Lunda Norte province, Angola Photograph by Brian Huntley   Southern Africa: Zambia (Angola) Tropical and Subtropical Dry Broadleaf Forests   14,700 square miles (38,200 square kilometers) -- about the size of Maryland and Connecticut combined Critical/Endangered

· Deep Dense Forest
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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Deep Dense Forest

The Zambesian Cryptosepalum Dry Forests Ecoregion is a thickly vegetated woodland. Cryptosepalum, or mukwe, trees dominate the forest, forming a canopy about 80 feet (25 m) high. Vines covered in lichens form a dense and tangled understory, and mosses cover the forest floor. This tangle of growth harbors a number of wild species that prefer dense habitat, including yellow-backed duikers, blue duikers, and bushpigs. The ecoregion contains the largest area of tropical evergreen forest in Africa, and probably in the world, outside of the equatorial zone.

Special Features

This ecoregion is found in the higher-rainfall areas of western Zambia, with one extension into Angola. The forests grow on gently undulating red sand hills at elevations between 3,630 and 3,960 feet (1,100 and 1,200 m). A tropical savanna climate prevails in this region, with average temperatures ranging from 68 to 72° F (20 to 22° C). Three seasons can be distinguished: a hot, dry season from August to October; a hot, wet season from November to April; and a cool, dry season from May to July.

	Bushpigs eat a variety of food, including roots, beetles, snails, reptiles, and carrion (dead animals). Groups of bushpigs have even been known to drive a leopard from its kill.

Wild Side

There aren't many endemic bird and mammal species in this region: however the white-chested tinkerbird and Rosevear's striped grass mouse are two species found only in this region. But many animals found elsewhere in Africa find safe shelter in these dense evergreen forests. Duikers, bushpigs, kudus, buffalos and elephants are common. Rare wild dogs and leopards have also been recorded. About 380 species of birds have been documented to date, including barred long-tailed cuckoos, red-throated crested guineafowls, olive sunbirds, forest weavers, and African crested flycatchers. Insect life in these forests is abundant, and most of the bird species here are insect-eaters.

Cause for Concern

Because these forests lack surface water, people have not tried to settle here and most of the habitat is still in a natural, undisturbed state. Southern parts of the forests are used for gathering timber and fuelwood. Poaching is common in some places. Only one protected area—West Lunga National Park--provides some official protection for wild species.

For more information on this ecoregion, go to the World Wildlife Fund Scientific Report.