Covering an area of over 130 million km2 spanning the Mediterranean, equator and tropics, the African continent features a spectacular geographic diversity. Consequently, it is characterised by extremely variable climatic, edaphic and ecological conditions, associated with a wide range of natural vegetation and wildlife, as well as human population density, crops and livestock. In this book, Henry Le Hou?rou presents his bioclimatic and biogeographic classification of Africa. The extensive data provide the basis for comparisons between various African regions, and with regions on other continents such as Latin America or the Indian subcontinent. The results constitute a rational basis for national, regional and sub-regional rural development planning, and for agricultural research dealing with aspects such as plant and animal introductions, the extrapolation or interpolation of experimental or developmental findings, and ecosystems dynamics. Possible problems of applications are also examined.
Author(s): Henry N. Le Houerou
Edition: 1
Year: 2008
Language: English
Pages: 256
Tags: Науки о Земле;Метеорология и климатология;Биоклиматология и агроклиматология;
Contents......Page 5
1. Introduction......Page 15
1.2.1 General......Page 16
1.2.2 Energy Flow and Budget......Page 18
1.2.3 Drought......Page 19
1.2.4 Cold Stress: Relation to Latitude and Elevation......Page 24
1.2.5 Frost Hazard Occurrence in Africa (Explanatory Notes)......Page 28
1.3.1 Latitude......Page 29
1.3.2 Rainfall......Page 30
1.3.3 Potential Evapotranspiration (PET)......Page 68
1.3.4 The P/PETp and P/ETo Ratios......Page 73
1.3.5 Temperature......Page 74
1.3.7 Other Significant Weather Parameters......Page 75
1.3.8 Soil Distribution Climatic Aridity and Edaphic Aridity, Rain-Use Efficiency (RUE)......Page 78
1.3.9 Impact of Agro-hydraulic Works......Page 82
1.3.10 Land-Use Patterns, Agricultural Systems and Crop Distribution......Page 83
1.3.11 Rangelands, Pasture Production and Yields......Page 86
1.3.13 Vegetation......Page 87
1.3.14 Livestock Species and Breeds......Page 88
1.3.15 Wildlife......Page 89
1.3.16 Human and Animal Diseases and Parasites......Page 90
1.3.17 Human Comfort......Page 91
2.1 General......Page 92
2.2.1 Mediterranean Bioclimates (Weakly Bimodal Rainfall Regime, in Africa)......Page 93
2.2.2 The Sahara......Page 94
2.2.3 The Subtropical Bioclimates of South Africa......Page 96
2.3 Inter-tropical Bioclimates......Page 99
2.3.1 Tropical Agro-bioclimates......Page 101
2.3.2 The Southern African Miombo Savanna and Woodland Zone......Page 102
2.3.3 The Equatorial Agro-bioclimates......Page 105
2.3.4 Overall Classification Sketch......Page 110
2.4 Relations to Other Classifications......Page 112
3.1 Causes of Land Degradation......Page 138
3.2 Land Desertization......Page 143
3.3 Land Rehabilitation......Page 144
4. Conclusions......Page 145
Appendix......Page 151
Bibliography......Page 232
