Types of Vegetation

The major types of vegetation in Ghana are:

a) Strand and Mangrove: This vegetation can be found along the coast or lagoons where the soil is salty and water-logged for most of the year. The vegetation in these areas consist of creeping plants, mangrove trees and grass. Mangrove trees reach heights of 10 to 15 metres high. Raffia for weaving baskets are common here.

b) Moist semi-deciduous forest: This is a botanical term which refers to plants that lose their foliage for a very short period, when old leaves fall off and foliage growth is starting. This type of vegetation occurs in much of southern Ghana. The annual rainfall in this area is between 125cm to 175cm.

c) Savannah vegetation: The savannah vegetation is the biggest of the vegetation types in Ghana. It is made up of the Guinea savannah and Sudan savannah. The trees in this area are scattered and mainly found near river courses and the edge of the forest. Important trees in this area include baobab, dawadawa, and shea butter trees.

d) Tropical rain forest: This type of vegetation occurs in the south-western corner of Ghana. Rainfall is very high with trees reaching 10 to 50 metres. The forest consists of trees which are fresh and green throughout the year

e) Coastal shrub and grassland: Coastal grassland is found in the south-east coastal plains of Ghana. This area receives the least amount of rainfall in Ghana. To the West of Africa, the vegetation consists of dense shrub without grass. To the East of Accra it is made up of grass, shrubs and few trees