An Overview of the Major Vegetation Classification in Africa and the New Vegetation Classification in Ethiopia

Abstract

Vegetation is classified using life forms, density, and seasonality. The objective of this review work was to list the vegetation classification, major plant species and geographic distribution in Africa, and the recent vegetation category in Ethiopia. The review search was focused on English-language and peer-reviewed literature. The vegetation types in Africa were classified into various groups using various criteria of categorization. It was grouped into 24 types, 16 types, and even five groups. Though the vegetation categorization in Africa was varied, this work focuses on the five major groups of vegetation that is forest, woodlands and shrub lands, grass lands, agricultural land, and swampy and mangrove vegetation. The vegetation types in Ethiopia were also grouped in different types across time. However, recently, the vegetation was classified into 12 major and 12 sub-types of vegetation. The major vegetation types are desert and semi-desert scrub¬land, Acacia-Commiphora woodland and bushland, wooded grassland of the western Gambella region, Combretum-Terminalia woodland and wooded grassland, dry evergreen Afromontane forest and grassland complex, moist evergreen Afromontane forest, transitional rainforest, ericaceous belt, afro-alpine belt, riverine vegetation, fresh-water lakes, marsh and floodplain vegetation and salt lakes, marsh and pan vegetation. The total number of higher plant species was expected to be between 6500-7000. Out of them, about 10-12% are endemic species in Ethiopia. This shows that still, lot of work is remaining to fully assess the types of plant species that are available in the country. These big vegetation variations both in the continent and in Ethiopia was associated with the existence of variation in climate, geology, and altitude. These again favor the existence of diverse plant species.