There is no continent more evocative in the natural drama than Africa. From her great savannas, to the desolation of her deserts and the vast oceans that surround her, Africa is a continent of unsurpassed natural variance. In this magnificent book, Chris and Tilde Stuart document the natural history of an extraordinary continent. Filled with beautiful photographs, the reader will enjoy a fascinating journey through the seven major habitats of Africa: savana, dryland, forest, highland, Cape heathland, the fresh waters, and the coastal zone. Detailed descriptions of the mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and vegetation that make each habitat their home accompany each chapter.
This book is an authoritative record of Africa's ecological diversity; from the savannas that make up a third of her surface and where much of the continent's wildlife play daily dramas, to her drylands which include the world's largest true desert, the Sahara, as well as its oldest, the Namib; from the temperate forests of the Atlas Mountains and the tropical rain forests of Zaire, to the highlands that stretch from north to south, and include the famed Ruwenzoris, better known as the Mountains of the Moon; from the unique Cape Floral Kingdom, one of the six plant kingdoms of the world and home to over 8,580 species of flowering plants, to the continent's great lakes and river systems, which include the worlds longest river, the Nile, as it winds it's way across the changing landscape; and finally Africa's outer limit, her 29,000 km long coastline, home to a variety of habitats, from the mangrove swamps of northern Zululand and the Niger Delta, to the magnificent coral reefs of the Red Sea.
But Africa is under constant threat. How much longer can her habitats survive untouched by rapid human expansion? How serious are the threats she faces, and what is being done about her precarious position? Chris and Tilde Stuart seriously question the future of her habitats and discuss the effectiveness of conservation measures across the continent. Well researched and beautifully presented, this book is illustrated with inspiring photographs taken by the authors on their numerous journeys into Africa.
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