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Publication Date
1977
Description
Grasslands in the broader meaning, i.e. grazing lands, occupy huge areas in Africa, probably in the vicinity of 10 million km2 (1000 million hectares), of which some 800 million hectares of permanent pastures and 200 million hectares of grazed woodland and open forest. There are also some 210 million hectares of crops and fallows most of which are grazed for part of the annual cycle. These African grasslands thus represent 7.5 % of the world's total land surface and 1/3 of its total acreage of grassland; they also correspond to 33 % of the surface of the continent, the remainder being desert and wasteland (38 %), forest (22 %) and cropland (7 %). The African grasslands sustain 430 million heads of domestic herbivores which make up 11 % of the world livestock population. They also feed the world's largest number of wild ungulates, mostly concentrated in Eastern and Southern Africa. The grasslands of Africa may be divided into three main ecological zones:
I. The Mediterranean which stretches north of the Sahara and to the southern tip of the Continent south of the Orange River (28 ° of latitude);
II. The Sahara, part of which is used as grazing for a non-negligible number of animals;
III. The inter-tropical zone.
Citation
Le Houerou, H N., "The grassland of Africa: Classification, production evolution and development outlook" (1977). IGC Proceedings (1977-2023). 9.
(URL: https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/1977/plenary/9)
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The grassland of Africa: Classification, production evolution and development outlook
Grasslands in the broader meaning, i.e. grazing lands, occupy huge areas in Africa, probably in the vicinity of 10 million km2 (1000 million hectares), of which some 800 million hectares of permanent pastures and 200 million hectares of grazed woodland and open forest. There are also some 210 million hectares of crops and fallows most of which are grazed for part of the annual cycle. These African grasslands thus represent 7.5 % of the world's total land surface and 1/3 of its total acreage of grassland; they also correspond to 33 % of the surface of the continent, the remainder being desert and wasteland (38 %), forest (22 %) and cropland (7 %). The African grasslands sustain 430 million heads of domestic herbivores which make up 11 % of the world livestock population. They also feed the world's largest number of wild ungulates, mostly concentrated in Eastern and Southern Africa. The grasslands of Africa may be divided into three main ecological zones:
I. The Mediterranean which stretches north of the Sahara and to the southern tip of the Continent south of the Orange River (28 ° of latitude);
II. The Sahara, part of which is used as grazing for a non-negligible number of animals;
III. The inter-tropical zone.
