Tropical Savannah

Habitat description
A savannah can be described as halfway between a grassland and a forest. It is a dry grassland with tall grasses and scattered trees. This habitat may result not just because of soil or climatic conditions, but also because of animal behaviour of human interference.

Humans create savannas by agricultural practices-for instance, burning grassland and deforesting to grow crops. Herds of large animals can also contribute to turning forests into savannahs by trampling on seedlings or uprooting trees.

The savannah climate is characterised by a long wet summer season (six to eight months) and a dry winter. Rainfall varies from 10 to 50 inches. The dry season is often accompanied by drought and fires. It is believed that the fires are essential to the survival of this habitat, and without them it would change to tropical forests!

Distribution
Savannahs are often found on the borders of rainforest. Large savannah areas are located in Africa (Madagascar, Namibia, Kenya and Botswana), South America, Asia (India, Thailand, Myanmar), Australia and North America.