The Savanna Biome

The Savanna biome is a grassland scattered with shrubs and isolated trees. You can think of a savanna as a mix between a forest and a temperate grassland, The Savanna does not receive enough rainfall to support a forest. Savannas are also known as tropical grasslands. They are found on either side of the equator on the edges of tropical rainforests. They are found in Africa, South America, Asia and  Australia.In fact, nearly half of Africa is a Savanna.

Savannas have warm temperatures year-round. Temperatures range from 60 degrees fahrenheit to 95 degrees fahrenheit most of the year. There are actually two very different seasons in a savanna: a very long dry season in the winter and a very wet season  in the summer.During the dry season, a savanna may receive only 4 inches of rain. During the wet season it may rain often and this biome may receive up to 10 to 25 inches of rainfall.

Location of Savannas

The Serengeti plains of Tanzania is a very well known savanna.  Here animals like lions, zebras, elephants and giraffes are found. Many animals in the savanna have the ability to migrate in order to find new food sources. There are different types of grasses that exist in the savanna and this biome is known for the acacia trees and baobab trees.

Plants of the savanna have the ability to grow in this environment of long periods of drought  Many of these have long roots to reach the water table or thick bark to resist fires, along with trunks that can store water and even leaves that drop during the winter to conserve water, fires are an important part of the savanna. During the dry season fires clear out old grasses and make way for new growth.  most of the plants will survive because they have extensive root systems which allow them to grow back quickly after a fire.

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