The Northern Congolian forest–savanna mosaic is a forest and savanna

ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) or ecozone (ecological zone) is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of ...

of central Africa. It extends east and west across central Africa, covering parts of

Cameroon Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the ...

Central African Republic The Central African Republic (CAR; ; , RCA; , or , ) is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Chad to the north, Sudan to the northeast, South Sudan to the southeast, the DR Congo to the south, the Republic of th ...

Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...

South Sudan South Sudan (; din, Paguot Thudän), officially the Republic of South Sudan ( din, Paankɔc Cuëny Thudän), is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia, Sudan, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of th ...

, and

Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The ...

. It is part of the belt of transitional forest-savanna mosaic that lie between Africa's moist equatorial

Guineo-Congolian forests The Guineo-Congolian region is a biogeographical region in Africa straddling the Equator and stretching from the Atlantic Ocean through the Congo Basin to the Congo / Nile divide in Rwanda and Burundi. Formerly, this region was largely covered in ...

and the tropical dry forests, savannas, and grasslands to the north and south.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, pp. 294-296.

Geography

The Northern Congolian forest–savanna mosaic lies between the equatorial

Congolian forests The Congolian rainforests are a broad belt of lowland tropical moist broadleaf forests which extend across the basin of the Congo River and its tributaries in Central Africa. They are the only major rainforests which absorb more carbon than they ...

to the south and the drier

East Sudanian savanna The East Sudanian savanna is a hot, dry, tropical savanna ecoregion of Central and East Africa. Geography The East Sudanian savanna is the eastern half of the Sudanian savanna belt which runs east and west across Africa. The eastern lies eas ...

to the north. It extends from the Cameroon Highlands in the west, across central

and the southern

to southwestern

and northeastern

, where it is bounded on the east by flooded grasslands of the

Sudd The Sudd (' or ', Dinka: Toc) is a vast swamp in South Sudan, formed by the White Nile's '' Baḥr al-Jabal'' section. The Arabic word ' is derived from ' (), meaning "barrier" or "obstruction". The term "the sudd" has come to refer to any lar ...

, the eastern block of the East Sudanian savanna, and the

Albertine Rift montane forests The Albertine Rift montane forests is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion in east-central Africa. The ecoregion covers the mountains of the northern Albertine Rift, and is home to distinct Afromontane forests with high biodiversity. G ...

. The ecoregion lies on a dissected plateau composed of ancient

precambrian The Precambrian (or Pre-Cambrian, sometimes abbreviated pꞒ, or Cryptozoic) is the earliest part of Earth's history, set before the current Phanerozoic Eon. The Precambrian is so named because it preceded the Cambrian, the first period of th ...

rocks. Elevations range from 500 to 700 meters. Most of the plateau is drained by the northern tributaries of the

Congo River The Congo River ( kg, Nzâdi Kôngo, french: Fleuve Congo, pt, Rio Congo), formerly also known as the Zaire River, is the second longest river in Africa, shorter only than the Nile, as well as the second largest river in the world by discharg ...

, except the easternmost portion which is drained by the

Nile River The Nile, , Bohairic , lg, Kiira , Nobiin: Áman Dawū is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa and has historically been considered the longest riv ...

Climate

The ecoregion has a

tropical savanna climate Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories ''Aw'' (for a dry winter) and ''As'' (for a dry summer). The driest month has less than of ...

. Average annual rainfall ranges from 1200 to 1600 mm. Rinfall is generally higher in the south, in the transition to the Congolian forests, and lower in the north at the edge of the Sudanian savanna. There is a summer rainy season and winter dry season. Temperatures range from 34 °C in the summer wet season to 13 °C in the cooler winter dry season.

Flora

The ecoregion is a mosaic of forest, open woodland, and grassland. Gallery forests occur along year-round rivers and in areas with year-round groundwater. Typical gallery forest trees include '' Berlinia grandiflora, Cola laurifolia, Cynometra vogelii, Diospyros elliotii, Parinari congensis'', and ''

Pterocarpus santalinoides ''Pterocarpus santalinoides'' is a tree species in the legume family (biology) (Fabaceae); it is locally known as ''mututi''. It has a remarkable bi-continental distribution, native to tropical western Africa (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Gam ...

''. Remnants of semi-evergreen forest are found in the south, composed mostly of typical Congolian species like ''

Afzelia africana ''Afzelia africana'', the African mahogany, afzelia, lenke, lengue, apa, or doussi, is a tree species in the family Fabaceae. Range It occurs in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, DRCongo, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Guinea, ...

, Aningeria altissima,

Gambeya perpulchra ''Gambeya'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Sapotaceae. Its native range is Tropical Africa. It is found in the countries of Angola, Benin, Burundi, Cabinda, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo ...

, Cola gigantea,

Morus mesozygia ''Morus mesozygia'', known as black mulberry or African mulberry, is a small- to medium-sized forest tree of Tropical Africa. Its leaves and fruit provide food for the mantled guereza, a colobus monkey native to much of Tropical Africa, and for t ...

'', and '' Khaya grandifoliola''. Wooded and open grasslands are widespread. The ground is thickly covered by perennial grasses, including species of ''

Andropogon ''Andropogon'' (common names: beard grass, bluestem grass, broomsedge) is a widespread genus of plants in the grass family, native to much of Asia, Africa, and the Americas, as well as southern Europe and various oceanic islands. Over 100 specie ...

Hyparrhenia ''Hyparrhenia'' is a genus of grasses. Many species are known commonly as thatching grass. They are mostly native to tropical Africa; some can be found in warmer areas in temperate Eurasia, Australia, and Latin America. These are annual and per ...

'', and ''

Loudetia ''Loudetia'' is a genus of African, Arabian, and South American plants in the grass family.Annona senegalensis ''Annona senegalensis'', commonly known as African custard-apple, wild custard apple, wild soursop, (Mandinka language), and (Wolof language) is a species of flowering plant in the custard apple family, Annonaceae. The specific epithet, ''seneg ...

Burkea africana ''Burkea africana'', the wild syringa ( bm, siri), is a deciduous, medium-sized, spreading, flat-topped tree belonging to the subfamily Caesalpinioideae of the family Fabaceae. The genus was named in honour of Joseph Burke, the botanist and colle ...

, Combretum collinum, Hymenocardia acida,

Parinari curatellifolia ''Parinari curatellifolia'' ( bm, Tutu; yo, Ìdòfún) is an evergreen tropical tree of Africa, found in various kinds of deciduous woodland most frequently in poorly drained areas and inland at moderate altitudes. It is also known as mmupudu (b ...

, Stereospermum kunthianum'', and species of ''

Vitex ''Vitex'' is a genus of flowering plants in the sage family Lamiaceae.List of Genera in Lamiaceae. At: Peter F. Stevens. 2001 onwards. Angiosperm Phylogeny Website At: Missouri Botanical Garden Website. (see ''External links'' below). It has ...

'' and ''

Strychnos ''Strychnos'' is a genus of flowering plants, belonging to the family Loganiaceae (sometimes Strychnaceae). The genus includes about 100 accepted species of trees and lianas, and more than 200 that are as yet unresolved. The genus is widely di ...

'', form open-canopied woodlands or are scattered in grassy savannas. Frequent human-caused fires have allowed grasslands to spread into areas formerly covered with forest or woodland. Isolated patches of dry forest are found in areas with sparse human population and few human-caused fires, particularly in the Central African Republic and central Cameroon. ''

Isoberlinia doka ''Isoberlinia doka'' is a hardwood tree native to African tropical savannas and Guinean forest-savanna mosaic dry forests where it can form single species stands. The tree is exploited for its economic value as a commercial timber. The leaves ...

'' is the dominant tree, with ''Afzelia africana,

Anogeissus leiocarpus ''Anogeissus leiocarpa'' (African birch; bm, ngálǎma) is a tall deciduous tree native to the savannas of tropical Africa. It is the sole West African species of the genus ''Anogeissus'', a genus otherwise distributed from tropical central a ...

, Borassus aethiopum'', and species of '' Terminalia''.

Fauna

The ecoregion is home to various large mammals, including both forest- and grassland-adapted species. Grazing mammals include the

African bush elephant The African bush elephant (''Loxodonta africana'') is one of two extant African elephant species and one of three extant elephant species. It is the largest living terrestrial animal, with bulls reaching a shoulder height of up to and a body ...

(''Loxodonta africana'') and

African forest elephant The African forest elephant (''Loxodonta cyclotis'') is one of the two living African elephant species. It is native to humid forests in West Africa and the Congo Basin. It is the smallest of the three living elephant species, reaching a shoulde ...

(''Loxodonta cyclotis''),

Kordofan giraffe The Kordofan giraffe (''Giraffa camelopardalis antiquorum'') is a subspecies of giraffe found in northern Cameroon, southern Chad, the Central African Republic, and possibly western Sudan. Historically some confusion has existed over the exact ...

(''Giraffa camelopardalis antiquorum''), African buffalo (''Syncerus caffer''), eastern giant eland (''Taurotragus derbianus gigas''), lowland bongo (''Tragelaphus eurycerus eurycerus''),

waterbuck The waterbuck (''Kobus ellipsiprymnus'') is a large antelope found widely in sub-Saharan Africa. It is placed in the genus '' Kobus'' of the family Bovidae. It was first described by Irish naturalist William Ogilby in 1833. Its 13 subspecies a ...

(''Kobus ellipsiprymnus''), Buffon's kob (''Kobus kob kob''), roan antelope (''Hippotragus equinus''), and red-flanked duiker (''Cephalophus rufilatus'').

Lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large cat of the genus '' Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphic; adu ...

s (''Panthera leo'') and

leopard The leopard (''Panthera pardus'') is one of the five extant species in the genus '' Panthera'', a member of the cat family, Felidae. It occurs in a wide range in sub-Saharan Africa, in some parts of Western and Central Asia, Southern Russia, ...

s (''Panthera pardus'') are the top predators in the ecoregion.

Hippopotamus The hippopotamus ( ; : hippopotamuses or hippopotami; ''Hippopotamus amphibius''), also called the hippo, common hippopotamus, or river hippopotamus, is a large semiaquatic mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of only two exta ...

(''Hippopotamus amphibius'') live in and near rivers and streams. Native

primate Primates are a diverse order of mammals. They are divided into the strepsirrhines, which include the lemurs, galagos, and lorisids, and the haplorhines, which include the tarsiers and the simians ( monkeys and apes, the latter includin ...

s include the

patas monkey The common patas monkey (''Erythrocebus patas''), also known as the wadi monkey or hussar monkey, is a ground-dwelling monkey distributed over semi-arid areas of West Africa, and into East Africa. Taxonomy There is some confusion surrounding ...

(''Erythrocebus patas'') and

olive baboon The olive baboon (''Papio anubis''), also called the Anubis baboon, is a member of the family Cercopithecidae Old World monkeys. The species is the most wide-ranging of all baboons, being native to 25 countries throughout Africa, extending fr ...

(''Papio anubis''). The

western black rhinoceros The western black rhinoceros (''Diceros bicornis longipes'') or West African black rhinoceros is an extinct subspecies of the black rhinoceros. It was declared extinct by the IUCN in 2011. The western black rhinoceros was believed to have been gen ...

(''Diceros bicornis longipes'') once ranged across the ecoregion, but is now thought to be extinct. The

northern white rhinoceros The northern white rhinoceros or northern white rhino (''Ceratotherium simum cottoni'') is one of two subspecies of the white rhinoceros (the other being the southern white rhinoceros). Formerly found in several countries in East and Central Afr ...

(''Ceratotherium simum cottoni'') once inhabited the eastern portion of the ecoregion, but is now extinct in the wild. Near-endemic mammals include

Pousargues's mongoose Pousargues's mongoose (''Dologale dybowskii''), also known as the African tropical savannah mongoose, is a mongoose native to Central Africa. It is listed as data deficient on the IUCN Red List as little is known about its distribution and ecology ...

(''Dologale dybowskii''), which also inhabits the Victoria Basin forest–savanna mosaic to the east, and the ochre mole-rat (''Fukomys ochraceocinereus''). Common birds include the

red-headed lovebird The red-headed lovebird (''Agapornis pullarius'') also known as the red-faced lovebird is a member of the genus ''Agapornis'', a group commonly known as lovebirds. Like other lovebirds it is native to Africa. Taxonomy The red-headed lovebird was ...

(''Agapornis pullarius'') and

little greenbul The little greenbul (''Eurillas virens'') is a species of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is found in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa. Taxonomy and systematics The little greenbul was originally described in the genus '' Andropadus'' ...

(''Eurillas virens''). The forest ground-thrush (''Geokichla oberlaenderi'') is a near-endemic species. Endemic frogs include the Mauda River frog (''Phrynobatrachus albomarginatus''), Buta River frog (''P. scapularis''), eastern dwarf clawed frog (''Hymenochirus boulengeri''), and '' Ptychadena ingeri''. The Sudan beaked snake (''Letheobia sudanensis'') and the lizard '' Ichnotropis chapini'' are endemic reptiles.

Protected areas

A 2017 assessment found that 104,288 km², or 15%, of the ecoregion is in protected areas. Protected areas include

Bénoué Bénoué is a department of North Province in Cameroon. The department covers an area of 13,614 km and as of 2005 had a total population of 1,781,955. The capital of the department lies at Garoua. Subdivisions The department is divided a ...

, Deng Deng, Faro, Mbam Djerem, Mbéré Valley, and Mpem and Djim national parks in Cameroon,

Gashaka-Gumti National Park Gashaka-Gumti National Park (GGNP) is a national park in Nigeria, It was gazetted from two game reserves in 1991 and is Nigeria’s largest national park. It is located in the eastern provinces of Taraba and Adamawa to the border with Cameroon. Th ...

in Nigeria,

Garamba National Park Garamba National Park is a nearly national park in north-eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is among Africa's oldest parks, and was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1980 for its protection of critical habitat for nort ...

Virunga National Park , iucn_category = II , iucn_ref = , location = Democratic Republic of the Congo , map = Democratic Republic of the Congo , relief = 1 , coordinates = , area = , established = , nearest_city = Goma , photo =Virunga National Park-107997 ...

Bili-Uere Hunting Reserve Bili-Uere Hunting Reserve (French: ''Domaine de Chasse Bili-Uere'') is a hunting reserve in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, covering . It is bounded on the north by Bomu Hunting Reserve, Bomu Wildlife Reserve, and the Mbomou River, which f ...

, and

Gangala-na-Bodio Hunting Reserve The Gangala-na-Bodio Hunting Reserve is a hunting reserve in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The reserve was established in 1974, and covers an area of . The reserve adjoins Garamba National Park Garamba National Park is a nearly natio ...

in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lantoto, Shambe, and

Southern Southern may refer to: Businesses * China Southern Airlines, airline based in Guangzhou, China * Southern Airways, defunct US airline * Southern Air, air cargo transportation company based in Norwalk, Connecticut, US * Southern Airways Express, M ...

national parks in South Sudan, and Chinko Nature Reserve and Zemongo Faunal Reserve in the Central African Republic."Northern Congolian forest-savanna mosaic". DOPA Explorer. Accessed 9 November 2021

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External links

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Northern Congolian forest-savanna mosaic Northern Congolian forest–savanna mosaic, Afrotropical ecoregions Ecoregions of Cameroon Ecoregions of the Central African Republic Ecoregions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Ecoregions of South Sudan Ecoregions of Uganda * * * * * * * Grasslands of Cameroon Grasslands of the Central African Republic Grasslands of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Grasslands of South Sudan Grasslands of Uganda Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands