Editing Afrotropical realm (section)

== Major ecological regions ==
Most of the Afrotropical realm, except for Africa's southern tip, has a [[tropics|tropical]] climate. A broad belt of [[desert]]s, including the [[Atlantic coastal desert|Atlantic]] and [[Sahara]] deserts of northern Africa and the [[Arabian Desert]] of the [[Arabian Peninsula]], separates the Afrotropic from the [[Palearctic realm]], which includes northern Africa and temperate [[Eurasia]].

=== Sahel and Sudan ===
South of the [[Sahara]], two belts of [[tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands|tropical grassland and savanna]] run east and west across the continent, from the [[Atlantic Ocean]] to the [[Ethiopian Highlands]]. Immediately south of the Sahara lies the [[Sahel]] belt, a transitional zone of semi-arid short [[grassland]] and [[vachellia]] savanna. Rainfall increases further south in the [[Sudanian Savanna]], also known simply as the [[Sudan (region)|Sudan region]], a belt of taller [[grasslands]] and [[savanna]]s. The [[Sudanian savanna|Sudanian Savanna]] is home to two great [[flooded grasslands and savannas|flooded grasslands]]: the [[Sudd]] wetland in [[South Sudan]], and the [[Niger Inland Delta]] in [[Mali]]. The [[forest-savanna mosaic]] is a transitional zone between the grasslands and the belt of [[tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests|tropical moist broadleaf forests]] near the [[equator]].

=== Southern Arabian woodlands ===
South Arabia, which includes [[Yemen]] and parts of western [[Oman]] and southwestern [[Saudi Arabia]], has few permanent forests. Some of the notable ones are [[Jabal Bura]], Jabal [[Raymah]], and Jabal Badaj in the Yemeni highland escarpment and the seasonal forests in eastern Yemen and the [[Dhofar]] region of Oman. Other [[woodland]]s that scatter the land are small, predominantly ''[[Juniperus]]'' or ''[[Vachellia]]'' forests.

=== Forest zone ===
{{Main|Guineo-Congolian region}}

The [[forest zone]], a belt of lowland [[tropical moist broadleaf forests]], runs across most of equatorial Africa's [[Intertropical Convergence Zone]]. The [[Upper Guinean forests]] of West Africa extend along the coast from [[Guinea]] to [[Togo]]. The [[Dahomey Gap]], a zone of forest-savanna mosaic that reaches to the coast, separates the Upper Guinean forests from the [[Lower Guinean forests]], which extend along the [[Gulf of Guinea]] from eastern [[Benin]] through [[Cameroon]] and [[Gabon]] to the western [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]. The largest tropical forest zone in Africa is the [[Congolian forests]] of the [[Congo Basin]] in Central Africa.

A belt of tropical moist broadleaf forest also runs along the Indian Ocean coast, from southern [[Somalia]] to [[South Africa]].

=== Somali–Masai region ===
In northeastern Africa, semi-arid [[Acacia–Commiphora bushland|Acacia-Commiphora woodlands, savannas, and bushlands]] are the dominant plant communities. This region is called the Somali-Masai center of [[endemism]] or Somali-Masai region. It extends from central [[Tanzania]] northwards through the [[Horn of Africa]] and covers portions of [[Tanzania]], [[Kenya]], [[Ethiopia]], [[Somalia]], [[Djibouti]], and [[Eritrea]]. Thorny, dry-season [[deciduous]] species of ''[[Vachellia]]'' and ''[[Senegalia]]'' (formerly ''[[Acacia sensu lato|Acacia]]'') and ''[[Commiphora]]'' are the dominant trees, growing in open-canopied woodlands, open savannas, dense bushlands, and [[thicket]]s. This region includes the [[Serengeti]] ecosystem, which is renowned for its wildlife.<ref name="White">{{Cite book |last=White |first=Frank F. |author-link=Frank White (botanist) |title=The vegetation of Africa: A descriptive memoir to accompany the Unesco/AETFAT/UNSO vegetation map of Africa |publisher=[[UNESCO]] |year=1983 |isbn=92-3-101955-4}}</ref>

=== Eastern Africa's highlands ===
{{main|Afromontane}}
The [[Afromontane]] region extends from the [[Ethiopian Highlands]] to the [[Drakensberg Mountains]] of South Africa, including the [[East African Rift]]. This region is home to distinctive flora, including ''[[Podocarpus]]'' and ''[[Afrocarpus]]'', as well as giant ''[[Lobelia]]s'' and ''[[Dendrosenecio|Senecios]]''.
* [[Ethiopian Highlands]]
* [[Albertine rift montane forests]]
* [[East African montane forests]] and [[Eastern Arc forests]]

=== Zambezian region ===
{{Main|Zambezian region}}

The [[Zambezian region]] includes woodlands, savannas, grasslands, and thickets. Characteristic plant communities include [[Miombo woodlands]], drier [[mopane]] and ''[[Baikiaea]]'' woodlands, and higher-elevation [[Bushveld]]. It extends from east to west in a broad belt across the continent, south of the [[rainforest]]s of the [[Guineo-Congolian region]], and north of the deserts of southeastern Africa, the countries are [[Malawi]], [[Angola]], [[Botswana]], [[Mozambique]], [[Zambia]], and [[Zimbabwe]], and the subtropical.<ref name=":0" />

=== Deserts of Southern Africa ===
[[File:Afrotropic-Ecozone-Southern-Africa-Desert-Location-Approximations.svg|200px|thumb|Southern Africa as described in Plant Taxonomic Database Standards No. 2. Approximate locations of deserts are overlaid in red.]]

Southern Africa contains several deserts. The [[Namib Desert]] is one of the oldest deserts in the world and extends for over 2,000 kilometers along the Atlantic coasts of [[Angola]], [[Namibia]], and [[South Africa]]. It is characterized by towering [[dune]]s and a diversity of [[Endemism|endemic]] wildlife. Further inland concerning the Namib Desert, the [[Kalahari Desert]] is a semi-arid savanna spanning [[Botswana]], [[Namibia]], and [[South Africa]]. The Kalahari is known for its diversity of mineral resources, particularly [[diamond]]s, as well as a variety of flora. South of the Namib and Kalahari deserts is the [[Karoo]]. A semi-desert natural region, the Karoo desert spans across parts of the Western and Eastern Cape in South Africa and contains vast open spaces and unique vegetation, such as certain species of [[Asteraceae]] flowering plants. Within the boundaries of the larger Karoo, the [[Tankwa Karoo]] is a more arid sub-region known for harsher conditions and starker landscapes. Further to the west, the [[Richtersveld]], a mountainous desert in the northwestern corner of South Africa, presents a rugged landscape. It is celebrated as a [[World Heritage Site|UNESCO World Heritage Site]] for its unique [[biodiversity]] and cultural significance to the local [[Nama people]].

=== Cape floristic region ===
The [[Cape floristic region]] at Africa's southern tip is a [[Mediterranean climate]] region that is home to a significant number of endemic [[taxa]], as well as to plant families like the [[protea]]s (''Proteaceae'') that are also found in the [[Australasian realm]].

=== Madagascar and the Indian Ocean islands ===
{{Main|Ecoregions of Madagascar}}

[[Madagascar]] and neighboring islands form a distinctive sub-region of the realm, with numerous endemic [[taxon|taxa]], such as [[lemur]]s. Madagascar and the [[Granitic Seychelles]] are old pieces of the ancient [[supercontinent]] of [[Gondwana]], and broke away from Africa millions of years ago. Other [[List of islands in the Indian Ocean|Indian Ocean islands]], like the [[Comoros]] and [[Mascarene Islands]], are [[volcanic island]]s that formed more recently. Madagascar contains various plant habitats, from rainforests to mountains and deserts, as its biodiversity and ratio of endemism are extremely high.