Have you ever seen documentaries about African animals? To be like this you have surely had the opportunity to see how the savannah changes throughout the year: becoming a very dry region, covered with low herbaceous plants. Depending on the area, there are even some trees, few compared to those that can be found in a forest or a jungle, but very appreciated by the native fauna, since they use them for food and protection. of the sun.
But in this article let’s talk about the vegetation of the savannahthat is, plants that have managed to adapt to an environment in which they all could not.
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Where do we find a savannah?
Image – Terpsichores // Map of tropical and subtropical savannas.
The African savannah is surely the best known of all. It occupies a large part of the continent, from the southern Sahara Desert to South Africa. But this is not the only place where there are savannahs:
If we cross the pond, towards the Americas, we see that there are savannahs on the Pacific coast and in the Colombian-Venezuelan llanos; On the other side of the world, in Australia, the entire north of the continent is considered savannah. Even in Asia, north of India, there are also.
What types of leaves are there?
There are four types: intertropical, temperate, Mediterranean and mountainous. Its characteristics are as follows:
- intertropical savannah: The climate is tropical or subtropical, with temperatures between 12 and 30ºC. The rains are seasonal; the rest of the time drought is a very serious problem, to the point that various animals have to migrate to areas where they think they will find water, such as elephants for example.
- temperate savannah: as the temperatures are milder and it rains a little more, the soil contains more nutrients. But yes, the drought can also be serious, but it does not last as long as in the intertropical savannahs.
- mediterranean savannah: it is found everywhere on the planet where the climate is very similar to that of the Mediterranean (that is to say: very hot and dry in summer, and mild in winter, and with little precipitation). It is therefore a semi-arid place, where plants grow on low nutrient land.
- mountainous savannah: It is also called alpine or subalpine savanna, because it is in the regions where they are found the most. The rains are more abundant, so there is more life in these places.
What vegetation is found in the savannah?
savannah plants it can be grasses, shrubs, trees and even succulents. Depending on where you are in the world, you will receive more or less precipitation, which is why no two savannas are the same.
So, let’s see what some are:
acacia tortillas
Image – Wikimedia/Haplochromis
There are many acacias that live in savannahs, but perhaps one of the best known is the acacia tortillas. This is the typical one that Google shows us when we search for images of the African savannah. It is a tree that forms a parasol-shaped cupwhich can reach 5 to 6 meters wide.
Reaches a height of about 14 meters, that is, if the elephants leave it. And it is that they are animals that like to eat acacia leaves. In the documentaries, they are even seen chopping down trees to get to the leaves they wouldn’t otherwise be able to eat.
Baobab (Adansonia)
Image – Wikimedia/Bernard Gagnon
the baobab tree it is a slow growing tree that develops a very, very thick trunkso much so that specimens have been found in which multiple people were required to kiss it.
It grows in Africa, Madagascar and Australia and is characterized by leaves that fall during the dry season and grow with the rains.. It can reach 30 meters highand develops a slightly branched crown.
spurge ingens
Image – Wikimedia/JMK
The spurge ingens it is a succulent tree or shrub that many of us usually have in our collection or in the garden. It is a plant native to Africa that reaches a height of up to 15 meters. Its crown is very branched at maturity, and it is very compact.
It grows at a good pace, although like all savannah plants it loves heat. When it is cold, their activities slow down.
Hyphaene thebaica
Image – Flickr/Malcolm Manners
Few palms live in the savannahs, and there is even less this branch, but the Hyphaene thebaica has found in the African savannah a place where life is good. It reaches a height of 10-15 meters and has fan-shaped leaves.. Moreover, its fruits are edible; in fact, the ancient Egyptians did not hesitate to take even a few to the grave.
Its germination is simple and fast, as long as the seeds are of good quality, but it is not resistant to frost, so if you manage to have one, you will have to protect it indoors if it is cold.
Prosopis affinis
Image – Flickr/Valerio Pillar
Also called carob, It is a thorny tree native to South America that reaches a height of about 10 meters. Its crown is very branched and its small bipinnate leaves are green.
Its growth is rapid and it is able to withstand drought without problems.