Savannah is a geographic area that everyone has heard of at least once. But often ideas do not quite correspond to reality. Meanwhile, the climate of the savannah is truly unique and interesting. Every connoisseur of exotic nature should study it in more detail.
Where is this zone located?
There are a dozen different natural belts on the planet. The savannah zone is one of them. It is best known as the main climate option in African territories. Each of the belts is distinguished by a certain set of plants and animals, which is determined by the temperature regime, topography and air humidity. The savannah zone is located in the southern hemisphere, namely, in Brazil, northern Australia and East Africa. The boundaries of such an area are usually deserts, tropical dry forests or wet grasslands.
Features
The climate of the savannah and woodlands is distinguished by clearly defined seasons. They are called winter and summer. However, they do not differ in impressive amplitude of temperatures. As a rule, it is warm here all year round, the weather is never frosty. The temperature all year round ranges from eighteen to thirty-two.degrees. The rise is usually gradual, without sharp jumps and falls.
Winter Season
The climate of the savannah in Africa and other continents becomes dry this half of the year. Winter lasts from November to April, and during this entire period of time, no more than one hundred millimeters of precipitation falls. Sometimes they are completely absent. The average temperature is twenty-one degrees. The savannah zone dries up completely, as a result of which fires can occur. Before the onset of winter, the region is characterized by thunderstorms with strong winds, which bring less humid atmospheric masses. Throughout this period, many animals have to roam in search of water and vegetation.
Summer season
In the warm half of the year, the climate of the savanna becomes extremely humid and resembles a tropical one. Heavy rains begin to fall regularly from May or June. Until October, the territory receives a large amount of precipitation, which ranges from two hundred and fifty to seven hundred millimeters. Humid air rises from the ground into the cold atmosphere, again causing rain. Therefore, precipitation falls daily, most often in the afternoon. This time is considered the best for the whole year. All the animals and plants of the region have adapted to the climate of the savannah and are able to survive during the drought, waiting for these fertile months with frequent rain and comfortable air temperature.
Plant world
The climate of the savannah is conducive to the spread of special plants that can survive in conditions of alternating rains anddrought. In the summertime, the local area becomes unrecognizable from the rapid flowering, and in winter everything disappears, creating a dead yellow landscape. Most of the plants are xerophytic in nature, the grass grows in tufts with narrow dry leaves. Trees are protected from evaporation by a high content of essential oils.
The most characteristic cereal is elephant grass, named after the animals that love to eat its young shoots. It can grow up to three meters in height, and in winter it is preserved due to the underground root system, which is able to give life to a new stem. In addition, almost everyone is familiar with the baobab. These are tall trees with incredibly thick trunks and spreading crowns that can live for thousands of years. No less common are various acacias. Most often you can see species such as whitish or Senegalese. Oil palms grow near the equator, the pulp of which can be used in soap making, and wine is made from the inflorescences. Common features common to the savannah on any continent are the presence of a dense herbaceous layer with xerophilous grasses and sparsely located large trees or shrubs that most often grow singly or in small groups.
Animal world of the natural area
Savannah has an impressive variety of fauna. In addition, it is this territory that is distinguished by the unique phenomenon of animal migrations from one pasture to another. Extensive herds of ungulates are followed by numerous predators such as hyenas, lions, cheetahs and leopards. With them move across the savannah andvultures. In former times, the balance of species was stable, but the arrival of colonizers led to a deterioration in the situation. Species such as the white-tailed wildebeest or the blue horse antelope have been wiped off the face of the earth. Fortunately, reserves were created in time, where wild animals are kept intact. There you can see a variety of antelopes and zebras, gazelles, impalas, kongoni, elephants and giraffes. Oryxes with long horns are especially rare. Not often seen and where. Their spiraling horns are considered among the most beautiful in the world.
