Vegetation Zones of Virunga National Park Answer Key: Name Date

Name Date
Vegetation Zones of Virunga National Park Answer Key
Virunga National Park is located along the eastern edge of the Democratic Republic of Congo in the
center of Africa. The park borders Rwanda and Uganda and is the oldest national park in Africa. Virunga
National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is only 7,800 square kilometers (3,000 square miles).
Virunga National Park is home to an incredible diversity of habitats that are distributed in a mosaic
across the park. The habitats range from savannas and marshland to lava plains and permanent
glaciers. Each habitat represents a particular vegetation zone, meaning it contains distinct
collections of plants. Abiotic factors, the nonliving components of ecosystems (for example, soil type
or the amount and seasonality of rainfall), vary across the park and help to define these zones. In this
activity you will focus on three particular abiotic factors: elevation, precipitation, and temperature.
You will use MapMaker Interactive, a mapping tool, to investigate how these abiotic factors influence
the distribution of vegetation zones in Virunga National Park. Begin by opening the following link:
natgeo.org/mapmaker-abiotic-factors-virunga. This will load the Abiotic Factors in Virunga National
Park maps in MapMaker Interactive. At the bottom, select the bookmark titled Virunga National Park.
Use this map to complete this worksheet.
Part 1: Abiotic Factors and Vegetation Zones
1. Fill in the chart below and answer the following questions using the map, Virunga National Park.
Select the marker at each location to learn more about the area.
Location Elevation Precipitation Temperature Additional Observations

(m) (mm) (ºC)
1 ~4,400 meters Variable -5ºC–20ºC
(~14,435 feet) (23ºF–68ºF)
2 ~920 meters 900 millimeters 18ºC–31ºC

(~3,018 feet) (35 inches) (64ºF–88ºF)
© 2016 National Geographic Society
3 ~2,500 meters 2,000 millimeters 3.9ºC–14.5ºC

(~8,200 feet) (79 inches) (39ºF–58.1ºF)
Table 1. Abiotic factors at locations 1, 2, and 3 within Virunga National Park.
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Vegetation Zones of Virunga National Park

Answer Key, continued
2. Use the scale bar to estimate the shortest and longest distances between the three locations.
Shortest Distance: Between Location 2 and Location 3, approximately 90 kilometers (56 miles)
Longest Distance: Between Location 1 and Location 3, approximately 250 kilometers (155 miles)
3. Compare and contrast the elevation at each location.

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The elevation at location 2 is lower than Locations 1 and 3. Location 1 is almost 2,000 meters (6,562 feet) higher than
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location 3.
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4. Compare and contrast the precipitation at each location.

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The precipitation at Location 1 is not provided, but the precipitation at Location 2 is nearly 1,000 millimeters (39
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inches) less than the precipitation at Location 3.
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5. Compare and contrast the temperature at each location.

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The temperature at Location 2 is higher than Locations 1 and 3. Locations 1 and 3 have a similar temperature range,
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but Location 1 drops all the way to freezing, presumably at night.
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6. Identify the vegetation zone of each location by comparing the data you collected with the general
characteristics of the vegetation zones listed below.

Vegetation zone of location 1: alpine
Vegetation zone of location 2: savanna
Vegetation zone of location 3: montane forest
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Vegetation Zones General Characteristics

alpine Grasses, mosses and lichens, no tree growth; Elevation:
above 3,800 meters (12,467 feet); Snow permanently present
at the highest elevations; Not many large vertebrates, but
many endemic amphibians and small mammals; Less than
250 millimeters (10 inches) of precipitation annually; Average
temperatures oscillate between -5ºC–20ºC (23–68ºF), with
freezing occurring 80–90% of nights
montane forest Dense vegetation that includes bamboo, evergreen shrubs,
and wild celery; Home to owl-faced monkeys, duikers, and
many species of small mammals; Elevation ranges from
2,000–3,000 meters (6,562–9,843 feet); Average annual
rainfall: 1,200–2,800 millimeters/year (47–110 inches/year);
Average temperature is 13–15ºC (55–59ºF)
lowland forest At least 30% tree cover (generally less than 15 meters (49
feet) tall), shrubs; Average annual rainfall: approximately
2,000 millimeters (79 inches); Seasonal temperature variation
of 18°C–30°C (64.4°F–86°F); Elevation averages ~400
meters (1,312 feet), but some hills can rise 700-800 meters
(2,297–2,625 feet); Native mammals include forest elephants,
bonobos, and okapi
savanna Home to elephant, buffalo, and warthogs; Dominated by
grassland, some scattered trees; Porous soil; Warm to hot
climate; Temperature range: 20°C–30°C (68°F–86°F); Average

annual rainfall: 500–1,300 millimeters/year (20–51 inches/
year); Seasons: dry & rainy; Occurs at various altitudes
lava plains Little vegetation; Hardened lava from active volcanoes;
Occurs at various altitudes and temperature ranges;
Precipitation levels are variable
Table 2. General Characteristics of Vegetation Zones
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Part 2: Influences of Abiotic Factors
1. Explain how abiotic factors influence the distribution of the three vegetation zones you identified in
Part 1. Use your existing knowledge of ecological processes and evidence to support your claim.
Example answer:
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• The low annual average precipitation in the savanna inhibits the dense growth of trees, but warmer temperatures
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allow for year-round plant growth, which can sustain larger animals (e.g., elephants and buffalo).
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• The high annual average precipitation of montane forest promotes tree growth since precipitation is not a limiting factor.
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• The high elevation of the alpine vegetation zone inhibits significant plant growth because of the lack of moisture,
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extreme weather conditions such as high wind and extreme cold, and poor soil quality.
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2. Draw a general conclusion about the role of abiotic factors in the distribution of plant life. Provide
examples to support your conclusion.
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Abiotic factors can influence the distribution of plant life by promoting or limiting the ability of certain plant
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species to live in the area depending on their evolutionary adaptations. Possible examples: Temperature can limit
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photosynthesis; water availability can limit transpiration and photosynthesis; nutrient availability/soil fertility can limit
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or enhance growth; stresses such as wind abrasion, heavy snow and frost can limit growth.
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3. Hypothesize how abiotic factors might influence the distribution of animal species. Provide © 2016 National Geographic Society
reasoning to support your claim.
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Abiotic factors determine the type of vegetation that will grow in an area. If the animal’s dietary needs cannot be met
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with this vegetation, then the animal will seek out alternative areas. This directly affects the distribution of herbivores
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and omnivores. It indirectly affects carnivores, whose distribution depends on the distribution of their prey.
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Vegetation Zones of Virunga National Park Answer Key

Location Elevation Precipitation Temperature Additional Observations

2 ~920 meters 900 millimeters 18ºC–31ºC

© 2016 National Geographic Society

3 ~2,500 meters 2,000 millimeters 3.9ºC–14.5ºC

Table 1. Abiotic factors at locations 1, 2, and 3 within Virunga National Park.

Vegetation Zones of Virunga National Park

3. Compare and contrast the elevation at each location.

4. Compare and contrast the precipitation at each location.

5. Compare and contrast the temperature at each location.

© 2016 National Geographic Society

Vegetation zone of location 2: savanna

Vegetation zone of location 3: montane forest

Vegetation Zones of Virunga National Park

Vegetation Zones General Characteristics

© 2016 National Geographic Society

Table 2. General Characteristics of Vegetation Zones

Vegetation Zones of Virunga National Park

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