Angolan miombo woodlands cover most of central Angola and extend into the

Democratic Republic of Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...

. They are part of the larger

miombo The Miombo woodland is a tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome (in the World Wide Fund for Nature scheme) located primarily in Central Africa. It includes four woodland savanna ecoregions (listed below) characterized b ...

ecosystem that covers much of eastern and southern Africa.

Location and description

This area of savanna and woodland covers an area of plateau and gentle hills in central Angola, in the Cubango-Zambezi Basin which drains into the

Zambezi River The Zambezi River (also spelled Zambeze and Zambesi) is the fourth-longest river in Africa, the longest east-flowing river in Africa and the largest flowing into the Indian Ocean from Africa. Its drainage basin covers , slightly less than hal ...

to the east. The area lies east of the range of hills that parallel the Atlantic coast and north of the

Kalahari Desert The Kalahari Desert is a large semi-arid sandy savanna in Southern Africa extending for , covering much of Botswana, and parts of Namibia and South Africa. It is not to be confused with the Angolan, Namibian, and South African Namib coastal d ...

reaching up as far as the rainforests of the Congo.

Climate

The Angolian miombo woodlands has a

tropical climate Tropical climate is the first of the five major climate groups in the Köppen climate classification identified with the letter A. Tropical climates are defined by a monthly average temperature of 18 °C (64.4 °F) or higher in the cool ...

, wetter than the surrounding savanna, with most of the rain falling in the hotter summer months (November–March).

Flora

The

flora Flora is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring ( indigenous) native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' gut flora'' or '' skin flora''. ...

is moist

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, ...

broadleaf

savanna A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland- grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground ...

and woodland. Between these areas is open

grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses ( Poaceae). However, sedge ( Cyperaceae) and rush ( Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur na ...

. Three species of tree dominate

woodland: ''

Brachystegia ''Brachystegia'' is a genus of tree of the subfamily Detarioideae that is native to tropical Africa. Trees of the genus are commonly known as miombo, and are dominant in the miombo woodlands of central and southern tropical Africa. The Zambezi ...

'', ''

Julbernardia ''Julbernardia'' is a genus of plants in the family Fabaceae. There are eight species found in tropical Africa. They are medium-sized trees. Species accepted by the Plants of the World Online Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online da ...

'', and ''

Isoberlinia ''Isoberlinia'' is a genus in the family Fabaceae of five species of tree native to the hotter parts of tropical Africa. They are an important component of miombo woodlands. The leaves have three or four pairs of large leaflets and stout seed p ...

''. Under the trees there is a rich variety of other flora while the grassland areas in the region lie on sandy soil. One particular feature of miombo woodland is its vulnerability to fire, as the area is dry most of the year round.

Fauna

Fauna Fauna is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is '' flora'', and for fungi, it is '' funga''. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively referred to as '' biota''. ...

inhabiting the area include a number of bird species and mammals including the

giant sable antelope The giant sable antelope or royal sable antelope (''Hippotragus niger variani''), also known in Portuguese as the ''palanca-negra-gigante'', is a large, rare subspecies of the sable antelope native and endemic to the region between the Cuango an ...

. Endemic mammals include

Vernay's climbing mouse Vernay's climbing mouse (''Dendromus vernayi'') is a species of rodent in the family Nesomyidae. It is found only in Angola. Its natural habitat is moist savanna A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ec ...

(''Dendromus vernayi''). Large mammals include

giraffe The giraffe is a large African hoofed mammal belonging to the genus ''Giraffa''. It is the tallest living terrestrial animal and the largest ruminant on Earth. Traditionally, giraffes were thought to be one species, '' Giraffa camelopardal ...

(in the wetter areas),

bushbuck The Cape bushbuck (''Tragelaphus sylvaticus'') is a common and a widespread species of antelope in sub-Saharan Africa.Wronski T, Moodley Y. (2009)Bushbuck, harnessed antelope or both? ''Gnusletter'', 28(1):18-19. Bushbuck are found in a wide ran ...

(''Tragelaphus scriptus''),

blue duiker The blue duiker (''Philantomba monticola'') is a small antelope found in central, southern and eastern Africa. It is the smallest duiker. The species was first described by Swedish naturalist Carl Peter Thunberg in 1789. 12 subspecies are ident ...

(''Cephalophus monticola'') and

yellow-backed duiker The yellow-backed duiker (''Cephalophus silvicultor'') is a forest dwelling antelope in the order Artiodactyla from the family Bovidae. Yellow-backed duikers are the most widely distributed of all duikers. They are found mainly in Central and West ...

(''C. silvicultor'') in the thickly wooded areas and giraffe,

sitatunga The sitatunga or marshbuck (''Tragelaphus spekii'') is a swamp-dwelling antelope found throughout central Africa, centering on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, parts of Southern Sudan, Equatorial Guinea ...

(''Tragelaphus spekei'') and

waterbuck The waterbuck (''Kobus ellipsiprymnus'') is a large antelope found widely in sub-Saharan Africa. It is placed in the genus '' Kobus'' of the family Bovidae. It was first described by Irish naturalist William Ogilby in 1833. Its 13 subspecies a ...

(''Kobus ellipsiprymnus'') in the wetter areas, with

tsessebe The common tsessebe or sassaby (''Damaliscus lunatus lunatus'') is the southern, nominate subspecies of '' Damaliscus lunatus'', although some authorities have recognised it as an independent species. It is most closely related to the Bangweulu t ...

(''Damaliscus lunatus'') in the grasslands. Other large mammals found in the ecoregion include

hippopotamus The hippopotamus ( ; : hippopotamuses or hippopotami; ''Hippopotamus amphibius''), also called the hippo, common hippopotamus, or river hippopotamus, is a large semiaquatic mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of only two exta ...

(''Hippopotamus amphibius''),

zebra Zebras (, ) (subgenus ''Hippotigris'') are African equines with distinctive black-and-white striped coats. There are three living species: the Grévy's zebra (''Equus grevyi''), plains zebra (''E. quagga''), and the mountain zebra (''E. zebr ...

(''Equus burchellii''), and their predators such as

lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large cat of the genus '' Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphic; adu ...

(''Panthera leo''),

leopard The leopard (''Panthera pardus'') is one of the five extant species in the genus '' Panthera'', a member of the cat family, Felidae. It occurs in a wide range in sub-Saharan Africa, in some parts of Western and Central Asia, Southern Russia, ...

(''P. pardus''),

cheetah The cheetah (''Acinonyx jubatus'') is a large cat native to Africa and central Iran. It is the fastest land animal, estimated to be capable of running at with the fastest reliably recorded speeds being , and as such has evolved specialized ...

(''Acinonyx jubatus''),

African wild dog The African wild dog (''Lycaon pictus''), also called the painted dog or Cape hunting dog, is a wild canine which is a native species to sub-Saharan Africa. It is the largest wild canine in Africa, and the only extant member of the genus '' Lyca ...

(''Lycaon pictus''),

side-striped jackal The side-striped jackal (''Lupulella adusta)'' is a canine native to central and southern Africa. Unlike the smaller and related black-backed jackal (''Lupulella mesomelas''), which dwells in open plains, the side-striped jackal primarily dwell ...

(''Canis adustus'') and spotted hyaena (''Crocuta crocuta'') as well as smaller carnivores such as

African wild cat The African wildcat (''Felis lybica'') is a small wildcat species native to Africa, West and Central Asia up to Rajasthan in India and Xinjiang in China. It has been listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List in 2022. In Cyprus, an African wi ...

(''Felis lybica''),

serval The serval (''Leptailurus serval'') is a wild cat native to Africa. It is widespread in sub-Saharan countries, except rainforest regions. Across its range, it occurs in protected areas, and hunting it is either prohibited or regulated in ran ...

(''Leptailurus serval''),

caracal The caracal (''Caracal caracal'') () is a medium-sized wild cat native to Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and arid areas of Pakistan and northwestern India. It is characterised by a robust build, long legs, a short face, long tufted ...

(''Caracal caracal'') and, appropriately the

Angolan genet The Angolan genet or miombo genet (''Genetta angolensis'') is a genet species endemic to Southern Africa. It is considered common in this region and therefore listed as Least Concern in the IUCN Red List. Little is known about its ecology. Char ...

(''Genetta angolensis''). Before the

Angolan Civil War The Angolan Civil War ( pt, Guerra Civil Angolana) was a civil war in Angola, beginning in 1975 and continuing, with interludes, until 2002. The war immediately began after Angola became independent from Portugal in November 1975. The war was ...

in the 1970s the area was home to large populations of

elephant Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantida ...

s and

black rhinoceros The black rhinoceros, black rhino or hook-lipped rhinoceros (''Diceros bicornis'') is a species of rhinoceros, native to eastern and southern Africa including Angola, Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Eswatini, Tanzania ...

but these have almost completely been removed, mainly by poachers. The only known endemic bird species is the black-tailed cisticola (''Cisticola melanura'') although there is a fairly rich selection of bird life. Following rains the following can be found in the wetlands: greater swamp-warbler (''Acrocephalus rufescens''),

African yellow warbler The African yellow warbler (''Iduna natalensis''), also known as Natal yellow warbler, dark-capped yellow warbler or yellow flycatcher-warbler, is a species of Acrocephalidae warblers; formerly, these were placed in the paraphyletic "Old World wa ...

(''Iduna natalensis''), chirping cisticola (''Cisticola pipiens''),

Bocage's weaver Bocage's weaver (''Ploceus temporalis'') is a species of bird in the family Ploceidae. It is found in riparian zones of Angola, southern Democratic Republic of the Congo and northwestern Zambia. The common name and Latin binomial commemorate the ...

(''Ploceus temporalis''),

saddle-billed stork The saddle-billed stork or saddlebill (''Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis'') is a large wading bird in the stork family, Ciconiidae. It is a widespread species which is a resident breeder in sub-Saharan Africa from Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya south ...

(''Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis''),

marabou stork The marabou stork (''Leptoptilos crumenifer'') is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae native to sub-Saharan Africa. It breeds in both wet and arid habitats, often near human habitation, especially landfill sites. It is someti ...

(''Leptoptilos crumeniferus''),

Goliath heron The Goliath heron (''Ardea goliath''), also known as the giant heron, is a very large wading bird of the heron family, Ardeidae. It is found in sub-Saharan Africa, with smaller, declining numbers in Southwest and South Asia. Description This ...

(''Ardea goliath''), and

wattled crane The wattled crane (''Grus carunculata'') is a large bird found in Africa, south of the Sahara Desert. It is sometimes placed in the monotypic genus ''Bugeranus''. Taxonomy The first formal description of the wattled crane was by the German nat ...

(''Bugeranus carunculatus''). Amphibians are less common. They include two endemic frog species, '' Hildebrandtia ornatissima'' and '' Leptopelis anchietae'', plus one that is found almost entirely in this region, '' Hyperolius vilhenai''. Finally, in miombo woodland the many

termites Termites are small insects that live in colonies and have distinct castes ( eusocial) and feed on wood or other dead plant matter. Termites comprise the infraorder Isoptera, or alternatively the epifamily Termitoidae, within the order Blat ...

and

caterpillars Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths). As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder Symp ...

play an important role in clearing leaves.

Urban areas and settlements

Towns and cities in the region include Kuito,

Menongue Menongue, formerly Serpa Pinto, is a town, a municipality, and the capital of Cuando Cubango Province in Angola. The municipality had a population of 320,914 in 2014. It is one of the four municipalities in Angola whose inhabitants are predominan ...

and Luena, all areas that saw much conflict during the 1975-2002

Threats and protected areas

The intense and long-lasting

from 1975 to 2002 caused immense damage to this environment, leaving the forests exposed to poaching and uncontrolled clearance, and conservation became a low priority for the government. The conflict also prevented be proper study of the region by scientists. However the woodland is not threatened by clearance for agriculture or logging as along with the effects of war there are other factors keeping the population of the region to a minimum; the sandy soil does not sustain agriculture, and the woods and grassland are rife with

tsetse fly Tsetse ( , or ) (sometimes spelled tzetze; also known as tik-tik flies), are large, biting flies that inhabit much of tropical Africa. Tsetse flies include all the species in the genus ''Glossina'', which are placed in their own family, Glos ...

. Some forest is being cleared on the edge of towns or for strip-mining. There are a number of Angolan national parks in the region. Some had to be abandoned at various times during the civil war due to fighting. 5.37% of the ecoregion is in protected areas. Protected areas in the ecoregion include: * Bicuar National Park * Buffalo Partial Reserve *

Cameia National Park Cameia National Park is a national park in the Moxico province of Angola, located at about 1100 m above sea level. Covering a surface of 14.450 km. It shares its name with the nearby municipality of Cameia. The Cameia– Luacano road forms the ...

Cangandala National Park Cangandala National Park is a national park in Malanje Province, Angola. It is situated between the Cuije river and 2 unnamed territories of the Cuanza, with the towns of Culamagia and Techongolola on the edges of the park. It is the smalle ...

, an important haven for the

(''Hippotragus niger variani''). * Luando Integral Nature Reserve *

Longa-Mavinga National Park Mavinga is a National Park in Kuando Kubango Province in south-eastern Angola. It covers an area of . The Park was proclaimed in 2011 along with the neighbouring Luengue-Luiana National Park, which measures . The two parks are contiguous and manag ...

* Mupa National Park * Namibe Partial Reserve

References

External links

* {{WWF ecoregion, name=Angolan Miombo woodlands, id=at0701 Afrotropical ecoregions Ecoregions of Africa Ecoregions of Angola Ecoregions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo * * . Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands Zambezian region