Zambezian region


The Zambezian region is a large biogeographical region in Africa. The Zambezian region includes woodlands, savannas, grasslands, and thickets, extending from east to west in a broad belt across the continent. The Zambezian region lies south of the rainforests of the Guineo-Congolian region. The Zambezian region is bounded by deserts and xeric shrublands on the southwest, the Highveld grasslands of South Africa to the south, and the subtropical Maputaland forests on the southeast.

Vegetation types

The dominant vegetation types in the Zambezian region include:
Botanist Frank White estimated that the region has 8500 species of plants, of which 4590, or 54%, are endemic. The Zambezian region is a centre of diversity for tree species in the genera Brachystegia and Monotes.

Ecoregions

According to the World Wildlife Fund, the Zambezian region includes over a dozen ecoregions.