This might seem silly, but why are most of the trees we see in Africa flat and broad?

Question

I'm planning to go some day and have always seen pics, videos, etc. and the trees are flat and broad to where the majority of ours here tend to be rounded or pointed and taller.

Answer 1

A few really hypothetical thoughts:

1. Animals and plants coevolved, and the animals "selected" for the trees that provided the most shade.  More animals would hang out/animals would choose more often to hang out under trees with more shade.  They also might defecate or eat there, which would directly input nutrients into the soil, helping the tree growl.  This would, of course, be a long process.

2. Maybe the trees do this so as to keep the ground below them cooler and thus moister.  Why is moist important?  Bacteria often live in the nodules of plants/roots of trees.  Bacteria help out the plants by taking up certain nutrients from the soil (nitrogen especially).  Any adaptation that helped bacteria survive would therefore help the tree survive.

3. I don't really think that they're spread out to get more sun.  Africa is close to the equator, so sunlight shouldn't be a problem.  If anything, they'd have to worry about not drying up, so I'm guessing that the leaves have a waxy cuticle to prevent excessive dehydration.

Answer 2

I have been there and yes they are all flat and broad. I really have no scientific explanation but this is my guess : These type of trees are in the dry part of africa. I suppose, the trees spread out so as to capture what little moisture that settles down when the day cools. I have camped out in the deserts of Africa and in the mornings, the ground is slightly moist with dew.

With Acasia trees, they are also flat because giraffes trim the tops to get the tender shoots.