Which grasses are common in the Sahel region of Africa?
The Sahel region of Africa, which serves as a vast tropical grassland and a transitional zone between the Sahara and more humid savannas to the south, features vegetation significantly altered by centuries of human activity, including grazing, burning, and fuel gathering.12
The most common grasses found in the Sahel include:
Additionally, species of Eragrostis and Panicum are also widely distributed across the region. While other grass species that are highly palatable to grazing animals may have once been more widespread, they are now largely restricted to protected rocky sites. In many areas, the landscape is more accurately described as scrubland or savanna, characterized by a mix of these grasses alongside thorny shrubs and trees such as Acacia and baobab.321