Animals and plants of the savannah
The life of the entire savanna is in the immediatedepending on its weather. It at each drought loses its brightness, turning into a sea of sultry despondency and withered grass. In this case, for a few days of rain, nature becomes completely unrecognizable. In this article, the most common plants of the savanna of Africa will be examined.
Description
Savannahs occur in places in which drythe period lasts up to 8 months per year. The powerful bark of very thick, low tree trunks can sometimes reach 30 millimeters or more. It prevents rapid loss of moisture, and protects plants from fire. With frequent fires, savanna plants practically do not suffer, only the bark is charred. Aboveground organs of bushes burn out in fires, and sleeping buds, located near the surface of the soil, form new shoots, thus rising from the ashes. The second feature of trees is their flattened umbellate or discoid crowns.
Plants and animals of savannah experience drought andanother way - they store water. So, the trees that have learned to do this on their own differ in an interesting shape: very thick branches and trunks, and also fleshy leaves. These organs are reservoirs in which plants conserve moisture, so necessary for them in such harsh conditions.
Cereals
Considering the savanna plants of Africa,it is worth highlighting the elephant grass. It got its name due to the fact that elephants like to feast on its sprouts. In those places in which the doge's season is longer, the height of the grasses reaches three meters. The terrestrial part of the shoot in the drought dries up and is very often completely destroyed by fires, while the underground part is preserved, giving a new life after the rains.
Acacia savannah
In Africa, acaciasavanna. Basically it is whitish, Senegalese, acacia giraffe. Due to its crown, which has a flattened shape, the tree became known as umbellate. Adhesives contained in the bark are widely used in industry, with wood being used to create expensive quality furniture.
Baobab
Continuing to talk about savannah plants, you needsay that her business card is baobab. The tree reaches a height of 25 meters, has a thick trunk (in diameter up to 10 meters), as well as a sprawling huge crown. Not so long ago in Africa was found a baobab-giant with a trunk diameter of 44 meters, in addition, a height of 189 meters. Such plants of savannah are long-lived, at some age reaches 5000 years. Baobab blooms for several months, with each flower living only one night. They are pollinated by bats.
Oil palm
Plants of the savannah are quite diverse. Among them there is an oil palm tree. This plant has a life expectancy of 120 years. It is worth mentioning that the flesh of its fruits contains about 70% of the oil used in soap making. When notching the inflorescence, the juice used to make the wine is obtained.
Features of wildlife
Plants and savanna animals are always interconnected. The aforementioned vegetable diversity is the food for the majority of herbivores. The bulk of them are antelopes:
- oryx;
- blue wildebeest;
- Congonies.
Near the wildebeest you can always see the herds of gazellesGrant and Thompson and zebras. All herbivores are excellent prey for various predators. Cheetahs, lions, hyenas and leopards maintain a balance by being on top of this food chain.
On different continents, the savannahs differ in theirits floral composition, but are united by the similarity of some features: the presence of the main grassy layer with an abundance of xerophilous cereals, as well as the upper rare layer of trees and shrubs, which grow singly or in small groups.
