The climate of the African savanna is very interesting. Savannas cover almost one-third of the entire continent! Few trees grow here, and grasses are almost everywhere to be seen. There are ususally 3 seasons here: cool and dry, hot and dry, and warm and wet.
The African savanna has poor soil which is porous and has a layer of humus (See Human Stress section).
There is a lot of plant life in the savanna consisting mostly of low growing grasses. There are a few deciduous trees and thorny shrubs, such as acacias. (See Biotic section)
The savanna is south of the Sahara, and rainfall occurs in the warmer months.The rainy season occurs Jun. - Aug. in the north and Dec. - Feb. in the south. The winters have very little to no rainfall. Along the the Indidan Ocean, on the eastern side of Africa, there are usually 2 rainy seasons. The average temperature during the rainy season is 70 - 90 degrees F and to the north near the Sahara, the average is 100 degrees in March, April and May! The East and South portions are less hot because of ocean breezes.
Other types of savanna found are tree savannas near rainforests and occur when rain is 35-50". Another type is woodland savanna which are replacements for orginial burned forests. |
