The natural zones of Africa are characterized by great diversity, because the mainland itself is located at the equator and stretches from it for thousands of kilometers. Among their main species, the zone of equatorial forests, savannas and light forests, as well as deserts and semi-desert territories, evergreen forests and shrubs, are distinguished.
Since the amount of heat and humidity level gradually increases or decreases in Africa, and the terrain is very diverse, this causes the natural areas of Africa within the equatorial forests to be divided into moist equatorial, alternately wet forests. As for savannahs and woodlands, it is possible to distinguish wet and dry areas.
As for the wildlife in the zone of equatorial forests, it is characterized by enormous diversity. The vast majority of these animals are adapted to life on trees. These include monkeys, various species of birds, as well as rodents and insects. Among the terrestrial fauna in Africa, there are many elephants, rhinos, as well as hippos, small ungulates, etc. You can see lizards and snakes. As for insects, the most dangerous species is the Tsetse fly, the bite of which causes a person to have sleeping sickness.
The climate and natural areas of Africa are directly dependent on each other. So, in the upper layers of rocks, where it is wet and hot, favorable conditions are created for the formation of compounds with a high content of aluminum and iron. The soil becomes a reddish hue, which is why it is called red-yellow ferrallite. It does not have high fertility, because organic substances do not have time to accumulate due to their rapid decomposition.
Such natural areas of Africa as savannahs and woodlands are characterized by an abundance of vegetation, the height of which can reach more than five meters. During the drier season, grass burns out and leaves fall from trees. These territories are characterized by the diversity of the animal world, among which herbivorous representatives of the fauna predominate - antelopes, zebras, and buffalos. The world of reptiles is very widely represented; You can often find lizards, snakes and chameleons.
Natural areas of Africa, which are deserts and semi-deserts, extend in the north and south of the mainland and occupy large areas there (30% of the total). As for vegetation, in these areas it is practically absent. Lichens grow on stones, and bunches of grass and thorny bushes are found in some places. All this is the result of scarce rainfall. Sometimes a situation arises in which raindrops evaporate before they reach the ground.
Animals are accustomed to the natural conditions that characterize Africa. If you describe the temperature regime, it should be noted that during the day there is very hot and dry air, and at night it becomes much colder. Sand and dust storms are also common in these areas .
Desert soils and semi-deserts do not form a continuous cover. They have a very low content of organic substances, but a lot of mineral salts. If there are places where groundwater is located near the surface of the earth, there vegetation is characterized by diversity. Such places are called oases.
Natural zones are characterized by a variety of climatic conditions, and therefore have their own characteristics. The fact is that some of the animals can do without water for a long time, while others can cover long distances in its search.
In the zone of subtropical hard-leaved forests, the amount of precipitation falls according to a certain season. Summer is very hot, and winter is wet and mild. Soils here have acquired a natural brown hue.
Africa, whose natural zones are characterized by a variety of climatic conditions, as well as animal and plant worlds, is a continent with pronounced latitudinal zonality.