Savannah is a geographical area that everyone has heard of at least once. But often representations do not quite correspond to reality. Meanwhile, the savannah climate is truly unique and interesting. Every connoisseur of exotic nature should study it in more detail.
Where is this zone located?
There are dozens of diverse natural belts on the planet. The savannah zone is one of them. It is best known as the main climate option in the African territories. Each of the zones 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, dry tropical forests or wet meadows.
Characteristics
The climate of savannah and woodlands is distinguished by clearly defined seasons. They are called winter and summer. However, they do not differ in an impressive amplitude of temperatures. As a rule, it is warm all year round, the weather is never frosty. The temperature all year ranges from eighteen to thirty-two degrees. The rise is usually gradual, without sharp jumps and falls.
Winter season
In this half of the year, the savannah climate in Africa and other continents becomes dry. Winter lasts from November to April, and for this entire period of time, precipitation is not more than one hundred millimeters. Sometimes they are completely absent. The average temperature is twenty-one degrees. The savannah area dries completely, resulting in fires. Before the onset of winter, thunderstorms with strong winds are characteristic of the region, 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 savannah climate becomes extremely humid and resembles a tropical one. Heavy rains begin regularly from May or June. Until October, the territory receives a large amount of rainfall, which ranges from two hundred and fifty to seven hundred millimeters. Humid air rises from the earth into a cold atmosphere, again causing rain. Therefore, precipitation occurs daily, most often in the afternoon. This time is considered the best for the whole year. All animals and plants of the region adapted to the climate of the savannah and can survive during drought, waiting for these fertile months with frequent rain and comfortable air temperature.
Vegetable world
The savannah climate is conducive to the distribution of special plants that can survive in alternating rains and droughts. In the summer, the local regions become 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 with turf 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 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 knows baobab. These are tall trees with incredibly thick trunks and a spreading crown 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 on the equator, the pulp of which can be used in soap making, and wine is made from inflorescences. Savannah on any continent is united by such features as the presence of a dense grass layer with xerophilous cereals and rarely located large trees or shrubs, which most often grow singly or in small groups.
Fauna of the natural zone
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. The vast herds of ungulates are followed by numerous predators such as hyenas, lions, cheetahs and leopards. With them, vultures move along the savannah. In former times, the equilibrium of species was stable, but the advent of the colonialists led to a worsening of the situation. Species such as white-tailed wildebeest or 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. Kudu are not often found. Their horns twisted by spirals are considered one of the most beautiful in the world.