To download a painting in large format, please enter the number
found below the painting image (such as "Painting 0001")
Cause for Concern in Africa
Afrotropics
•
Tropical and Subtropical Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands
Angolan Miombo woodlands
Poaching, subsistence agriculture, livestock grazing, and oil and diamond prospecting were all threatening this ecoregion before the civil war began in the 1970s. Today, hunting for subsistence and trophies, much of it illegal, may be the most serious threat to the wildlife in all of Angola. Other concerns include cutting trees for firewood and charcoal production, illegal strip mining, and urbanization. Many large animals are also killed when they walk through areas teeming with abandoned land mines.
Afrotropics
•
Tropical and Subtropical Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands
Central Zambezian Miombo woodlands
Habitat loss in this region is directly linked to population density. For example, areas surrounding large, urban centers such as Lusaka in Zambia have been cleared for farming, ranching, and charcoal production. However, relatively intact blocks of habitat still exist in western Tanzania, Zambia, and the southern portion of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The hunting of bushmeat is a growing problem in this ecoregion, and hunting for rhino horn and elephant ivory has depleted this area of both of those species.
Afrotropics
•
Tropical and Subtropical Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands
East Sudanian savanna
The Eastern Sudanian Savanna is primarily threatened by the agricultural and herding activities of the local populations. Pressures include seasonal cultivation, overgrazing by livestock, felling of trees and bushes for wood, burning wood for charcoal, and uncontrolled wildfires. Poaching of wildlife is a particular problem in politically unstable areas such as southern Sudan. For this ecoregion's species to survive, stronger conservation measures need to be put in place, and large mammals such as the black rhinoceros need to be reintroduced to their former range.
Afrotropics
•
Tropical and Subtropical Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands
East Sudanian savanna
The most notable plant species of the savanna ecoregion is named for its largest mammal"elephant" grass. The long grass is found growing alongside shrubs and herbs, which form an understory for stands of trees. More than 1,000 endemic species of plants can be found here in all. The ecoregion is mainly flat, with a climate that is tropical and highly seasonal. Average high temperatures range from 86 to 91F (30 33C) and lows fall in the mid- to high 60s (18 21C). Annual rainfall is as high as 40 inches (1,000 mm) in the south. During the rainy season, which lasts from April to October, large areas of southern Chad and northern Central African Republic become totally flooded and inaccessible. During the dry season, however, most of the trees lose their leaves, and the grasses dry up and often burn.
Afrotropics
•
Tropical and Subtropical Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands
Eastern Miombo woodlands
In general, this region is relatively intact, in part because the human population density is so low. Hunting of bushmeat has reduced some species' populations. African blackwood trees are heavily harvested to make musical instruments such as clarinets and piano keys, as well as for traditional and tourist-trade carvings. Black rhinos have nearly been extirpated due to hunting.
Afrotropics
•
Tropical and Subtropical Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands
Guinean forest-savanna mosaic
Like many West African ecoregions, the Guinean Forest-Savanna Mosaic ecoregion reflects a legacy of human exploitation that spans thousands of years. Only two percent of the ecoregion is protected today, and more and more people are burning the dry forests to clear land for farms.
Afrotropics
•
Tropical and Subtropical Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands
Itigi-Sumbu thicket
Although the Itigi-Sumbu Thicket is poorly known, reports indicate that it is rapidly being cleared in Tanzania for agriculture. In Zambia, a recent study has shown a 71 percent reduction of the Itigi thicket in the last 20 years. At this rate, it may be completely destroyed within the next 20 years.
Afrotropics
•
Tropical and Subtropical Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands
Kalahari Acacia-Baikiaea woodlands
The cattle industry is the biggest threat to conservation within this ecoregion. Not only is overgrazing by large cattle herds changing the composition of the natural vegetation, but predators such as wild dogs are often killed as nuisance pests. Moreover, the cattle industry's network of fences that crisscross the ecoregion impede the critical migratory movements of elephants, zebras, wildebeest, eland, and other animals that must travel great distances in search of water and food during periods of drought. In the drought of the 1980s, 90 percent of the wildebeest population died because fences prevented them from moving to areas where they could find food. In addition to these problems, illegal hunting is a major threat to wildlife of the area.
Afrotropics
•
Tropical and Subtropical Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands
Mandara Plateau mosaic
Throughout Cameroon, the major threat to biodiversity is the clearing of both lowland and montane forests. Grazing and burning are also extensive. Illegal hunting, primarily for bushmeat, is also on the rise throughout West Africa, including Cameroon. This endangers important mammal populations, including those in protected areas.
Afrotropics
•
Tropical and Subtropical Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands
Northern Acacia-Commiphora bushlands and thickets
Because of the long dry season and unpredictable rains in this region, water is a scarce and precious resource. Unsustainable water usage and irrigation practices pose problems for wildlife that rely on a steady supply of water to rivers and water holes. In wetter areas near the coast, threats to the habitat include farming and land clearing for large-scale plantations of sisal, cotton, and tobacco. Throughout the region, the cutting of trees for firewood and charcoal production is a major threat, and livestock grazing has fragmented much of the habitat and created grazing competition for wild species. Populations of large mammals in particular have become highly fragmented. Species such as elephants and rhinos are killed for their skins, ivory, and horns. The black rhinoceros has been wiped out from most of the region because its horns are extremely valuable on the black market. Even some plant species, such as the African blackwood, are threatened by over-harvesting because of their commercial value in making carvings for the tourist industry.
