Vegetation in Zambia

Zambia has a diverse range of plant species and habitats within its borders. Each is distinctive in its characteristics.

Miombo Woodlands

Miombo woodlands are semi-evergreen. The trees have mushroom-shaped crowns and sparse leafy tops. They let sufficient light though for grasses and smaller plants to flourish. In the dry season the undergrowth dries out and burns, making miombo woodland a "fire climax" vegetation type.

Certain types of miombo woodland eventually turn into evergreen forests. This only happens to the strongest, healthiest miombo woodlands, when the canopies get thick enough to filter out the light completely. There is then no ground cover and no fires. Some of the best of these forests are found in the southern parts of the Copperbelt Province.

Mopane Woodlands

Occurring on the southern plateau, mopane woodlands are dominated by the mopane tree, also known as the butterfly tree because of the shape of its leaves. Trees can reach up to 25 metres in height. These are known as Cathedral Mopanes.

Water is generally scarce these areas, so the trees have become very good at absorbing the little water that falls. They have developed a superficial root system which is able to prevent grass from growing so they have more water for themselves. Mopane woodlands occur mainly in the hot, dry, lower parts of the country like the Luangwa and Zambezi valleys.

Dambos

Dambos are flat bottomed drainage valleys on the plateau. Their water levels rise and fall seasonally. Dambos do not support any trees but are rich in grasses, herbs and flowering plants like orchids.

They are permanently damp and provide excellent grazing for various animals. Elephants seek out the underground water from the dambos as it contains more minerals than water in streams and waterholes. Much of the upper and middle course of the Kafue River is lined with dambos.

Floodplains

Floodplains are low-lying areas on the side of rivers or lakes that are seasonally flooded. During the dry season they may have no water at all, while during the wet season, islands of trees and grass will stand above the water.

Floodplains often contain no trees or bushes, only certain grass types that can tolerate being underwater for long periods. Wild rice, for example, can grow its stems to rise above the water level. On higher levels of the flooplains groves of fan-palms are common.

Mountain vegetation

Only four mountains in Zambia rise above 2000 metres. Mopane grasslands occur on their slopes at higher altitudes where the rainfall is heavy and the climate is cool.

Although there are some forested areas the grasslands are more abundant. The best time to view them is in the months after the rains, March - May, when they are rich in flowering herbs.

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