1. FOREST VEGETATION IN KENYA.

- The area under forest is less than 7%. The bulk is found in central highlands.

- Characteristics:

 The forests contain indigenous trees.

 Trees have different layers.

 Trees grow close to each other.

 Climbing plants like lianas are common.

 Trees have broad leaves.

 Forests are evergreen.

 Tree species include bamboo, olive and podo trees.

- The forested areas of Kenya can be sub-divided into :

a) Plateau forests.

- Covers extensive areas around L. Victoria but there are few patches around the lake in Maragoli, Kakamega,
Kaimosi, Malava, Turbo and Tinderet forests.

- They are tropical rainforests with tall trees standing among shorter trees intertwined with creepers.

b) Lowland forests.

- Found along the Kenyan coast.

- The main types are;

 Mangrove forests which grow in shallow water.

 Tropical rainforests in Shimba hills in Kwale district and Arabuko Sokoke in Kilifi.

c) Mountain/ Highland/ Closed forests.

- Found on the slopes of Mt. Kenya, Mt. Elgon, Aberdares, Mau, Nandi, Kakamega forests,
Marsabit forest, Iveti, Mbooni e.t.c.

- Characteristics:

 Forests are evergreen.

 Trees are closely spaced with a variety of species.

 Trees are tall and form a dense canopy.

  Main tree species are podo, cedar, oak and camphor.

 Indigenous hardwoods are Olive, Meru oak, Mvule, Elgon teak and Camphor.

 Indigenous softwoods are Podocarpus, African pencil, Cedar and Bamboo.

 Planted exotic hardwoods are Eucalyptus and Silver oak.

 Planted exotic softwoods are Pine, Cypress, Fir and Wattle.

2. SAVANNA VEGETATION IN KENYA.

- Most widespread vegetation covering about 65% of the total area.

- Occupies areas like Lake Victoria region, south and East of Mt. Kenya, parts of Coastal region,
Southern Kenya e.g. Taita Taveta.

- Characteristics: -kcse 2013

 Savanna vegetation is a mixture of trees and grass.

 The dominant type of vegetation is grass.

 In the wetter areas, the vegetation consists of tall scattered trees, woodland.

 The wetter areas have a continuous cover of long thick grass.

 In the drier areas, trees are shorter, fewer and scattered.

 In the drier areas, grass is short and course/ tufts.

 Most of the trees have umbrella shaped crown.

 Most of the trees are deciduous/ shed their leaves.

 Most trees are acacia.

 Along the river valleys, there are tall trees, thick bushes.

 Dominant grass species are elephant grass, kikuyu grass, cloves and the red oat.

 Some trees have long tap roots.

 Some trees have small/ waxy/ shiny/ thin leaves with thorny spines.

 Most seeds are dormant during dry season.

 Grass sprouts with the onset of rain.

Types of Savanna Vegetation.

a) Savanna woodland.
- Has variety of trees with canopies.

- Consists of grass of 1m.

- Main trees are thorny acacia and baobab.

- There are large trees along water courses/ wetter areas.

- Trees shed their leaves during dry season.

- In drier areas, trees are few and short.

- In drier areas, grassland becomes more open.

- Found along the coastal strip and on the plateau bordering highlands east of rift valley.

b) Savanna grassland/ Scattered tree grassland.

- Has extensive grassland and fewer scattered trees.

- Dominant grass species are elephant grass, red oat, kikuyu grass, manyatta grass and wire grass.

- Consists of tall grass of about 2m.

- Found in Nyika region and Rift valley plains.

- Grass withers and turns brown during dry season and sprouts with the onset of rain.

- In drier areas, grass is short and coarse/ tufts.

- In wetter areas, there is continuous cover of long thick grass.

c) Bushland and Thicket.

- Covers about 48% of savannah.

- Found between coastland and machakos and extends into Kitui, Mwingi, Garissa, Wajir and
Mandera districts.

- Consists of a mixture of thorny acacia and shorter thorny shrubs between forming thorn bush
with gaps between bushes which are bare or covered by scattered varieties of grass.

- Plants are adapted by;

 Having thin leaves and hard cuticles to reduce transpiration.

 Baobab has large trunk to store water for use during long dry period.

 Shedding leaves to conserve water.

 Acacia have long tap roots.

Kcse 2017- State four ways in which savannah grasslands have adapted to climatic conditions (4mks)

 Some trees have thick stem, scaly bark.

 Grass is tufted/ short.

 Some trees shed their leaves.

 Grass withers during the dry season.

 Grass roots/ seeds remain dormant during the dry season.

 Some trees are umbrella shaped.

 Some trees/ grass have thin, spiky leaves.

Kcse 2020- State five uses of savannah vegetation (5mks)

 The grassland area is used for livestock farming/ grazing.

 The vegetation provides habitat for wild animals.

 Trees are used for bee keeping.

 Some of the vegetation is used for medicinal purposes.

 Some of the vegetation provides wild fruit.

 Trees are a source of wood fuel.

 Some of the vegetation provide building materials.

 Grass forage decompose to form humus.

3. ARID AND SEMI-ARID VEGETATION IN KENYA.

- Covers 21% of Kenya.

- Found on the parts of N.E and N. Kenya including Nyika, Marsabit and Turkana districts.

- Dominant vegetation is scrub with underdeveloped shrubs.

- Tree species are acacia, comiphora and baobab.

- Has hard and short grass.

Adaptation of arid and semi-arid vegetation (Xerophytes).

 Some plants have thick/ fleshy/ succulent leaves to enable them store water.

 Some plants have long roots to tap underground water.

 Some plants have needle-like leaves to reduce transpiration.

 Some plants have thick/ hard barks to reduce transpiration.

 Some plants have shiny surfaces to reflect light.

 Some trees are deciduous/ shed their leaves during dry season to reduce transpiration.

 Some plants have thorns to protect themselves from browsing animals.

 Plant seeds remains dormant awaiting the short rains.

4. HEATH AND MOORLAND VEGETATION.

- Found at 3500m above sea level on Mt. Kenya, Aberdare ranges above the tree line.

- The vegetation here is characterized by afro-alpine plants which are adapted to extreme cold
and strong winds.

- Heath vegetation is of the scrubby type.

- It consists of low-growing evergreen shrubs with small bell-shaped pink or purple flowers.

- The term moorland describes hand area covered with heath vegetation, coarse grass and
mosses.

- At lower altitudes there is groundsel, lobelia and heather.

- Where there is poor drainage, there is mountain swamp vegetation called bogs.

- At high altitudes there is tussock grasses, flowering plants and alchemilla shrubs.

5. SWAMP VEGETATION/ TROPICAL MANGROVE.

- Grows in waterlogged environments.

- Main swampy areas are;

 Around L. Victoria with rivers like Yala, Nzoia, Nyando and Sondu flowing into it.

 Along the course of river tana ending in Tana delta in Tana River county.

 Lorian swamp covering Garissa, Wajir and Isiolo counties.

- Common plants are papyrus, marshes and grasses.

- Plants have aerial roots for breathing.

- Plants have complicated root systems which provide anchorage and act as aerating organs.
 MAJOR VEGETATION REGIONS OF THE WORLD.

1. Forests.

2. Grasslands.

3. Desert vegetation.

4. Alpine or montane vegetation.

5. Mediterranean vegetation.

1. FORESTS

- A forest is a continuous growth of trees and undergrowth covering a large tract of land.

a.) Tropical rainforest/ Equatorial forests.

- Found in the Amazon and Congo basin, West Africa coast, New Guinea, Burma, Vietnam and
Malaysia.

Characteristics –kcse 2020

 The trees grow close to each other/ closely packed.

 The trees form canopies/ form three distinct layers.

 The trees have straight, smooth trunks.

 Most of the tree species are hardwoods.

 The forests/ trees are evergreen.

 The trees have broad leaves, drip-tipped leaves.

  The forests have little or no undergrowth.

 Forests consist of a variety of tree species.

 Some of the trees have buttress roots.

 The trees are tall.

 The forest has climbers/ epiphytes.

 Trees take long to mature.

 The forest consist of a variety of tree species like camphor, mvuli, elgon teak, plateau
bamboo, ebony and mahogany.

b.) Tropical Monsoon Forests.

- Found in India, Bangladesh, Burma, Vietnam, Philippines, Australia, Indonesia, Sri lanka,
Southern china, Pakistan and Thailand.

Characteristics

 Most trees are deciduous/ shed their leaves during dry season.

 Trees grow fast.

 Tree species are camphor, ebony, sapele, teak, rosewood and bamboo.

 Have wide variety of hardwood tree species e.g. teak and rosewood.
 Trees have waxy, leathery and hairy broad leaves.

 There is dense undergrowth comprising of shrubs.

 Some trees have deep roots.

 Particular tree species dominate an area for example teak in Burma, Sal in India and eucalyptus
in Queensland.

 The trees are tall.

 Trees lack a continuous canopy.

c.) Coniferous Forests/ Boreal or taiga forests.

- Found in North America, Western Europe, Eastern Asia, Siberia (Russia) southern Chile,
Scandinavian countries.

Characteristics.

 Coniferous forests are conical in shape to combat the snow fall during winter.

 Trees have needle-like leaves to reduce transpiration.

 Trees are found in uniform/ pure stands.

 The major tree species are spruce, fir, pine and larch.

 They have a thick carpet of mosses.

 Some trees like pine have flexible branches to withstand snow fall.

 Most trees are evergreen to allow maximum use of sunlight during short summers.
  Trees have flexible trunks to allow swaying in order to withstand strong winter winds.

 Trees have wide spread root system for maximum utilization of moisture from top soil since sub-
soil is permanently frozen.

 Tree leaves have a tough waxy skin to protect them from winter cold/ prevent snow from
damaging plant cells.

 Most trees are softwoods.

 Trees mature after a long period of time.

 Trees have big proportion of stem compared to leaves.

 Very little undergrowth due to acidic humus from leaf fall.

QUIZ: Explain how coniferous forests adapts to the environmental conditions of their regions. (Answers
from notes)

Kcse 2010- Explain how climate has influenced the growth of coniferous forests.

 The long cold winter and short summers make trees grow at a slow rate.

 The long cold winter and short summers make the forests have limited variety of plant species.

 The low rainfall received in an area/ permanently frozen subsoil makes the trees develop
shallow roots that spread widely to utilize the moisture in the top soil.

 Precipitation in the region is mainly in form of snow makes trees to have flexible branches.

 Strong winter winds make the trees to have flexible trunks.

Uses of coniferous forests.

 Softwoods like pine are used for construction.

 Wood pulp is used in paper manufacture.

d.) Deciduous Forests/ summer greeds/ temperate deciduous forests.

- Found in central and western Europe, north western USA, British Columbia (Canada), southern
Chile, Tasmania (Australia) and south island (Newzealand).
 Characteristics.

 Trees are tall.

 Trees have broad leaves.

 Trees are hardwoods.

 Tree species include oak, birch, ash, sycamore, basswood, maple, chestnut, hickory hornbeam
and beach.

 Trees shed their leaves in autumn and remain bare in winter.

 Trees grow in pure stands.

 Trees have thick undergrowth like shrubs, blueballs and mosses.

 Between tall trees there are weak shrubs and small trees.

 Trees are smaller in size.

Uses of temperate deciduous forests.

 Hardwoods like oak and birch provide timber, wood fuel and charcoal.

 Chestnut and walnut are edible.

 Oak tree fruits are used for feeding pigs.

 Tung tree yields oil for making paint and furnish.

 Maple sap is used for making maple syrup.

e.) Mixed Forests.

- Found in;

 Albert and Saskatchewan provinces in Canada.

 Central Siberia in Russia.

 Scottish highlands in Europe.

 North America- Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York.

 Southern hemisphere- Chile, Newzealand, Tasmania, South Africa.

 Eastern Asia- North Korea, Manchuria, Japan

Characteristics.

- Mixed forests may take on characteristics of either the coniferous or deciduous forests.

- Main tree species are oak, birch pinel and fir.

Uses.

 Cedar and hazel are used for fencing posts.

  Grazing activities are carried out where forests are open.

 Softwoods like spruce, fir and pine are used to make wood pulp for paper manufacture.

 Hardwoods like oak and birch provide timber, wood fuel and charcoal.

 Maple tree is used for making maple syrup.

f.) Mangrove forests/ mangrove swamp.

Found along the lowlying muddy coast of the tropical seas e.g. along the east coast of Africa, near
estuary of Amazon river in S. America and along east coast of Sumatra and Borneo in S.E Asia.

Characteristics.

 Trees are of medium height.

 Trees are slender and strong.

 Trees have special/ aerial roots.

 Dominated by mangrove trees.

 Trees are of various species.

 Trees are evergreen.

Uses –kcse 2004

 Mangrove trees provide tannin used for tanning leather.

 Mangrove poles are used for building and construction.

 Mangrove trees are also used for firewood.

 Mangrove forests are habitat for marine life used for tourist attractions.

2. GRASSLANDS

- Grasslands can be categorized into;

 Tropical/ Savanna grasslands.

 Temperate grasslands.

 Arid grasslands.

 Montane grasslands.
A. Tropical/ Savanna grasslands.

- Found in;

 Africa- East African plateau, N & S of Congo basin, West Africa.

 S. America- Lowlands of Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil.

 Australia- North East of Australia desert.

Characteristics –kcse 2013

 Savanna vegetation is a mixture of trees and grass.

 The dominant type of vegetation is grass.

 In the wetter areas, the vegetation consists of tall scattered trees, woodland.

 The wetter areas have a continuous cover of long thick grass.

 In the drier areas, trees are shorter, fewer and scattered.

 In the drier areas, grass is short and course/ tufts.

 Most of the trees have umbrella shaped crown.

 Most of the trees are deciduous/ shed their leaves.

 Most trees are acacia.

 Along the river valleys, there are tall trees, thick bushes.

 Dominant grass species are elephant grass, kikuyu grass, cloves and the red oat.
 Some trees have long tap roots.

 Some trees have small/ waxy/ shiny/ thin leaves with thorny spines.

 Most seeds are dormant during dry season.

 Grass sprouts with the onset of rain.

Uses.

 Grass is for grazing and commercial ranching.

 Cereals e.g. wheat farming.

 Vegetation act as soil cover to reduce soil erosion.

 Habitat for wild animals which attract tourists.

 Some shrubs and herbs are used for medicine.

 Trees like acacia provide wood fuel and charcoal.

B. Temperate Grasslands/ mid-latitude grasslands.

- The five main zones of temperate grasslands are: -kcse 2010

 The prairies of North America.

 The steppes of Eurasia.

 The Pampas of Argentina.

 The Veldt of South Africa.

 Downs of Australia and New Zealand.

a.) The Prairies of North America.

- Covers Canadian provinces (Alberta and Saskatchewan) and the neighbouring states of U.S.A.

- Sub-divided into three i.e. True prairie, mixed prairie and Pacific & Palouse prairies.

Characteristics of the Prairies.

 Continuous tuft grass.

 Grasses are nutritious.

 Grass is short.

 Grass is interspersed with bulbons and leguminous plants.

 Grass is mixed in some areas with species like stipa, buffalo and gramma grass.

 Tall grasses in areas with rainfall of over 500mm.

b.) The Steppes of Eurasia.

- Found in temperate interiors of Europe and Asia e.g. semi-deserts of Caspian sea and Central
Asia.
 Characteristics.

 Rich carpet of grass.

 Have numerous broadleaved herbs.

 Grass is short.

 Grass is tuft.

 Grass does not form a continuous cover on the ground.

c.)The Pampas of Argentina.

- Found in Argentina in South America.

Characteristics.

 Predominantly grass covered.

 Feather like grass.

 Grass forms individual tussocks with patches of bare soil.

 Forests are present in some areas due to increased moisture.

 Xerophytic shrubs are present in some areas.

d.)The veldt of South Africa.

- Found to the eastern parts of South African interior.

Characteristics.

 Grasses are extensively spread.

 There is little or no mixture of trees or shrubs.

 There is a uniform cover of grass on high plateaus.

e.)The Downs of Australia and New Zealand.

- Found in the coast of the south eastern Australia.

Characteristics.

 Tall grass mixed with trees.

 Semi-desert areas have patches of dominant grass.

 Mixture of temperate and tropical grass species.

 Grass is nutritious for livestock.

Uses of temperate grasslands.

 For grain cultivation e.g. wheat.

 For cultivation of other crops e.g. oil seeds, soya beans, vegetables, millet and sorghum.

 For livestock farming e.g. cattle, sheep, goats and horses.

C. Arid Grasslands.

- Found in sandy areas, saltpans and limestone areas in mid-latitude areas.

Characteristics.

 In the bog areas of Britain, heath is found where the dominant plants are present.

 The herbaceous dwarf shrubs, like the ling, occur in some parts while Blanket bog formations
occur in Western Ireland.

 Bog moss is also dominant in N.W. Scotland.

 In wet bog areas, lofty hygrophytic and halophytic grasses grow.

 On the chalk areas of S.E. England, the calcareous heath occurs.

 Tropical species include the wild olive, the oak and the broom.

 It is dominated with shrubs.

 Plants are near- leafless with leathery drought- resistant foliage called maquis.

D. Montane Grasslands.
- Occur on mountainous areas of the world e.g. Sri Lanka, East Africa and Europe.

Characteristics.

 Occur in irregular patches of grass.

 Found above the tree line in higher latitudes.

 Mature within a short vegetative period.

 Occur as rich grasses used as patures.

 Form thick tufts of grass.

3. DESERT VEGETATION

- There are two types of desert vegetation:

a.) Hot desert vegetation

b.) Cold desert vegetation

a) Hot Desert/ Tropical desert Vegetation.

- Found in tropical deserts like Africa (Sahara, Namib and Kalahari), in Asia (Arabian and Iranian),
in S. America (Atacama and Chilean) and in N. America (Arizon and Mexican).

Characteristics –kcse 2002

 Scarce vegetation cover.

 Comprises of drought resistant plants like acacia, cactus trees and short coarse grass like
elephant grass.

 There are more plants on oasis e.g. date palms and shrubs.

 Some plants have thick/ fleshy/ succulent stems to enable them store water.

 Some plants have long roots to tap the ground water.

 Some plants have needle like leaves to reduce transpiration.

 Some plants have thin waxy cuticles to reduce transpiration.

 Some plants have thick/ hard barks to reduce transpiration.

 Some plants have shiny surfaces to reflect light.

 Most trees produce seeds with hard cones which are dormant during dry season and germinate
during short heavy rainstorms.
  Some plants are deciduous/ shed their leaves during dry season to reduce transpiration.

 Some trees like acacia are umbrella-shaped providing shade to their stems reducing
transpiration.

 Some plants have spines/ thorns to protect them from animals.

 Some are salt tolerant (halophytes) by having many water storing cells to counter soil salinity/
alkalinity.

Kcse 2010- Explain how climate has influenced the existence of hot desert vegetation.

 The area receives low rainfall leading to scarce/ stunted vegetation.

 The high rate of evaporation/ high temperatures in the area leaves the ground dry leading to
scarce vegetation.

 The long periods of drought causes some seeds to exist in a dormant state only to germinate
during the short rains/ causes scarce/ stunted vegetation.

 The higher rainfall along the margins of the region lead to more luxuriant vegetation in the
areas.

 Strong winds may uproot some of the plants leaving the ground bare.

 Strong winds disperse seeds from one part of the region to another leading to establishment of
plant species far and wide in the region.

b) Cold Desert Vegetation.

- Found in warm temperate deserts and arctic climates e.g. Alaska, Canada, Coastlands of
Greenland, Arctic Sea board of Eurasia e.t.c.

Characteristics.

 Has no trees.

 Dominant plant species are mosses, lichens and grass.

 Shrubs have shallow roots.

 Plant flower and produce fruits within short hot season.

 There is scarce vegetation.

 Shrub vegetation like crowberry and bilberry have woody stems that are twisted.

 Comprises of grass and woody plants.

 Uses of Desert vegetation.

 Bilberries bear edible fruits.

 Small trees are source of fuel in arctic region.

 Vegetation arrest sand dunes preventing them from burying oasis and settlements.

 Fringes vegetation is valuable food for animals.

 Date palm is cultivated for its fruit.

4. ALPINE OR MONTANE VEGETATION.

- Mountain vegetation is influenced by factors like altitude, aspect, slope, temperature and
availability of moisture.

- Found on mountains like Kilimanjaro, Meru, Kenya, Aberdares and Elgon.

NOTE: Different Mountains have different zoning depending with their location hence having different
characteristics.

: Reasons why mountain tops have no vegetation –kcse 1999

 Very low temperatures hinders vegetation growth.

 There is bare rock/ no soil to support vegetation.

 The ground is frozen most of the year limiting vegetation growth.

 Uses of montane vegetation.

 Grasslands are used for grazing.

 Mt. forests provide timber for building, woodfuel and charcoal.

 They make mountains be water catchment areas/ sources of rivers.

 Alpine meadows in temperate regions provide summer grazing pastures.

 Mountain forests are habitat for wild animals like elephants.

 It is used for research.

 Mountain forests help to purify air.

5. MEDITERRANEAN VEGETATION.

- Found in S. Europe and N. Africa areas bordering Mediterranean Sea, around Cape Town, central
coast of California and around Perth in S.W Australia.

Characteristics –kcse 2005

 Some plants have small/ thick-skinned/ leathery/ spinny leaves.

 Some plants have long roots.

 Grasses dry off during summers and germinates during winter.

 Some trees are deciduous.

 Some plants have freshy leaves.

 Some plants have thick barks.

 Vegetation is adapted to long hot and dry summers.

 Some plants have large fleshy bulbous roots.

 Some plaants are evergreen.

 Some plants have long tap roots.

 Woody scrubs are common in very dry areas.

 Tree species are olive, sweet chestnut, beech, cedar, cypress, eucalyptus e.t.c.
 Many plants are sweet smelling (aromatic) e.g. rosemary, lavender, oleander, broom and
myrtle.

Uses.

 Cork oak is used to make corks for bottling wine.

 Olive tree fruits are used for cooking and extraction of olive oil.

 Timber from sweet chest nut, beech, cedar is used for building and making furniture.

 Shrubs and grasses are used as pastures for goats.

Significance of Vegetation.

 Vegetation like flowers, grass and trees add beauty to the landscape.

 Vegetation protects soil from erosion by wind and rain water.

 Vegetation partly decays forming humus making the soil fertile.

 Vegetation like cinchona tree and neem tree (mwarubaini) are source of medicine.

 Vegetation like forests and savanna are habitat for wild animals attracting tourists.

 Forested areas are water catchment areas/ sources of rivers.

 Vegetation like trees provide timber for building and making furniture.

 Vegetation purify air by maintaining O2 – CO2 balance in the air.

 Vegetation like softwoods are used as raw materials in the pulp and paper industries.

 Vegetation like trees provide poles used for fencing for security purposes.

 Some plants like bamboo shoots and wild fruits are consumed as food.

 Negative;

 Vegetation provide breeding grounds for tse tse flies and mosquitoes that spread
diseases to animals and people.

 Vegetation are habitat for wild animals like snakes which attack people.

 Some vegetation like Datura stramonium is poisonous to people and animals.