4. SAVANNAS Savanna is grassland with scattered individual trees. Savannas of one sort or another cover almost half the surface of Africa (about five million square miles, generally central Africa) and large areas of Australia, South America, and India. Savannas are always found in warm or hot climates where the annual rainfall is concentrated in six or eight months of the year, followed by a long period of drought when fires can occur.
5. Savannas which result from climatic conditions are called climatic savannas. Savannas that are caused by soil conditions and that are not entirely maintained by fire are callededaphic savannas The result of people clearing forest land for cultivation is called derived savanna The soil of the savanna is porous , with rapid drainage of water
6. The soil provides vegetation with nutrients. Savannas are sometimes classified as forests. Savannas receive an average annual rainfall of 76.2-101.6 cm (30-40 inches) However savannas can receive as little as 15.24cm (6 inches) or as much as 25.4 cm (10 inches) of rain a year.
7. TEMPERATE GRASSLAND
8. Temperate grasslands are characterized as having grasses as the dominant vegetation Temperate grasslands have hot summers and cold winters. Rainfall is moderate The soil of the temperate grasslands is deep and dark, with fertile upper layers. Few trees grow in the temperate grasslands for example cottonwoods, oaks and willows, they grow in river valleys .
9. Some nonwoody plants grow among the grasses, for example blue grama, buffalo grass and galleta , and also flowers like asters, blazing stars, coneflowers, goldenrods, sunflowers, clovers, psoraleas and wild indigos. Precipitation in temperate grasslands usually occurs in late sppring and early summer.
10. The temperature range is very large over the course of the year. The annual average is about 50.8 to 88.9 (20-35 inches) Summer temperatures can be well over 38 c (100 degrees Fahrenheit) while winter can be low as -40 degrees Celsius (-40 degrees fahrenheit.
