We explain what the savanna is, its characteristics, its importance and the types of savanna that exist. Also, what is its climate, fauna and flora like.
¿What is the savanna?
The savannah is a type of ecosystem made up of a large plain covered with grasslands and herbs in which there are few scattered trees. The savannahs are located in tropical and subtropical areas and are characterized by being a transition zone between the semi-desert and the jungle.
The sheets They usually have two different seasons one that is warm and dry and another that is humid and hot. Because of this, many of the animals that live in the savanna migrate during the dry season. This type of ecosystem is characterized by having soil lacking nutrients in which grasslands grow that are light green or yellow.
The areas in which savannahs predominate are the African continent (known as the African savannah), South America, Australia and India. One of the most recognized is the Serengeti savanna in Tanzania.
See also: Prairie
Savannah characteristics
Some characteristics of the sheets:
- They are a type of ecosystem with a dry and warm climate.
- They have two distinct seasons: a wet one and a dry one.
- They have arid soil with few nutrients.
- They have a fauna adapted to the type of climate and with species that migrate during the dry season.
- They have a flora made up of grasslands and which is adapted to the dry climate and the lack of nutrients in the soil.
- They are located in areas close to the tropics, especially in the southern hemisphere of the planet.
Types of savannah
There are different types of savannahs, which vary according to their climate and geographical location. These are:
- Intertropical savannah. Type of savanna located in tropical areas and presenting two well-contrasted seasons: one with precipitation and the other dry. The intertropical savannah is also called plain, chaparral, pampa, meadow or grassland. The soil is not very fertile, it has a reddish color due to its richness in iron and, when it is the rainy season, it can form swampy areas.
- temperate savanna. Type of savanna that has a humid climate (although winter is dry and cold) and that has richer soil than the rest of the savannahs.
- Mediterranean or semi-arid savannah. Type of savannah located in mid-latitudes that has semi-arid and very poor soil.
- mountainous savannah. Type of savanna that is found in very elevated areas (alpine and subalpine) and is characterized by a large amount of rainfall, which allows the development of various species of animals and plants.
Savannah climate
The savannah It has a warm temperature throughout the year with an approximate average of 17 ºC and with few temperature fluctuations.
The climate of the savannah is marked by two seasons: one with a lot of rainfall, which can cause floods, and another with great droughts, which can naturally produce fires.
The dry season coincides with winter the time when the lowest temperatures occur (20 ºC average). On the other hand, the wet season occurs during the summer and there are higher temperatures and average rainfall of between 750 and 1,300 millimeters annually.
The soil in the savanna is sandy and dry with little presence of nutrients. It is usually a reddish soil due to the strong presence of iron.
Savannah fauna
The animals of the savannah vary depending on the type of savannah in question. Due to climate variations, many of the species migrate in the dry season so most mammals have long, strong legs that help them travel long distances.
In the case of birds, they have wide wings to be able to travel long distances at low altitude or long legs, as in the case of ostriches.
in the savannah insects and small reptiles also inhabit that take refuge underground, such as beetles, grasshoppers, termites, vipers, arachnids, among others.
Savannah flora
The vegetation that lives in the savannahs has developed techniques to survive in times of drought and in soils with few nutrients.
Many of the savanna plant species have water-storing roots that are often deep underground to capture nutrients from the soil. On other occasions, the seeds are very resistant to cold temperatures and lack of water.
In this type of ecosystem bushes, grasses, thorns and bushes abound and some trees that spread dispersedly in the landscape.
African savannah
One of the most important and recognized savannahs in the world is the African savannah, which extends in the central part of Africa and covers the countries of Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Chad, Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Botswana and South Africa.
The temperature in the African savannah ranges around 23 ºC and it is an ecosystem that is characterized by its landscape with typical vegetation. made up of herbaceous plants, grasses, such as Rhodesian grass, grasses and trees such as acacias (acacia arabica, acacia Senegal, acacia tortilis), sycamores and baobabs.
In the African savanna predatory mammals abound since the grasslands allow them to have a wide vision. Consequently, there are pumas, cheetahs, lions, cheetahs, hippos, deer, among others.
Furthermore, it is inhabited by reptiles such as vipers, crocodiles and turtles and herbivorous mammals such as antelope, giraffe, zebra, elephant, rhinoceros and buffalo.
Importance of the savanna
The savanna is a type of ecosystem very important due to the great variety and quantity of animal and plant species that inhabit it. The adverse climatic conditions and recurrent droughts made the savanna an area with little urban development and agriculture, which allowed the advancement of natural fauna and flora. However, poaching, illegal trafficking of wild animals and the exploitation of natural resources put the landscape and ecological wealth of the savannah at risk.
Poaching is one of the main reasons for the extinction of natural life in the African savannah. Mammals such as elephants, rhinos and tigers are captured through illegal hunting to obtain their horns and tusks from them, which are then sold at very high prices. These illegal practices lead to a significant decline in native animals year after year. The environmental impact of the loss of typical savannah fauna must be taken into account to fight in defense of this ecosystem.
Continue with: Steppes
References
- “Savanna grassland” on BBC.
- “Poaching, the profit of extinction” in National Geographic.
- “Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas and shrublands” in World Wilde Life.
- “Savanna” on Wikipedia.
