Zambezian region

The Zambezian region is a large biogeographical region in Africa. The Zambezian region includes woodlands, savannas, grasslands, and thickets, extending from east to west in a broad belt across the continent. The Zambezian region lies south of the rainforests of the Guineo-Congolian region. The Zambezian region is bounded by deserts and xeric shrublands on the southwest, the Highveld grasslands of South Africa to the south, and the subtropical Maputaland forests on the southeast.[1]

Vegetation types

The dominant vegetation types in the Zambezian region include:[2]

  • Dry deciduous forest and scrub forest
  • Zambezian wooded grassland
  • Itigi deciduous thicket
  • Miombo woodland
  • Mopane woodland
  • Undifferentiated woodland
  • Zambezian flooded grasslands and savannas
  • Zambezian halophytics

Biodiversity

Botanist Frank White estimated that the region has 8500 species of plants, of which 4590, or 54%, are endemic.[3] The Zambezian region is a centre of diversity for tree species in the genera Brachystegia and Monotes.[4]

Ecoregions

According to the World Wildlife Fund, the Zambezian region includes over a dozen ecoregions.[5]

References
  1. Linder, H. Peter, Helen M. de Klerk, Julia Born et al. (2012). "The partitioning of Africa: statistically defined biogeographical regions in sub‐Saharan Africa". Journal of Biogeography, Volume 39, Issue 7 May 2012.
  2. Emmanuel N. Chidumayo and Davison J. Gumbo, eds. (2010). The dry forests and woodlands of Africa: managing for products and services. Earthscan, 2010.
  3. Linder, H.P., Lovett, J., Mutke, J.M., Barthlott, W., Jürgens, N., Rebelo, T. & Küper, W. 2005. "A numerical re-evaluation of the sub-Saharan phytochoria of mainland Africa." Biologiske Skrifter 55: 229-252. ISSN 0366-3612. ISBN 87-7304-304-4.
  4. Emmanuel N. Chidumayo and Davison J. Gumbo, eds. (2010). The dry forests and woodlands of Africa: managing for products and services. Earthscan, 2010.
  5. Burgess, Neil, Jennifer D'Amico Hales, Emma Underwood, et al. (2004). Terrestrial Ecoregions of Africa and Madagascar: A Conservation Assessment. World Wildlife Fund. Island Press, 2004


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