Ecosystems represent an important factor throughout planet earth, providing variety, beauty and exclusivity. Highlighting in this case the ecosystem of the savannah, made up of a large number of species and unique characteristics, in the following article we will learn about the flora of the savannah and many other characteristics that encompass this habitat.
Savannah Ecosystem
The planet earth is covered by a variety of natural beauty, keeping in mind different plants, biodiversity of animal species and different forms of landscapes, making them a varied and beautiful planet by nature, due to this all their environments were classified into ecosystems that they gather a set of characteristics to make them unique and diverse, in this case the savannah ecosystem will be highlighted.
The savannah ecosystem is an area that is made up of long stretches of land known as plains. It is a type of biome, a definition used to describe an area made up of flora and fauna, they have very little tree cover or the few species present are very small.
Some specialists affirm that the characteristics of savannahs are similar to forests and also to grasslands, being relevant for being very dry areas that even become confused with semi-deserts, this is attributed to very extensive droughts and very abundant rainy periods. . The savannahs that are found in the world represent a great visual attraction, mainly due to their geographical condition, where there are also mountainous savannahs with very marked heights. Savannahs are a type of ecosystem that has different forms of flora, fauna and climatic conditions.
Savannahs are a type of terrestrial biome, which is why they are found in some areas of warm regions of the planet. Its rainy periods occur only once a year but for very long seasons, the rest of the year only quite marked and pronounced dry seasons are observed. This type of characteristics is what makes it classified as a transition zone for desert and jungle ecosystems.
The savannahs are located in the tropical zones where the climate is predominantly dry, with very low humidity and long periods of drought, where its temperature is approximately 17º C, these periods of drought last approximately five months and then present from 100 mm and up to 1300 mm of rainfall. The geographical areas of the savannahs are located mainly on the continents, being the most common in the width of the African continents, there are also some sheets in those tropical regions of Australia, India and South America, being very popular in the latter located in Venezuela, Brazil and Colombia.
savannah flora
The flora is a set of plants that are located in a certain geographical area, they represent the vegetal layer that is exclusive to a region, being a unique and exclusive characteristic of each ecosystem on the planet. This factor together with the fauna represent one of the main factors that constitute a biome that presents life within the specific environment.
The savannah is made up of different types of grasses, it is a type of grass that grows in a disorderly way throughout the land and without a special type of plant, it represents an essential type of food for animals such as antelopes, sheep, among others. Among the different types of grasses we can mention lemongrass, rhodesgrass, stargrass and Bermuda grass, among many more, presenting a large extension of grasses of various forms.
There are very few and scarce trees, they are a type of plant that has a woody stem, strong ramifications on the ground, as well as bulbs and branches between all its cups of various shapes. Among the savannah there are some very prominent tree species such as acacias, baobab and jackalberry; they are a type of tree that has thick and leafy trunks, in the case of acacias they are a type of fine but very tall tree, relating it as the main source of food for giraffes.
Due to its climatic conditions, the vegetation of the savannahs has been changing and evolving to withstand the various temperature changes to which these ecosystems are exposed. In this case, it stands out that the plants have much deeper roots and very long trunks; this is because you want access to the different minerals that you as a plant need and all the nutrients that are found in the soil.
The savannahs of East Africa represent a geographical area with a high content of acacia groves. It is a very common type of tree on that continent, also known by the names of elephant grass because it reaches great heights (minimum 10 feet) and represents a food source for large mammals, this type of tree grows close to the rivers and lakes.
Baobab trees are considered one of the most popular trees in the world, they are found in the plains of Africa and in India, known as the bottle tree or monkey bread. It grows up to 80 feet tall and is considered a very long-lived species, living up to thousands of years. This type of tree draws attention for presenting the appearance of being planted upside down, and there are many legends about its origin. In addition, its fruits are very large and nearby tribes often climb it to obtain it as food and also for its medicinal properties.
Eucalyptus trees are another type of tree seen in the savannahs, mainly in Australia, it is a type of tree that is not recommended as an ornamental because of its invasive roots and because it absorbs the minerals found in the soil, to the point of reaching to impoverish them. For this reason, they are widely seen in this type of ecosystem due to the large extensions of land they occupy and that allow the proper development of their roots.
The flora that is observed in the savannah is very abundant and belongs to the family of grasses and sedges, being a type of plants that reach up to 6 meters in height, due to this they have the appearance of thickets, made up of a great variety of bushes and some trees, it is a type of plant layer that adapts to the local climate, they are very resistant mainly in times of drought that in certain seasons generate fires. Here are some of the most outstanding:
- Grass “common finger” (Digitaria Eriantha)
It is considered the most important grass species for the African savannah, it has great foliage that lasts a long time, mainly in times of drought. It is a type of plant easily differentiated by having a shape of fingers that are distributed throughout the entire stem.
- Bluestem Bluestem Grass (Genus Bothriochloa)
It is a type of grass found in areas that have a much warmer climate. They present a very significant species in the savannahs of Africa, Madagascar, Indonesia, Polynesia and New Caledonia.
- Jackal Berry Tree (Diospyros Mespiliformis)
Considered one of the highest of the ecosystems present in the savannahs, although it is not totally common. They have a very mature and gray bark. The trees have a very dense flowering and great foliage.
- Candelabra Tree (Euphorbia Ingens)
It is a slender plant belonging to the succulent family, similar to cacti, can be seen in those areas that come from dry and warm regions of the African continent.
- Buffalo Thorn Bush (Ziziphus Mucronata)
It is known as a type of shrub that reaches up to 10 meters in height, survives in different types of soils and is found in different types of habitats, has a reddish brown or mottled gray color.
Savannah Vegetation Type
It is a type of vegetation that is responsible for covering the savannah ecosystem, covering the herbaceous regions in the genera Adropogon, Aristidia, Louditia, Atreba and Triodoa, it is also very common in Australian regions. It is a type of species that exceeds up to two meters in height, being confused in the steppe areas because it has a dense root system and a set of very prominent seeds.
- Shrub Diverse
It presents a great variety of vegetation, they are a type of grass that is observed in the fields of the Amazon. Where there were various trees and bushes that are from the campo cerrado, it has a greater number of abundant trees known as clear forests.
- Features
It has powerful and quite deep roots, deciduous leaves affected by the seasons of the year, they are seen in the dry seasons with low trunks, obtaining staggered crowns, as well as a protective bark between the fires and large leaves.
Savannah Wildlife
Fauna is a set of animals found within a specific habitat. The species of animals vary according to the abiotic, biotic, climate and geographical factors that encompass that area. Highlighting a great biodiversity depending on the habitat they are inhabiting, in the case of the savannahs they present a very outstanding and unique type of fauna.
The fauna of the savannah is very marked on the African continent, where many herbivorous and carnivorous animals are observed, all this is very marked for being an area rich in herbs, therefore, there are herbivorous animals that their main food is plants. and they are a type of species that live in herds, among them we can highlight zebras, elephants, giraffes, buffalo, gazelles, ostriches and many more.
This ecosystem has the presence of a large number of herbivorous species that represent the main source of food for the carnivorous animals that inhabit it. In this case, lions, cheetahs, wild dogs, leopards, mambas, hyenas, among others, stand out. Where their main source of food are herbivorous animals, with the passage of time and the evolution of the species, the latter have found a way to survive the attacks of these mammals.
Most of all the species that are found within the habitat of the savannah live in herds, observing a great biodiversity, birds with very wide wings to carry out long journeys and the mammals have long and strong legs, highlighting in this case the gazelles and ostriches well known for their very drastic speeds to be able to flee from predators.
Likewise, giraffes are a type of animal that uses their height to their benefit, managing to visualize predators at long distances and be able to flee from them, just as elephants use their size and strength to ward off carnivorous animals that approach them. they.
The savannahs have a large number of predator species, such as the cheetah, a feline that can run up to 70 miles per hour to hunt down its prey, being considered the fastest land mammal in the world. Other types of very popular species such as the elephant, lions, hyenas and many others, are unique and exclusive to these ecosystems.
It is one of the ecosystems that has a large number of herbivores that over time have adapted to consume the plants that the habitat offers. Some of these species are exclusive to these territories, such as the Cinereus koala, a mammal found in the savannahs of Australia, which feeds on eucalyptus trees (common in the area) and climbs trees with ease due to its large claws, seeing a behavior a little different from those koalas found in other types of ecosystems.
One of its main characteristics is its carnivorous species, where the largest is the lion, because this area is perfect for hunting by these species, mainly because of its low grass and its wide view, which is why it accumulates a lot of them in this ecosystem.
Types of Savannah
It is a territory that has spread in various areas of the planet, mainly in the African Continent and South America, despite everything there are some differences between the savannahs located in each continent, due to this they were classified taking into account aspects such as the flora, fauna, geography, temperature and soil, described below:
Intertropical Savannah
SConsidered as the type of savannah best known for presenting high latitudes, it is characteristic of the type of savannah of the African continent in the eastern region, specifically the region found in the Serengenti near Tanzania. They are a type of savannah that has a warm climatic condition but with long periods of drought; one of its main characteristics is that it has a very poor soil, low mineral content and very dry. It has a warm climate but with some periods of rain, it also has a large number of mammals, including a great diversity of birds and insects, highlighting the fact of having a very pronounced vegetation.
temperate savannah
The temperate savannahs are located in the middle latitudes, due to this they are confused with prairies and despite this, they are seen in the five continents. They are characterized by being widely seen in the regions of Central Asia and in addition to having slightly more humid summers, with dry and cold winters. Its plants have deep and very pronounced roots that protect the soil, guaranteeing that it is a very fertile soil, having a high content of plant species in its land.
Mediterranean savannah
The Mediterranean savannahs are found in the middle latitudes of all the continents, they have a climate very similar to the Mediterranean or semi-arid, causing them to have very little vegetation. This type of savannah is distributed on the African continent where it can be seen prepresence of giraffes, elephants, lions, cheetahs, among other mammals.
Mountain Savannah
It represents a type of ecosystem that is located in very high mountainous areas, being considered as subalpine areas sincelpines are seenas throughout the planet earth but mainly in the mountain ranges of Africa, differing from the other types of savannahs by presenting the highest number of precipitations in the year, highlighting the altitude, which is why it is found in much more humid areas and prone to rainfall, due toI present youn high rate of flora and biodiversity completely different from other savannahs.
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