Vegetation and animals

Abstract

Despite interventation by man, the vegetation cover and to a lesser extent the animal world reflect more than any other physical characteristics the ecozonal differentiation. For this reason, the vegetation and fauna are discussed in greater detail than other physical factors in the chapters on the individual ecozones and the components of the vegetation and fauna are described in order to show what the natural environment for plants, animals and man is like and also to indicate the risks and potentials for future development. 5.1 Structural characteristics of the vegetation The structural characteristics of the vegetation cover include height and density of the cover, expressed by size parameters such as the leaf area index, the number of trunks and the basel surface. Other structural elements include measurements related to the root penetration depth and intensity, the species PHANEROPHYTES Macro-phanerophytes Succulents Nanophaneroph. Fig. 5.1. Growth forms. Those parts of the plants drawn in blue survive dry seasons or cold seasons, the remainder die off at the beginning of the dry or cold season. Source: Raunkiaer (from Schubert 1991)