Flora and Fauna
Dense vegetation covers the plateau, especially in the south. This includes vast tracts of rainforest, which grows in three or four strata. The tallest trees are straight with buttress roots and stand about 40 m tall. Below these stand thinner, shorter trees with large concentrations of leaves at their tops. The bottom layer is made up of undergrowth of saplings and grasses, although this layer is thin when the larger trees grow close together and block the sunlight. Tree species include azobé, bubinga, ebony, iroko, mahogany, and obeche. This primary rainforest exists in the plateau's south and east. Where human activities have affected the forest, for farming, timber, pasture, and urban growth, secondary growth has taken over as the forest has recovered. This is evident around Yaoundé.
Forest gradually gives way to Guinean savanna to the north. This consists of vast grasslands punctuated by trees. The savanna has increased as human activities have cut back the forest through activities such as burning.
The plateau's rainforests house large numbers of animal species. These include birds, monkeys, and snakes. Others are elephants, chimpanzees, and many rodents.
Read more about this topic: South Cameroon Plateau
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