List of freshwater ecoregions in Africa and Madagascar

This is a list of freshwater ecoregions in Africa and Madagascar, as identified by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

The WWF divides the Earth's land surface into ecoregions, defined as "large area[s] of land or water containing a distinct assemblage of natural communities and species". Ecoregions are grouped into bioregions, "a complex of ecoregions that share a similar biogeographic history, and thus often have strong affinities at higher taxonomic levels (e.g. genera, families)." The Earth's land surface is divided into eight ecozones. Most of Africa lies in the Afrotropic ecozone, although the freshwater ecoregions of North Africa have much in common with the Palearctic.

Each ecoregion is also classified into major habitat types, or biomes.

Many consider this classification to be quite decisive, and some propose these as stable borders for bioregional democracy initiatives.

by Bioregion

North African

Nilo-Sudan

Upper Guinea

West Coast Equatorial

Congo

Great Lakes

Eastern and Coastal

Cuanza

Zambezi

Madagascar and the Indian Ocean Islands

Southern Temperate

by Major Habitat type

Closed basins and small lakes

Floodplains, swamps, and lakes

Moist forest rivers

Mediterranean systems

Highland and mountain systems

Island rivers and lakes

Large lakes

Large river deltas

Large river rapids

Savanna-dry forest rivers

Subterranean and spring systems

Xeric systems

References

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