Environmental Context
Let's examine the physical landscapes, climates, vegetations, and soils of the African continent. These are important for us to understand as we see where the centers of human and economic activities are established. Contrasting highland eastern and southern Africa with lowland western and central Africa enables us to learn more about the associated climatic, topographic and pedologic effects of these two regions. The distribution of rainforests in central Africa and of savanna grasslands in west, east, and parts of southern Africa help us appreciate the cultural ecology of the societies that inhabit these regions. The varied and complex physical geography and geology of Africa demonstrates the natural and physical assets and liabilities inherent in the region.
Don't forget about human activities and the harmful effects they have on ecologically fragile areas of the African rainforest, savanna, and Sahel. Problems of forest degradation and desertification have caused significant loss of wildlife habitats, increase in soil degradation, and reduction in grain and crop production. Prolonged droughts continue to threaten the ecological stability of the Sahel, a transition zone between the savanna grassland and the Sahara Desert. Consequently, the incidence of poverty and famine has increased in this region. Countering desertification and food insecurity requires a multifaceted planning and management approach with an emphasis on reforestation and revegetation, soil-conservation and soil-fertility improvement, water conservation, and organizational initiatives.
