Savannah and woodlands are natural area, which can only be found in certain geographical zones. They are widespread in the subequatorial zones of both hemispheres; small areas are also located in the subtropics and tropics. More precisely, they are geographically located on almost half of the African continent (about 40% of total area). Savannah and woodlands are also very common in South America, in the northern and eastern parts of Asia (for example, in Indochina), as well as in Australia. Geographical location.
For most natural areas, the main reason for the characteristics of the animal and plant world, as well as the condition of the soil, is, first of all, climate, and directly temperature regime and temperature changes (both daily and seasonal). Based on the features described above geographical location savannas, it is reasonable to conclude that all seasons of the year are characterized by hot weather, with dry tropical air in winter, while in summer, on the contrary, humid equatorial air predominates. Removing territory data from equatorial belt, accordingly, affects the reduction of the rainy season to a minimum of 2-3 months from its typical 8-9. Seasonal temperature changes are relatively stable - the maximum difference is 20 degrees. However, the daily difference is very large - it can reach a difference of as much as 25 degrees. Zone of savannas and woodlands. Features of the climate.
Seasonal migrations of animals are one of the most impressive phenomena in nature. Birds are the most avid travelers in the animal world. Half of all bird species fly long distances to places where there is plenty of food or where they can hatch their chicks. Huge flocks or herds, as if on command, move from their place and set off on a journey hundreds and thousands of kilometers away. Migration may be caused by the need to search for food, the lack of which is due to natural reasons. In much of Africa, for example, during droughts the grass dries out completely, and wildebeest and zebras are forced to go in search of fresh new pastures. Predators that feed on herbivores also migrate behind them. Later they return. Seasonal migration of animals. What caused it?
The condition of the soil and its fertility directly depend on the duration of the rainy season and are characterized by increased leaching. Thus, closer to the equator and equatorial forests, the natural zone of savannas and woodlands, namely their soil, is characterized by a huge content of red soils. In areas where the rainy season lasts for 7-9 months, most soils are ferrallitic. Places with rainy seasons of 6 months or less are “rich” in savanna red-brown soils. In poorly irrigated areas with rainfall occurring in only two to three months, unsuitable soils with a very thin layer of humus (humus) are formed. Type of soil in savanna.
Even soils such as savannas have found their use in human activities - the most suitable of them are used for grazing livestock, as well as for growing various crops, but due to their improper use, already depleted areas turn into depleted and deserted areas, unable to in the future, at least somehow feed both people and animals.
When describing the flora of such a natural zone as savanna and woodland, it is impossible not to mention baobabs - amazing trees that, like camels, accumulate water reserves in their trunk. Acacias, epiphytes, palm trees, quebrachos, tree-like cacti, etc. are also often found. During drought, many of them turn yellow and wither, but with the arrival of rains, the entire environment seems to be reborn and again allows the arriving animals to gain strength and prepare for the next drought . Vegetation of savannas and woodlands.
We can immediately say that this is a unique world that does not exist anywhere else on Earth. Primarily due to the variety of large and very large animals. Before the advent of white colonialists, the animals of Africa felt free and at ease. Savannas provided food for countless herds of herbivores that moved from place to place in search of water. They were accompanied by numerous predators, and carrion eaters (jackals and vultures) moved behind them. Thanks to the animals, the savannah has a characteristic, incomparable appearance. Animal world.
Appearance The wildebeest is so unique that it is difficult to confuse it with another animal - a dense and short body on disproportionately thin legs, a heavy head decorated with sharp horns and mane, and a bushy tail. Next to them there are always small herds of cute African horses - zebras. Antelopes and zebras.
Photos of the African savanna that we see in textbooks and advertising brochures of travel companies always show us one of the typical representatives of the fauna of these places - giraffes. Once upon a time, the number of these animals was very large, but they were the first to suffer from white colonists - their skins were used to make coverings for carts. Now giraffes are protected, but their numbers are small. Giraffes.
They are the largest land animals in Africa. It is impossible to imagine savannahs without huge steppe elephants. They differ from their forest counterparts in their powerful tusks and wider ears. TO beginning of XXI century, the number of elephants has decreased greatly, but thanks to conservation measures and the creation of reserves, there are more elephants today than in the last century. Elephants.
The fate of the white and black rhinoceroses inhabiting the African savannah raises serious concerns among scientists. Their horns are worth four times more than elephant tusks. Therefore, they are the most desirable prey for poachers. Only the reserves created in Africa helped protect these animals from complete extermination. Rhinoceroses.
The savannas of Africa are inhabited by many predators. The undisputed primacy among them is lions. They live in groups (prides). They include adults and young animals. In prides, responsibilities are clearly distributed - young and active lionesses provide food for the family, and males guard the territory. Lions.
These predators are a little similar to each other in appearance, but differ in their lifestyle. The cheetah's main prey is the gazelle. The leopard is a universal hunter; it successfully hunts warthogs (African wild pigs), baboons, and small antelopes. Leopards and cheetahs.
There are many insects and worms in the grass and soil, so the fauna of the savannah is distinguished by a large number of bird representatives. They flock here from all over the world. The most common are storks, red-billed quilles, vultures, marabou, African ostriches, vultures, horned crows, etc. Savannahs are home to the largest and, perhaps, one of the most beautiful birds in the world - ostriches. The picture of the animal world of the African continent would be incomplete if we did not mention termites. There are dozens of species of these insects. Their buildings are a characteristic element of the savannah landscape. It should be noted that animals are highly revered in Africa. It is not without reason that their images can be seen on the coats of arms of many African states: the lion - Congo and Kenya, the zebra - Botswana, the elephant - Cote d'Ivoire. The fauna of the African savannah has developed over the centuries as an independent whole. The degree of adaptation of animals to specific conditions is unusually high This includes a strict division according to the method of feeding and the composition of food. Some use the shoots of young bushes, others use the buds and buds of plants. In addition, different animals take the same shoots from different heights.
Conclusion: The savannah of southern Africa is a place where diametrically opposed landscapes and amazing ecosystems are surprisingly combined. The harsh struggle for life in these places is in amazing harmony with luxurious nature, and the richness of the flora and fauna is with attractive exoticism and African flavor.
Description of the presentation by individual slides:
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Savannas and woodlands of Africa Flora and fauna Completed by: Antipov Nikita
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Description of the natural zone Savannah and woodlands are a typical natural zone for the subequatorial climate zone. Savannah is a tropical forest-steppe, located between tropical deserts and the evergreen zone tropical forests. Savannas are characterized by a predominance of grass cover in combination with individual trees or groups of trees. Savannas and woodlands occupy 40% of the continent's area.
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Climate and map of climatic zones The natural zone of savannas and woodlands is characterized by trade wind-monsoon circulation of air masses, where dry tropical air dominates in winter, and humid equatorial air in summer. As you move away from the equatorial belt, the duration of the rainy season decreases from 8-9 months to 2-3 months at the outer boundaries of the zone. The annual amount of precipitation also decreases in the same direction (from 2000 mm to 250 mm per year). Also characteristic feature Savannah has relatively small seasonal temperature fluctuations (from 15 to 32 degrees), but daily amplitudes can be significant, reaching 25 degrees. All these characteristic climatic features are reflected in all components of the natural environment of savannas and woodlands.
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Climatic features In savannas and woodlands, two seasons of the year are clearly expressed: Dry Wet
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Soil Savannah soils directly depend on the duration of the rainy season and are characterized by a leaching regime. Closer to the equatorial forests, where this season lasts up to 9 months, red ferrallitic soils are formed. In areas where the rainy season is less than 6 months, typical savannah red-brown soils are characteristic, and on the borders with semi-deserts the soils are unproductive and have a thin layer of humus.
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Flora Savannah vegetation has adapted to the dry continental climate and long droughts and has a strongly xerophytic character. All grasses usually grow in tufts. The leaves of cereals are dry and narrow, hard and covered with a waxy coating. The foliage on the trees is small, protected from excessive evaporation. Many species are distinguished by a high content of essential oils. In savannas, tall grasses grow up to 3 meters. Trees, such as acacias and baobabs, grow here alone or in separate groups.
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Baobab Baobab is rightfully considered one of the symbols of Africa. This tree lives for 4-5 thousand years, its height rarely exceeds 25 m, but its girth is up to 40 m. Baobabs are not afraid of fires, but their enemies are elephants. They eat wet bark. Monkeys feast on the fruits of the tree. In a trunk up to 10 m thick, the baobab stores water: its soft wood, like a sponge, can accumulate up to 120 tons of water. The tree can lose weight and gain weight.
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Acacia Umbrella acacia. Branched acacias rise like huge umbrellas among the tall grasses. More common are Senegalese, whitish, giraffe acacia and other species. Due to its crown, which has a flattened shape, the acacia is called umbrella-shaped. The adhesives contained in the bark are widely used in industry, and the wood is used to make high-quality expensive furniture.
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Fauna The fauna of the savannah is a unique phenomenon. No other corner of the planet has such an abundance of large animals. Before the arrival of white colonizers, countless herds of herbivores roamed the expanses of savannas, moving from place to place in search of watering holes. They were followed by numerous predators (lions, cheetahs, hyenas, etc.), and the predators were followed by carrion eaters (jackals and vultures). However, over time, the situation changed radically. The construction of roads, cattle breeding and plowing of large areas, and steppe fires have put wild animals in distress. The salvation was the creation of numerous reserves where hunting and all kinds of economic activity. Herds of gazelles, antelopes, zebras and buffaloes eat and trample grass vegetation, preventing bushes from settling. It is thanks to these animals that the savanna has its characteristic “park look”. Among the many species of ungulates, the most numerous are wildebeest; next to them you can always find small herds of African horses - zebras.
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Large animals The fauna of the savannah in this region is represented mostly by herbivorous representatives of the fauna: Giraffes Zebras Antelopes Rhinoceroses African elephants Hippos
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Insectivores and reptiles with birds The fauna of the savanna and woodlands is rich in representatives of reptiles: Pythons Chameleons Vipers Lizards Rivers and lakes are inhabited by crocodiles, and from the avifauna one can distinguish ostriches, hammer-headed herons and tiny sunbirds. In the South African sub-region, which is not so rich in vegetation, fur-covered insectivores - gold moles - are abundant, as well as kaffir striders, slightly reminiscent of jerboas.
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Predators Cheetah The large cat cheetah is the fastest predator on the planet. It can reach a speed of 110 km per hour. When running, a cheetah relies not on three, but only on two paws - this explains its seemingly flying movements. In the vast expanses of the savannah, the animal is required to be strong or to be fast. Speed is the key to being able to catch up with your prey or stay alive while fleeing. The cheetah is both strong and amazingly fast. Its speed and flexibility allow it to catch up and overcome even stronger, but less agile prey, such as an antelope or zebra. The coloring of the cheetah - yellow-fawn with black spots - allows it to hide in thickets of dense grasses and sneak up on its prey unnoticed.
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Seasonal migration of animals In winter, when drought sets in, the savanna dries out, turning into a lifeless, dried-out steppe. Animals migrate to areas where there is still a sufficient amount of water, however, at this time it is still too little. Heat and drought are very difficult conditions even for animals adapted to this climate. When the drought finally ends and summer begins, the rainy season suddenly begins. The dried-out savannah blossoms and fills with greenery, as if by magic. Herds of zebras, elephants and antelope are returning to gain strength before the next drought
Savannas and woodlands are a natural area found primarily in the subequatorial zones of both hemispheres, although areas of savannas are also found in the tropics and subtropics. Most characteristic feature This zone has a seasonally humid climate with a clear change in periods of rain and drought, which determines seasonal rhythm All natural processes are also characterized by the predominance of ferrallitic soils and herbaceous vegetation with rare, isolated groups of trees.
Characteristics and description of the natural zone of savannas and woodlands.
Look geographical location savannah and woodland zones on the map of natural zones.
The largest area of savannas is located in Africa, occupying approximately 40% of its total area. They are also common in South America (in the valleys of the Orinoco River they are called llanos, and on the Brazilian plateau - campos), Australia, in the north and east of the mainland and in Asia (on the Indo-Gangetic Plain, the Deccan Plateau and the Indochina Peninsula).
Climate. The natural zone of savannas and woodlands is characterized by trade wind-monsoon circulation of air masses, where dry tropical air dominates in winter and humid equatorial air in summer. As you move away from the equatorial belt, the duration of the rainy season decreases from 8-9 months to 2-3 months at the outer boundaries of the zone. The annual amount of precipitation also decreases in the same direction (from 2000 mm to 250 mm per year). Also a characteristic feature of savannas is relatively small seasonal temperature fluctuations (from 15 to 32 degrees), but daily amplitudes can be significant, reaching 25 degrees. All these characteristic climatic features are reflected in all components of the natural environment of savannas and woodlands.
Soils savannas directly depend on the duration of the rainy season and are characterized by a leaching regime. Closer to the equatorial forests, where this season lasts up to 9 months, red ferrallitic soils are formed. In areas where the rainy season is less than 6 months, typical savannah red-brown soils are characteristic, and on the borders with semi-deserts the soils are unproductive and have a thin layer of humus.
The natural zone of savannas and woodlands is very actively developed by humans, which often leads to irreparable changes (for example, desertification processes).
Video: “African Savanna” by Pim Niesten.
Introduction
Today, grassy plains occupy a quarter of all land. They have many different names: steppes - in Asia, llanos - in the Orinoco basin, veld - in Central Africa, savanna - in the eastern part of the African continent. All these areas are very fertile. Individual plants They live up to several years, and when they die, they turn into humus. They take refuge among the tall grasses leguminous plants, vetch, daisies and small flowers.
The name “grass” combines a wide variety of plants. This family is perhaps the largest in the entire plant kingdom; it includes more than ten thousand species. Herbs are the product of long evolution; They are able to survive fires, droughts, and floods, so they only need plenty of sunlight. Their flowers, small and inconspicuous, are collected in small inflorescences at the top of the stem and are pollinated by the wind, without requiring the services of birds, bats or insects.
Savanna is a community of tall grasses and woodlands with low to medium-sized, fire-resistant trees. It is the result of the interaction of two factors, namely soil and precipitation.
The importance of savannas lies in the conservation rare species animals and plants. Therefore, the study of African savannas is relevant.
The object of study is African savannas
The subject of the research is the study natural features African savannas.
The purpose of this course work is a comprehensive study of the types of savannas in Africa.
The main objectives of the work are the following:
1. Consider geographical location African savannas.
2. Study the animal and flora savannah
3. Consider the features different types African savannas.
4. Consider modern environmental problems and ways to solve them on the territory of savannas.
General characteristics of African savannas
Geographical location and climatic features of African savannas
Savannah is a zonal type of landscape of tropical and subequatorial belts, where the change in wet and dry seasons of the year is clearly expressed at consistently high air temperatures (15-32°C). As you move away from the equator, the period of the wet season decreases from 8-9 months to 2-3, and precipitation decreases from 2000 to 250 mm per year. The vigorous development of plants during the rainy season is replaced by droughts of the dry period with slower growth of trees and burning of grass. The result is a characteristic combination of tropical and subtropical drought-resistant xerophytic vegetation. Some plants are able to store moisture in their trunks (baobab, bottle tree). The grasses are dominated by tall grasses up to 3-5 m, among them are sparsely growing shrubs and single trees, the occurrence of which increases towards the equator as the wet season lengthens to open forests.
The vast expanses of these amazing natural communities are located in Africa, although there are savannas in South America, Australia, and India. Savannah is Africa's most widespread and characteristic landscape. The savannah zone surrounds the central African tropical rainforest with a wide belt. In the north, the Guinea-Sudanese savannas border the tropical forest, stretching in a strip 400-500 km wide for almost 5000 km from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean, interrupted only by the White Nile Valley. From the Tana River, savannas with a belt up to 200 km wide descend south to the Zambezi River valley. Then the savannah belt turns to the west and, sometimes narrowing, sometimes expanding, extends 2500 km from the shores of the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic coast.
The forests in the border zone are gradually thinning out, their composition is becoming poorer, and patches of savannas are appearing among the tracts of continuous forest. Gradually, tropical rainforest is limited only to river valleys, and at watersheds they are replaced by forests that shed their leaves during the dry season, or savannas. The change in vegetation occurs as a result of a shortening of the wet period and the appearance of a dry season, which becomes longer and longer as it moves away from the equator.
The savannah zone from northern Kenya to the sea coast of Angola is the largest plant community on our planet by area, occupying at least 800 thousand km 2. If we add another 250 thousand km2 of the Guinea-Sudanese savanna, it turns out that more than a million square kilometers of the Earth’s surface are occupied by a special natural complex- African savanna.
A distinctive feature of savannas is the alternation of dry and wet seasons, which take about six months, replacing each other. The fact is that subtropical and tropical latitudes, where savannas are located, are characterized by a change in two different air masses - humid equatorial and dry tropical. The monsoon winds, which bring seasonal rains, significantly influence the climate of the savannas. Because these landscapes are located between the very wet natural zones of equatorial forests and the very dry zones of deserts, they are constantly influenced by both. But moisture is not present in savannas long enough for multi-tiered forests to grow there, and dry “winter periods” of 2-3 months do not allow the savanna to turn into a harsh desert.
The annual rhythm of life in savannahs is associated with climatic conditions. During the wet period, the riot of grass vegetation reaches its maximum - the entire space occupied by savannas turns into a living carpet of forbs. The picture is broken only by stocky, low trees - acacias and baobabs in Africa, fan palms in Madagascar, cacti in South America, and bottle trees and eucalyptus in Australia. The soils of the savannas are fertile. During the rainy season, when the equatorial air mass dominates, both the land and plants receive enough moisture to feed the numerous animals that live here.
But then the monsoon leaves, and dry tropical air takes its place. Now the testing time begins. Herbs that have grown to human height are dried out and trampled by numerous animals moving from place to place in search of water. Grasses and shrubs are very susceptible to fire, which often burns large areas. The indigenous people who hunt also “help” this: by deliberately setting the grass on fire, they drive their prey in the direction they need. People did this for many centuries and greatly contributed to the fact that savannah vegetation acquired modern features: an abundance of fire-resistant trees with thick bark, like baobabs, a wide distribution of plants with a powerful root system.
The dense and tall grass cover provides abundant food for the largest animals, such as elephants, giraffes, rhinoceroses, hippos, zebras, antelopes, which in turn attract large predators such as lions, hyenas and others. Savannahs are home to the most big birds- the ostrich in Africa and the South American condor.
Thus, Savannahs in Africa occupy 40% of the continent. Savannas frame the forests of Equatorial Africa and extend through Sudan, East and South Africa beyond the southern tropics. Depending on the duration of the rainy season and annual precipitation amounts, they are divided into tall grass, typical (dry) and desert savannas.
In savannah zones:
The duration of the rainy period ranges from 8-9 months at the equatorial boundaries of the zones to 2-3 months at the outer boundaries;
The water content of rivers fluctuates sharply; During the rainy season, there is significant solid runoff, slope and plane washout.
In parallel with the decrease in annual precipitation, the vegetation cover changes from tall grass savannas and savanna forests on red soils to desertified savannas, xerophilic woodlands and shrubs on brown-red and red-brown soils.
savannah africa climate geographical
Knowing the basic basics from geography lessons, most students will unanimously say that savanna and woodlands are the same natural zone as taiga, steppe, tundra, desert, etc. This article is intended to give a more definite and clear concept of savanna and open forest.
Geographical location
So, savanna and woodland are a natural zone that can be found only in certain areas. They are widespread in both hemispheres, and small areas are also located in the subtropics and tropics. More precisely, they are geographically located on almost half of the African continent (about 40% of the total area). Savannah and woodlands are also very common in South America, in the northern and eastern parts of Asia (for example, in Indochina), as well as in Australia.
Most often these are places with insufficient moisture for normal growth. rain forests. Usually they begin their “development” in the interior of the mainland.
Zone Climate Features
For most natural zones, the main reason for the characteristics of the animal and plant world, as well as the condition of the soil, is, first of all, the climate, and directly the temperature regime and temperature changes (both daily and seasonal).
Based on the above-described features of the geographical location of savannas, it is reasonable to conclude that all seasons of the year are characterized by hot weather, with dry tropical air in winter, while in summer, on the contrary, humid equatorial air predominates. Removing these territories from, accordingly, affects the reduction of the rainy season to a minimum of 2-3 months from its typical 8-9. Seasonal temperature changes are relatively stable - the maximum difference is 20 degrees. However, the daily difference is very large - it can reach a difference of as much as 25 degrees.
Soils
The condition of the soil and its fertility directly depend on the duration of the rainy season and are characterized by increased leaching. Thus, closer to the equator, the natural zone of savannas and woodlands, namely their soil, is characterized by a huge content of red soils. In areas where the rainy season lasts for 7-9 months, most soils are ferrallitic. Places with rainy seasons of 6 months or less are “rich” in savanna red-brown soils. In poorly irrigated areas with rain falling only in a period of two to three months, unsuitable soils with a very thin layer of humus (humus) are formed - up to 3-5% maximum.
Even soils such as savannas have found their use in human activities - the most suitable of them are used for grazing livestock, as well as for growing various crops, but due to their improper use, already depleted areas turn into depleted and deserted areas, unable to in the future, at least somehow feed both people and animals.
Flora and fauna
To survive in such changing conditions, animals need to adapt to the zone, as, in fact, in all other regions. Savannah and woodlands surprise with their rich fauna. Thus, in Africa, the savanna territories are inhabited mainly by mammals: giraffes, rhinoceroses, elephants, wildebeest, hyenas, cheetahs, lions, zebras, etc. South America there are anteaters, armadillos, rhea ostriches, etc. The number of birds is also numerous - this is the well-known secretary bird, African ostriches, sunbirds, marabou, etc. In Australia, the “residents” of savannas and woodlands are kangaroos, their fellow marsupials, wild dingo dogs. During periods of drought, herbivores migrate to areas better supplied with water and food, on the way to which at times they themselves become objects of hunting for most predators (and humans too). Termites are also common in savannas.
When describing flora such as savanna and woodlands, it is impossible not to mention baobabs - amazing trees that, like camels, accumulate water reserves in their trunk. Acacias, epiphytes, palm trees, quebrachos, tree-like cacti, etc. are also often found. During drought, many of them turn yellow and wither, but with the arrival of rains, the entire environment seems to be reborn and again allows the arriving animals to gain strength and prepare for the next drought .
