Section 15: Dry Areas of Africa
African savannahs experience hot and often dry conditions. Plants must find ways to retain moisture. The way to do this is to have their leaves divided into dozens of tiny leaflets that can develop horizontally or vertically. These small leaflets can capture the sunlight to reduce transpiration. Leaves with large surface areas are prone to drying out with the absence of shade. Photosynthesis can continue in small leaflets like in larger leaves. Large leafs are not suitable for savannah trees. Acacia foliage is sought after by browsing animals like the giraffe, and even beetles.
The African Peyote Cactus has to hold water for a very long time. It does not rain very often in the Sahara Desert, so the cactus needs to retain water for as long a period as possible.
© Acacia: any of a genus of a tree or shrubs of the pea family.
© It is found mostly in the highlands and the dessert grounds.
© Acacia is remarkable. It can grow up to 200 ft.
© Acacia can grow very tall in width.
© The branches on the acacia
Are not like normal branches they are very weird shaped in figure.
© It is a food for many animals but mostly for giraffes.
© It is mostly seen in Africa.
The Acacia tree, referred to in the Bible as the Shitta, is widespread in the Savannahs of Africa. Its farthest northern habitat is Israel's Negev region. The tree, from which the Biblical Ark of the Covenant was constructed, is sacred to the Bedouins. A vow taken under the tree may not be broken. When migrating to other grazing grounds, the nomads of the Sinai desert hang their extra belongings from the boughs of this tree for storing, confident that no one will steal their goods from this holy tree....
The tamarisk is an exotic tree introduced to the United States from Africa. The tamarisk is used for shade in the summertime. The tamarisk grows along riverbeds, where it can get water.
Grasses furnish more food then any other family of green plantseven if animals do not themselves eat grasses.There are about 7,000 different kinds of grass.Most grasses grow on land but some grow under water.All grains of cereals are grasses.The grass family also include sweet grass,lemon grass and citronella are scented grass.The tallest of the grasses is bamboo.Large patches of grass are called in the USA are called ranges.When man first learned to cultivate to grain grasses, his way of life changed. The veins of the grass grow in the same direction.
Prairies, grasses, and forbs adapt by drought, fire, and by grazing
They grow back every year
During prairie fires plants are destroyed
Trees, bark, and shrubs are repelling from fire
They need adequate soil, depth, soil moisture, macronutrients, micronutrience, and seed dispersal
Bark limits moisture that is what makes the fire spread faster which causes a forest fire. That is what makes it hard to be put out
Phosphorus also helps the plant adapt
Plants and animals adapt to their surroundings by growing more limbs or roots
Plants need moisture which is good for the ground because when the plant gets the water it moisturizing the ground as it takes in the moisture
Plants adapt to many climates due to the thousands of species
There are many facts about African welwitshia. The welwitshia is located in the Namibia desert. There are thousands of plants in Namibia only one tenth of them have water-storing varieties. The kokerboom is also testimony to the tenacity. Also the adaptability of the Namibia desert plants. There are many sand storms in Namibia where the African Welwitshia is located. The African Wewitschia is very, very rare.
There is a different name for a Welwitschia. A different name for this tree is a tree tumbo.
Return to homepage
