evergreen shrubs. Maquis is widespread - impenetrable thickets of hard-leaved evergreen shrubs and low trees (myrtle, oleander, pistachio, strawberry tree, laurel). Typical brown soils are formed here.

In the Cape Mountains, vegetation is represented by Cape olive, silver tree, and African walnut.

In the extreme southeast of Africa, where there is a humid subtropical climate, lush mixed subtropical forests grow, represented by evergreen deciduous and coniferous species with an abundance of epiphytes. The zonal soils of subtropical forests are red soils.

The fauna of the northern subtropics is represented by European and African species. The northern subtropical forests are inhabited by red deer, mountain gazelle, mouflon, jungle cat, jackals, Algerian fox, wild rabbits, tailless narrow-nosed monkey Magot; canaries and eagles are widely represented among birds, and in the south - aardwolf, jumping antelope, meerkats.

Bibliography

1. Geography 8th grade. Textbook for the 8th grade of general secondary education institutions with Russian as the language of instruction / Edited by Professor P. S. Lopukh - Minsk “People's Asveta” 2014

Africa is one of the few places on Earth that has geographic zoning according to all the rules. In the far north and south there are zones of hard-leaved evergreen forests and shrubs, followed by zones of semi-deserts and deserts, savannas, variable and permanently moist forests. Latitudinal zoning is violated only in the mountains and highlands, but there are few of them on the mainland.

Constantly wet and variable wet 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 ferrallitic.

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

To the north and south of the equator, humid equatorial forests thin out, their composition becomes poorer, and patches of savannas appear among the massifs of continuous forest. Gradually, the wet equatorial forest is limited only to river valleys, and at watersheds they are replaced by forests that shed their leaves during the dry season or savannah.

Savannas occupy vast spaces in Africa, about 40% of its area. In appearance, savannas differ sharply from equatorial forests. The soil and vegetation of the savanna depend on the length of the rainy season. Closer to the equatorial forests, where the rainy season lasts 7-9 months, red and ferrallitic soils are formed, grasses reach 3 m in height. Where the rainy season lasts less than 6 months, red-brown soils are common, with not very tall grasses, among which baobabs and various acacias with an umbrella-shaped crown appear. On the border with semi-deserts, where the wet season lasts only 2-3 months a year, desert savannas with dry thorny bushes and sparse thorny grasses are formed. There are euphorbias and tree-like plants. Nowhere in the world is there such a concentration of large animals as in the African savannah: a variety of antelopes, zebras, giraffes, elephants, buffalos, rhinoceroses, hippopotamuses. This number of animals is possible due to the abundance of varied food. There are many predators - cheetahs, jackals, hyenas, lions, leopards, cheetahs, crocodiles.

Tropical deserts also occupy a significant area of ​​the continent in its northern and southern parts. The largest of them is the Sahara, stretching 5,000 km from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Red Sea coast in the east. From north to south, the Sahara extends for 2000 km.

The 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. Its eastern part is occupied by the Libyan Desert. The Arabian Desert stretches from the Nile all the way to the Red Sea. In the north of Sudan is the Nubian Desert. In Algeria - Greater Western and Greater Eastern Ergi.

The Sahara as a desert has a number of the world's highest indicators: the highest temperature recorded on the globe is +59°C in the shade (the city of Tripoli), the largest area of ​​sandy deserts is about 600 thousand km 2; the least amount of precipitation (no precipitation at all in some areas); Daily air temperature changes in Western Sahara exceed 30 degrees.

The annual precipitation in the Sahara is almost everywhere less than 100 mm. The sun's rays greatly heat the earth's surface. In summer, the heat reaches 40-50°C in the shade. The vegetation of the Sahara is very sparse and in some places there is none at all. In some places there are thorny bushes and isolated tufts of herbs. Only in oases is rich vegetation developed. Animals of the Sahara are adapted to a hot climate, for example, oryx antelopes (the largest antelope of the Sahara) and addax, gazelles Dorcas and Loder are able to run long distances in search of water and food. Rodents are numerous among mammals. Representatives of the hamster, mouse, jerboa, and squirrel families live here. Predators include jackals, hyenas, foxes, and cheetahs. There are birds, both migratory and permanent. Reptiles include lizards, turtles, and snakes.

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

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

The Black Continent stands out in world geography because the natural areas of Africa on the map are located almost correctly and symmetrically. This is due to the flat landscapes found almost everywhere on the mainland, as well as its uniform position relative to the equator. Latitudinal zonation also depends on the amount of precipitation, which in local conditions is uneven.

However, in mountainous areas this harmonious distribution is disrupted; the zones change with altitude. There are few such territories on the continent. The vegetation cover is 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 constantly wet), the next natural zones, extending north and south from the central area, are savannas, they are replaced by semi-deserts and deserts, but the continent is framed by narrow strips of hard-leaved shrubs and forests (evergreen).

Map of natural areas of Africa

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

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

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

The plants living here cope well with the existing conditions:

• constant warmth;
• high humidity;
• numerous precipitations.

For this they have:

• hard and dense leaves;
• supporting roots;
• several tiers.

The number of flora representatives is enormous, many trees have valuable wood, and they also have edible fruits with good taste.

No less species and living beings:

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

The following natural zones in Africa are: variable-humid forests, then comes the turn of the largest in area savannah, they make up almost 40% of the entire continent.

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

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

It can almost be said that it largely depends on this zone, because there are a huge number of national parks in the savannas, as it is home to a unique variety of wild animals that attract travelers from everywhere.

Here you can find:

• giraffes;
• zebras;
• rhinoceroses;
• elephants;
• hippos.

Predators of particular interest to visitors are:

• lions;
• hyenas;
• cheetahs;
• crocodiles.

The rich fauna world includes many birds:

• ostriches;
• flamingo;
• storks;
• marabou;
• ibises.

In the areas semi-deserts Savannas are overgrown with thorny vegetation - grasses and shrubs, there are tree-like plants, milkweeds.

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

Animals are just as adaptable:

• turtles;
• lizards;
• snakes;
• beetles;
• Scorpios.

In different deserts throughout the continent 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 located in the very south or north, respectively. Here there are fertile brown soils that were formed under the following natural conditions of the Mediterranean climate:

• hot summer, dry;
• warm winter, humid.

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 the established climate, certain soils are formed on which only some plants grow. Vegetation becomes the basis of food and habitat for fauna. Based on the combination of all these indicators, the image of a particular zone is formed.

The table below of the natural zones of Africa gives a clear picture of all parts of the continent.

The location of natural zones clearly shows latitudinal zonality, which is associated with flat terrain, the location of the continent between the tropics, and the uneven distribution of precipitation. In the Congo Basin and along the coast of the Gulf of Guinea they grow moist evergreen equatorial forests. The vegetation cover is formed in conditions of high humidity and heavy rainfall, but the plants have adapted well to these conditions: they form many tiers, have hard, dense, often shiny leaves, supporting roots, etc. The variety of plant species is enormous, there are many tree species with valuable wood and edible fruits. Several types of palms, including oil palm, are found in the forests. Ficus trees, tree ferns, coffee trees, bananas, and numerous vines grow. The fauna of the forests is also extremely diverse. Equatorial forests give way to variable-humid forests, and then savannas begin. Savannahs occupy about 40% of the continent's area. Savannas are characterized by a combination of grass cover with individual trees or groups of trees and bushes. The change of dry and wet seasons of the year in savannas is associated with the movement of air masses. The soils here are more fertile than in humid equatorial forests, humus accumulates in the dry season, and red-brown soils are formed. Woody vegetation is represented by baobabs, acacias with umbrella crowns, mimosas, and palm trees. Tree-like spurges and aloe with fleshy, spiny leaves grow in dry savannas. Gallery forests stretch along the rivers. The abundance of herbaceous vegetation is a condition for the existence of many species of ungulates: antelopes, buffaloes, zebras, rhinoceroses. Elephants, giraffes, and hippopotamuses live in savannas; many predators - lions, cheetahs, leopards, hyenas, jackals; Birds include ostriches, marabou, secretary birds, etc. There are many termites that build strong, tall buildings. Tropical deserts and semi-deserts They also occupy huge areas on the mainland (about 30%). The climate is arid, rains are irregular and occur sporadically. The air is dry, the temperature is high during the day, and drops sharply at night; Dust and sand storms are frequent. Vegetation is rare and in some places completely absent. In the north of the continent lies the greatest desert on Earth - the Sahara, in the southwest of the continent - the barren Namib Desert. Soils in deserts do not form a continuous cover; they contain little organic matter, but a lot of mineral salts. In those places where groundwater comes close to the surface, rich vegetation develops. These are oases. In deserts, the vegetation is sparse, does not form a continuous cover, and is well adapted to life in dry conditions. Tufts of grasses and thorny bushes grow, and lichens grow on the rocks. The date palm is common in the oases of the Sahara. In the semi-deserts of South Africa, a peculiar plant grows - Welwitschia. It has a short trunk (50 cm) and very long leaves (from 3 to 8 m), growing throughout its life, which lasts several centuries, and in some specimens 2000 years or more. The fauna of this zone is also unique. Some animals can go without water for a long time, others are able to travel great distances in search of it. Deserts are characterized by small antelopes, snakes, and lizards; In the Sahara there are hyenas, jackals, lions, and ostriches. Zone of subtropical hard-leaved evergreen forests and shrubs occupies the extreme north and south of the continent. Precipitation varies with the seasons, with summers being hot and winters being warm and wet. Under these conditions, fertile brown soils were formed.