# If Africa vanished **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 14, 2002, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-africa-vanished/142733 "2002-12-14T15:39:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![gex\_gex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/94ad74/32.png) [@gex\_gex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gex_gex)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2002, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-africa-vanished/142733/21 "2002-12-15T12:53:26Z")
Wouldn’t India lose their whole Monsoon climate, which is kinda vital to them living? ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2002, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-africa-vanished/142733/22 "2002-12-15T15:34:26Z")
> [@](#): > > For biodiversity, I dunno, maybe 10-20%. Isn’t Mozambique alone among the top three places in the world for biodiversity? Maybe I was stretching a bit with my estimation, but it certaintly seems higher than 10-20%. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2002, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-africa-vanished/142733/23 "2002-12-15T18:35:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by monstro \* > \*\*Isn’t Mozambique alone among the top three places in the world for biodiversity? Maybe I was stretching a bit with my estimation, but it certaintly seems higher than 10-20%. \*\* No, Mozambique is not. You may have been thinking of Madagascar, but even that is not one of the top three places. Tropical regions are estimated to contain anywhere from 50 to 70 (or more) percent of global biodiversity. For many groups, the neotropics tend to make up around 50% of total tropical diversity, Southeast Asia-New Guinea-Australia about 30%, and Africa about 20%. If the tropics make up 70% of total biodiversity, then Africa probably makes up around 15% of global diversity, or in that ballpark. Regional figures for some groups in the tropics can be found [here](http://www.wri.org/wri/biodiv/b01-koa.html): For vascular plants in the tropics, we have: Neotropics: 86,000 (51%) Southeast Asia-Australasia: 45,000 (27%) Africa: 30,000 (18%) Madagascar: 8,200 (5%) For tropical forest birds: Neotropics: 1,300 (50%) Tropical Asia: 900 (35%) Tropical Africa: 400 (15%) Patterns are similar for many other groups. Trust me on this one. I am a tropical biologist by profession, and have worked on biodiversity surveys in both the Neotropics and in Africa. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2002, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-africa-vanished/142733/24 "2002-12-15T19:50:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gex gex \* > \*\*Wouldn’t India lose their whole Monsoon climate, which is kinda vital to them living? \*\* Doesn’t look like it. [http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/gsfc/educ/science/1996/051796.htm](http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/gsfc/educ/science/1996/051796.htm) > [@](#): > > The monsoon is a season of winds. It’s changing wind patterns that usher in the rainy weather we associate with the monsoons. Usually, from about mid May through September, winds from the southwest bring heavy rains to much of southern Asia. During the colder months, these winds reverse direction and bring in cool, dry air. When this happens, places having northern or northeast coastlines, like Australia, New Guinea and Borneo, get their wet season. Monsoons in India bring moisture in off the ocean, not off nearby continents. ---
**Author:** ![Somnambulist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Somnambulist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Somnambulist)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-africa-vanished/142733/25 "2002-12-19T05:21:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Buck The Diver \* > \*\*So, you’re saying chocolate would become more valuable than…diamonds! :eek: \*\* …further fuelling the debate over what really is a girl’s best friend? ---
**Author:** ![grimpixie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@grimpixie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grimpixie)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-africa-vanished/142733/26 "2002-12-19T12:07:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Colibri \* > \*\*Well, not by orders of magnitude. For biodiversity, I dunno, maybe 10-20%. The Afrotropics are in general _much_ less diverse than the Neotropics or Oriental realms. \*\* I am afraid I would be forced to disagree - 10% accounts for just South Africa alone (which is just 1% of the earths surface) > [@](#): > > South Africa contains almost 10% of the world’s total known bird, fish and plant species, and over 6% of the world’s mammal and reptile species. From [this site](http://www.botany.uwc.ac.za/Envfacts/facts/biosa.htm) The Cape Floral Kingdom (74,000 square kilometers centered around Cape Town) alone, is one of the earth’s six plant kingdoms, and is home to 9004 species of which 6192 are found [nowhere else on earth](http://www.panda.org.za/conservation/fynbos.htm)! Also, its my homeland, which means I am rather attached to it!! 😉 Grim ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-africa-vanished/142733/27 "2002-12-19T15:33:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by grimpixie \* > **I am afraid I would be forced to disagree - 10% accounts for just South Africa alone (which is just 1% of the earths surface) From [this site](http://www.botany.uwc.ac.za/Envfacts/facts/biosa.htm)** OK, you’re correct about the Cape flora having a very high level of endemism, but South Africa in general does not. Many species of that 10% (birds, mammals, insects, etc.) are widespread in Africa. ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-africa-vanished/142733/28 "2002-12-19T17:44:30Z")
Cultural diversity would be affected too, as well as the loss of historic landmarks. I’m specifically thinking of Egypt. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-africa-vanished/142733/29 "2002-12-19T17:58:27Z")
Another thing: Bono would actually have to WRITE MUSIC!!! (not necessarily a bad thing, mind you) 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-africa-vanished/142733.md?page=1)