Afromontane is a term used to describe the plant and animal species common to the mountains of Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula. The afromontane regions of Africa are discontinuous, separated from each other by lowlands, and are sometimes referred to as the Afromontane archipelago, as their distribution is analogous to a series of islands. Afromontane communities occur above 1500-2000 meters elevation near the equator, and as low as 300 meters elevation in the Knysna-Amatole montane forests of South Africa. Afromontane forests are generally cooler and more humid than the surrounding lowlands. Africa is the worlds second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia. ... The Arabian Peninsula The Arabian Peninsula (in Arabic: شبه الجزيرة العربية) is a peninsula in Southwest Asia at the junction of Africa and Asia consisting mainly of desert. ... The Knysna-Amatole montane forests is a subtropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion of South Africa. ...

Although some Afromontane enclaves are widely separated, they share a similar mix of plant species which are often distinct from the surrounding lowland regions. Podocarps, of genera Podocarpus and Afrocarpus, are a characteristic tree, along with Prunus africana and trees of genera Hagenia, Juniperus, and Olea. In the higher mountains, the Afromontane forest or woodland zone transitions to a higher Afroalpine zone of grasslands, shrublands, or moorlands. Genera Acmopyle Afrocarpus Dacrycarpus Dacrydium Falcatifolium Halocarpus Lagarostrobos Lepidothamnus Manoao Microcachrys Microstrobos Nageia Parasitaxus Phyllocladus Podocarpus Prumnopitys Retrophyllum Saxegothaea Sundacarpus A large family of mainly Southern Hemisphere conifers, with 18-19 genera and about 170-200 species of evergreen trees and shrubs. ... species 105 species (Farjon 1998); see list Podocarpus is a genus of conifers, the most numerous and widely distributed of the podocarp family Podocarpaceae. ... Species Afrocarpus dawei Afrocarpus falcatus Afrocarpus gaussenii Afrocarpus gracilior Afrocarpus mannii Afrocarpus usambarensis Afrocarpus is a genus of conifers belonging to the podocarp family Podocarpaceae. ... Species 50-55 species; see text. ... Species Olea is a genus of about 20 species in the family Oleaceae, native to warm temperate and tropical regions of southern Europe, Africa, southern Asia and Australasia. ...

The plant families Curtisiaceae and Oliniaceae are Afromontane endemics and family Barbeyaceae is a near-endemic. The tree genera Afrocrania, Balthasaria, Curtisia, Ficalhoa, Hagenia, Kiggelaria, Leucosidea, Platypterocarpus, Trichocladus, Widdringtonia, and Xymalos are Afromontane endemics or near-endemics, as are the plant genera Ardisiandra, Cincinnobotrys, and Stapfiella. Species Curtisia dentata Curtisia dentata, or Cape Lancewood, is a plant from southern Africa. ... species (not a complete list) Olinia is a genus of small trees and shrubs with ten species, the sole genus in family Oliniaceae. ... Binomial name Barbeya oleoides Schweinf Barbeya oleoides is the only species of its family (Barbeyaceae). ... Species Curtisia dentata Curtisia dentata, or Cape Lancewood, is a plant from southern Africa. ... Species Widdringtonia cedarbergensis Widdringtonia nodiflora Widdringtonia schwarzii Widdringtonia whytei Widdringtonia is a genus of coniferous trees in the Cupressaceae (cypress family). ...

In South Africa, Afromontane forests cover only 0.5% of the country's land area. The Afromontane forests occur along the mountainous arc of the Drakensberg Range, from Limpopo Province in the northeast to the Western Cape Province in the southwest. The Afromontane forests generally occur in well-watered areas, including ravines and north-facing slopes. The Afromontane forests are intolerant of fire, and the frequent fires of the surrounding fynbos, savanna, and grassland limit the expansion of the forests. Despite their small area, the Afromontane forests of South Africa produce valuable timber, particularly the Real Yellowwood (Podocarpus latifolius), Outeniqua Yellowwood (Afrocarpus falcatus), and Stinkwood (Ocotea bullata). The Drakensberg Drakensberg Range from space, April 1993 The Drakensberg (Dragon Mountains in Afrikaans) mountains are the highest in South Africa, rising up at Thabana Ntlenyana to 3,482 m (11,422 ft) in height. ... Capital Polokwane Largest city Polokwane Area  - Total Ranked 5th 123,900 km² Premier Mbhazima Shilowa (ANC) Population   - 2001   - 1996   - Density (2001) Ranked 4th 5,273,637 4,929,368 43/km² (Ranked 3rd) Languages Races Black (97. ... Capital Cape Town Largest city Cape Town Premier Ebrahim Rasool Area - Total Ranked 4th 129,370 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 5th 4,524,335 35/km² Languages Afrikaans (55. ... Fynbos (Afrikaans for fine bush) is the natural vegetation occurring in a small belt of South Africa, mainly in the South-western Cape. ... A savanna or savannah is a grassland dotted with trees, and occurs in several types of biomes. ... An Inner Mongolian Grassland. ... Binomial name Podocarpus latifolius The Real Yellowwood (Podocarpus latifolius) is a large evergreen tree up to 35 m high and 3 m trunk diameter, in the conifer family Podocarpaceae. ... Species Afrocarpus dawei Afrocarpus falcatus Afrocarpus gaussenii Afrocarpus gracilior Afrocarpus mannii Afrocarpus usambarensis Afrocarpus is a genus of conifers belonging to the podocarp family Podocarpaceae. ...

Afromontane ecoregions

Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, also known as tropical rain forests or tropical wet forests, are a tropical and subtropical forest biome. ...

• Albertine Rift montane forests (Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda)
• Cameroonian Highlands forests (Cameroon, Nigeria)
• East African montane forests (Kenya, Sudan, Tanzania)
• Eastern Arc forests (Tanzania, Kenya)
• Ethiopian montane forests (Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan)
• Guinean montane forests (Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone)
• Knysna-Amatole montane forests (South Africa)
• Mount Cameroon and Bioko montane forests (Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea)

Montane grasslands, shrublands, and woodlands The Knysna-Amatole montane forests is a subtropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion of South Africa. ... Montane grasslands and shrublands is biome defined by the World Wildlife Fund. ...

• Angolan montane forest-grassland mosaic (Angola)
• Angolan scarp savanna and woodlands (Angola)
• Drakensberg alti-montane grasslands and woodlands (Lesotho, South Africa)
• Drakensberg montane grasslands, woodlands and forests (Lesotho, South Africa, Swaziland)
• East African montane moorlands (Kenya, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda)
• Eastern Zimbabwe montane forest-grassland mosaic (Mozambique, Zimbabwe)
• Ethiopian montane grasslands and woodlands (Eritrea, Ethiopia)
• Ethiopian montane moorlands (Ethiopia)
• Highveld grasslands (Lesotho, South Africa)
• Jos Plateau forest-grassland mosaic (Nigeria)
• Maputaland-Pondoland bushland and thickets (Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland)
• Ruwenzori-Virunga montane moorlands (Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Uganda)
• South Malawi montane forest-grassland mosaic (Malawi, Mozambique)
• Southern Rift montane forest-grassland mosaic (Malawi, Tanzania)

Deserts and xeric shrublands Deserts and xeric shrublands is a biome characterized by a dry climate. ...

• Southwestern Arabian montane woodlands (Saudi Arabia, Yemen)

References

• White, F. (1983). The vegetation of Africa: a descriptive memoir to accompany the UNESCO/AETFAT/UNSO vegetation map of Africa by F. White. UNESCO, Paris.
• Galley, C. & Linder, H. P. (2006) Geographical affinities of the Cape flora, South Africa. Journal of Biogeography 33 (2), 236-250.

External links

• Eastern Afromontane Biodiversity Hotspot (Conservation International)
• Eastern Afromontane, from Hotspots Revisited (Conservation International)