Savannah (African steppe) is covered with tree and shrub rare forms of herbaceous vegetation and vast territory, which belongs to the subequatorial.For the typical savannah type of climate is considered sub-equatorial, which is marked by a pronounced division by dry and rainy seasons.
Description
African savanna steppe - a typical example of the area whose image appears in the main number of people at the mention of the continent.On the territory dominated by evergreen rain forests and deserts, between which stretches a beautiful, fickle and wild savanna - a huge area, overgrown with single trees and grass.Scientists have identified the approximate age of this natural phenomenon - about 5 million. Years.Therefore, it is considered the youngest African zonal type.
Geographical location
African steppe occupies almost 40% of the continent.It is located around the equatorial evergreen forests.
Guinea-Sudanese savannah in the north bordering with equatorial forests, stretching 5,000 km from the east coast of the Indian Ocean to the west coast of the Atlantic Ocean.From p.Tana savannah stretches to the river valley.Zambezi, and then turning on the 2,500 kilometers to the west, extends to the shores of the Atlantic.
depending on the weather
African savanna steppe is directly dependent on the weather, whose whims are felt very strongly representatives of flora and fauna.The dry season is not similar to other.Nature each year must adapt to the changes coming to the climate.Inevitably, only one - the savanna in each such period loses its vitality, brightness, juice, turning the sea sultry gloom and withered grass.With the advent of the rainy season so rapidly begin changing landscape that in some few days, nature becomes completely unrecognizable.If you compare the image before the arrival of the savanna of the rainy season and after a week of heavy rain, to find their similarities will not be easy.
Flora Savannah
on the continent typical savanna plants - is all kinds of acacia, olive, baobabs, lofiry lanceolate, dum-palms, elephant grass, anizofilly, a variety of grasses.Incidentally, the last remaining have adapted better to the conditions of a regular change in the conditions of humidity and temperature.After all, if the period of drought, the trees, xerophytes can simply discard the leaves and stand in this way in anticipation of a new wet season, it is much more difficult to survive herbs.Although nature could take care of maintaining the viability of the savannah grass cover.In Africa cereal flora hairy leaves, narrow, very hard, and have a wax-resistant coating, which preserves moisture in the cells.
Fauna savanna
Many people are surprised and interested in African savanna steppe.Animals on its open spaces are found in large numbers.They got here due to a natural phenomenon of migration, which are associated with a change in temperature on Earth.At some point, millions of years ago, the continent was covered entirely by rain forest, only the climate became progressively drier, whereby large parts of the forest were lost, while in their place were fields that are covered with herbaceous vegetation, and open woodlands.This, in turn, was the emergence of various new species of animals that were looking for good conditions for subsistence.
Thus, developing African steppe.It first came out of the jungle giraffes, elephants settled behind them, all kinds of monkeys, antelopes and others herbivores.Following them according to the law of nature began to populate the savannah predators: servals, the lions, jackals, cheetahs and others.And since the soil and grass savanna inhabited by an incredible number of worms and insects, fauna enriched with all sorts of representatives of the birds that flew to Africa from all over the world.At this point of the birds have a chance to see krasnoklyuvyh Quillen, storks, vultures, marabou, ostrich African horned crows, vultures and others. There are also a lot of lizards, crocodiles and snakes.
Life in times of drought
During the drought large animals try to stay near the waterhole, but due to the strong competition in this period of the struggle for survival is becoming increasingly fierce, the difference between the African steppe (savannah), a photo of which are presented in this article.Small animals savanna that are not capable of long movements in the search for food and water for the summer fall into hibernation.
African steppe - a place of unique ecosystems and diametrically opposed views.There is a serious struggle for survival is in perfect harmony with the amazing natural beauty, with a wealth of flora and fauna - a real African flavor and wonderfully exotic attraction.
