Savanna Climate, Distribution, Climatic Conditions & Map

Savanna Climate

Savannas grow in tropical regions 8° to 20° north and south of the Equator. In all seasons, temperatures changes from warm to hot. The average annual precipitation ranges from 80 to 150 cm. The average monthly temperature ranges between 10 and 20 degrees Celsius in the dry season and 20 and 30 degrees Celsius in the wet season.

Read More: Tropical Climate

Savanna and Sudan Climate

• Savanna Climate: distinct wet and dry seasons, with warm temperatures (20°C to 30°C) and 500 mm to 1500 mm of rainfall annually, supporting grasslands and scattered trees.
• Sudan Climate: Has diverse zones ranging from desert in the north (over 40°C less than 250 mm rainfall) to tropical savanna in the south (cooler 800 mm to 1200 mm rainfall), resulting in sparse vegetation in the north and savanna landscapes in the south.

Read More: Equatorial Climate Regions

Savanna Distribution

The savanna or Sudan climate is a transitional type of climate found between the equatorial forest and the commercial desert hot deserts. It is confined to the tropics and thrives best in Sudan, where dry and wet seasons are very different, hence the name Sudanese climate. The belt contains West African Sudan and slopes southward into East Africa and South Africa. In South America, there are two distinct regions of the Savannah north and south of the equator, the Lanos of the Orinoco Basin and the Campos of the Brazilian Highlands.

Read More: Monsoon in India

Savanna Climatic Conditions

In savanna-covered areas, a tropical wet and dry climate prevails. The average monthly temperature is 64° F or higher, and the annual precipitation ranges between 30 and 50 inches. During the dry season, less than 4 inches of rain is received for at least five months of the year.

1. Temperature

The Savanna climate has clear wet and dry seasons, but it does not have a monsoon season. The average temperature is above 18°C. In inland areas, monthly temperatures range from 20°C to 32°C. Days are hot, while nights can be quite cold, showing a big difference in temperature each day.

2. Rainfall

Average annual rainfall is 80 – 160 cm (decreases with distance from the equator). The rainy season begins in May in the Northern Hemisphere and lasts until September. The rainy season in the southern hemisphere is from October to March.

3. Winds

The Trade Winds are strong winds that bring rain to coastal areas, particularly during the summer. However, by the time these winds travel inland or reach the western beaches, they lose a lot of their moisture and become much drier. The North-East Trades specifically come from the Sahara Desert and blow toward the sea, reaching the Guinea coast as dry, dusty winds.

Savanna Natural Vegetation

The savanna’s natural vegetation includes tall grasses that grow in the rainy season and dry out in the dry season. Scattered trees like acacias and baobabs provide shade and homes for wildlife. Low bushes and shrubs add to the plant variety. The vegetation changes with the seasons, flourishing in the rainy months and drying up during the dry season. This vegetation is well-suited to survive droughts and supports diverse wildlife.

Read More: Natural Vegetation of India

Savannah’s Wild Life

The savanna is home to various animals and plants adapted to its open grasslands and scattered trees. You will find large herbivores like elephants, giraffes, zebras, and wildebeests grazing on grass and leaves. Carnivores such as lions, cheetahs, and hyenas hunt these herbivores, helping to maintain the ecosystem’s balance. Birds, including ostriches and eagles, thrive here, nesting in trees or on the ground. Insects like termites and butterflies are essential for pollination and decomposing organic material. The savanna’s plant life includes grasses, acacia trees, and baobabs, all well-suited to the climate. Together, these species create a rich and diverse ecosystem.

Savanna Life and Economy

Several tribes live in the savanna region. Pastoralists such as the Masai of the East African plateau are cultivators, whereas the Hausa of northern Nigeria is established. In the Kenyan Highlands, white settlers took over the ancient grazing grounds of the Masai tribes for plantation agriculture (coffee, tea, cotton) and dairy production. The Masai keep cattle just for milk and do not kill them for meat. Farming isn’t common for them. In Nigeria’s savanna, the Hausa are a well-established farming community with a more developed culture. They do not farm in a regular way; instead, they clear some land and stay there for a while.

Savannah Farming

Droughts can be long because rainfall is unpredictable. Political problems make it hard to build farms and irrigation systems. In the rainy season, heavy rains wash away important nutrients from the soil. In the dry season, extreme heat causes most water to evaporate. Because of this, many savanna areas have poor soils that can not grow high-yield crops.

Savannah Cattle Rearing

Many indigenous people raise cattle, and savannas are natural places for this. However, the grass is not very good for large ranching. It is not as rich as the grass in cooler areas, and the cattle breeds are not strong, giving little meat or milk. So far, there have not been major exports of beef or milk from tropical grasslands. Only a few areas have used science and technology to improve. In Australia, Queensland is now the top cattle producer, exporting both meat and milk, even more than Victoria.

Savanna or Sudan Climate UPSC

Despite being in the tropics, Sudan’s climate varies from hyper-arid in the north to tropical wet-and-dry in the far southwest. Temperatures do not vary significantly by season in any location; the most important climatic variables are rainfall and the lengths of the wet and dry seasons.

The Savanna climate supports a diverse range of plants, including grasslands, hardy weather-resistant trees, and diverse flora and fauna. They also play an important role in global climate regulation, storing large amounts of carbon, for example. This article will focus on The Savannah or Sudan Climate that would be useful for UPSC IAS preparation.

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