SABANA ECOSYSTEM: MOST OUTSTANDING CHARACTERISTICS - GEOGRAPHY - 2025

The savanna ecosystem covers approximately 20% of the total land area. It is characterized by having grasslands, high tree density and a climate that varies according to the season.

The savannah is characterized by having trees spaced in such a way that their canopy remains open. This opening allows light to touch the ground and create an intact herbaceous layer, consisting primarily of grass.

They have seasonal weather availability, with most of the rain confined to one season; they are associated with various biomes and are often in a traditional zone between the forest and the desert.

Savannas maintain an open cover despite their high density of trees. They are characterized by widely spaced trees. In most savannas the density of trees is greater than in forests.

They are normally found between 5 to 15 ° north and south of the Equator, but also in central areas of some continents.

The largest savanna regions are found in Africa, South America, Australia, India, the Thailand-Myanmar region in Asia, and Madagascar.

Main features

Classifications according to drought and forest cover

Savannas can be subdivided depending on the length of their dry season into:

- Humid (drought from 3 to 4 months).

- Dry (droughts of 5 to 7 months).

- Thorny (droughts of more than 7 months).

An alternative sub-division recognizes four types of savannas, according to their forest cover:

- Wooded savanna, which has vegetation that forms a soft cover.

- Savanna with trees, which has scattered trees and shrubs.

- Savanna with bushes, which has scattered bushes.

- Grass savanna, in which shrubs and trees are quite absent.

Weather

Temperatures are high in this tropical climate throughout the year; however, this ecosystem experiences a short cooling period when the sun appears at a lower angle in the sky. These colder months coincide with the dry season, when not much rain falls.

Its climate is usually hot and temperatures vary from 20 to 30 ° Celsius. Savannas exist in areas where there is a wet summer season, lasting six to eight months; and a dry winter season, four to six months.

The annual rain fall is about 25 to 75 centimeters per year. During drought, lightning often hits the ground, setting fire to the dry grass that covers the savannah. Fires during drought are quite common in this ecosystem.

The rainy season occurs between October and March in the southern hemisphere, and between April and September in the northern hemisphere.

Location

The savannas consist mainly of grasses and some sparse trees. They cover half the area of ​​Africa, large parts of Australia, India, and South America.

Flora

Most savanna grasses are thick and grow in fragments, with bare areas in between. Due to its little amount of rain, there are not many trees.

Occasionally individual trees or small groups of trees can be found; these often live near streams and ponds.

The few trees that live in this region survive the drought conditions by storing water in their bark.

The most relevant characteristics of two types of trees that are very common in the savannas will be described below:

Baobab

Baobab trees have trunks resistant to many local fires. The baobab, like other woody plants, has waxed leaves to reduce water loss during photosynthesis (the process by which plants make their food).

Acacias

This tree is shaped like an umbrella, with branches and leaves high enough for giraffes to feed on it.

As protection against animals that could consume its leaves, thorns grow on acacias. Giraffes have specially protected lips, mouths and tongues to deal with these thorns

Fauna

There are many different types of animals that live in this ecosystem. The species found in the savannas vary depending on the geographic location.

South America is home to a large collection of animals that do not live in other regions, including a legless reptile with a pointed snout, a horned lizard, and a dwarf woodpecker.

This ecosystem is home to a large number and different types of leaf cutter ants. A single hectare, the size of a soccer field and a half, supports 4,000 ant nests.

Large animals are not common in the Australian savannas and are represented primarily by various species of kangaroos and wallabies.

Currently, there are many animals that have been introduced by humans: mainly cattle, but also horses, camels, donkeys and the Asian water buffalo.

Animals native to the African savannas include African elephants, lions, zebras, horses, and giraffes. A considerable number of savanna animals are herbivores.

During the drought, competition for water is so intense that most birds and many mammals migrate elsewhere in search of water.

The large mammals of Africa are part of the herbaceous community of this ecosystem. The African savanna is home to 40 different species of grazing mammals.

Most depend on grass for their food, both directly, as is the case with herbivorous buffalo, zebras, wildebeest, hippos, rhinos and antelopes; as indirectly, as giraffes and elephants do.

The dry season is often associated with fires. Many short-lived insects die in these fires; but birds and larger animals are usually able to fly or run to safety.

References

1. Savanna. Recovered from oddizzi.com
2. Savanna. Recovered from wikipedia.org
3. Savanna. Recovered from britannica.com
4. Savanna. Recovered from kids.nceas.ucsb.edu