SAVANNA BIOME - ENVIRONMENT

News: Climate underlies African forest, savanna biomes: study

 

What is in the news?

       Recently, some field observations and Phyto climatic modeling show that the distribution of African forest and savanna ecosystems are highly predictable.

 

Savanna biome:

About: The savanna biome, which is a type of grassland biome, consists of areas of open grassland with very few trees.

 

There are two kinds of savannas: tropical and semi-tropical savannas.

 

Location: Savannas are located on six of the seven continents, the largest are found in equatorial Africa.

       In India, certain parts across Northern Karnataka, Southern Maharashtra and Telangana exhibit characteristics of both semi-arid and savanna climate.

       Due to irrigation and cultivation, this region is different from other savanna regions.

 

Climate: High precipitation during wet season and scanty rainfall in the dry season.

       Rainfall decreases with distance from the equator.

       Highly susceptible to brush fires during their dry seasons.

       It has an extreme diurnal range of temperature.

 

Vegetation: The savanna biome is often described as an area of grassland with dispersed trees or clusters of trees.

       The lack of water makes the savanna a difficult place for tall plants such as trees to grow.

       Due to its open environment, camouflage and mimicry are essential for animal survival in the savanna.