Abiotic Factors in the Savanna Introduction
The savanna is an ecosystem with dry grassy plains and widely spaced trees that occupy around 20% of the Earth’s surface. The non-living entities that impact the savanna are known as abiotic factors in the savanna. Savannas are found throughout the world’s tropical and subtropical regions. Africa, South America, Australia, India, Asia’s Myanmar-Thailand area, and Madagascar have the most. Savannas are thought to have formed some 66 million years ago during the Cenozoic period, when temperatures were decreasing and rainfall on the outskirts of tropical areas was reduced. The savanna was where early people lived when they first arrived at Earth.
Abiotic variables influence which creatures dwell in which places, where they reside, and how big their populations are. Small changes in any of these variables may have a significant influence on ecosystems. Climate, edaphic (the soil and topography of a location), and social abiotic influences are the most common (land and resource usage).
Abiotic Factors in the Savanna
Rainfall
Savannas are classified as wet, dry, or thorn bush depending on how much rain they get. A brief dry season lasts roughly 3-5 months in the moist savannas. Dry savannas have a 5-7 month dry season. Dry seasons last longer than seven months in Thorn bush savannas.
Soil
The broad grassy plains of the savanna have usually poor fertility soils. The most fruitful regions are those right underneath the dispersed trees, which are formed by the fallen and rotting leaves of the trees. The capacity of certain trees to pull minerals and nutrients from deeper in the earth may improve soil fertility in a greater area, benefiting trees and plants in the surrounding area. Furthermore, termites are responsible for around 30% of the savanna’s degraded organic matter. These nutrients may be preserved in the characteristic mounds they create for long periods of time. The phrase “termite savanna” refers to locations where ancient termite mounds decompose and enrich the soil over time.
Climate Change
Climate change is one social abiotic element that is having a huge influence on the worldwide savanna. According to existing evidence, the greenhouse effect induced by rising carbon dioxide in the atmosphere may lead certain savannas to grow while others shrink. As a result of these changes, the animals, plants, and insects that reside in those locations will shift dramatically. The capacity of Earth’s savannas to adapt to these changes is influenced by how quickly they occur. Some parts may be unable to adapt at all and may eventually vanish.
References
- (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved June 4, 2017 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savanna
- (2017, June 4). In Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/science/savanna
