Welcome To The Savanna
Savanna Biome
The plants and animals living in the savanna biome have had to adapt to such issues. Many of the animals have to migrate around the biome in order to find enough food and water for survival during these changing seasons. The annual rainfall in a savanna biome is 59 inches. During the dry season the average daily temperature is 93 degrees. During the rainy season it drops to a more comfortable average of 61 degrees. Fire is very common in the savanna biome at various times of the year. However, the plants and animals here are adaptable to it. Even in areas that get severely burned, less than 10% of the plants will die from it. The stems and the roots of these plants seem to be able to thrive due to how thick they are. Some of the plants are made from materials that is highly flammable which is why a fire can spread so rapidly in these areas.
World Distribution
Animals
Plants
Grass-dominated ecosystems that contain a significant number of widely spaced trees are termed savannas. Trees may make up as little as 5 percent or as much as 30 percent of the cover of all plants in savannas, but grasses and grass like plants form a continuous ground cover. Almost 65 percent of Africa is covered by savanna, much of the northern region of Australia has savanna vegetation and South America has extensive savannas. Worldwide, estimated land cover by savanna is nearly 20 percent.
Threats
1. Wildfires- Savannas suffer from the effects of wildfires, which have a tendency to occur fairly regularly. Often, these brush fires are a result of fires started by humans. Wildfires that are a result of human fire use are either ones deliberately set by aboriginal peoples to help facilitate vegetation growth or are the result of accidents.
2. Climate Change- As climate change takes place around the world, natural resources for sustaining the savanna ecosystem becomes gradually depleted. In particular, a lack of consistent and sufficient rainfall can lead to the desertification and death of a savanna. Over time, if there is a consistent decrease in the average rainfall of a given year, a drought takes place as ground water reserves become diminished. Gradually, plant life will die due to insufficient rain.
2. Climate Change- As climate change takes place around the world, natural resources for sustaining the savanna ecosystem becomes gradually depleted. In particular, a lack of consistent and sufficient rainfall can lead to the desertification and death of a savanna. Over time, if there is a consistent decrease in the average rainfall of a given year, a drought takes place as ground water reserves become diminished. Gradually, plant life will die due to insufficient rain.