Savanna or Sudan Climate: Features, Geography and Economic Activities

The Savanna or Sudan Climate serves as a transitional zone between equatorial forests and hot deserts, spanning regions like Sudan, West Africa, East Africa, and parts of South America. Characterized by alternating rainy and dry seasons, with temperatures exceeding 18°C, it supports diverse vegetation and wildlife adapted to its unique conditions.

Savanna or Sudan Climate: Characteristics and Geography

• Distribution: Transitional type is found between the equatorial forests and the trade wind hot desert. 
  • African Savanna: Best developed in Sudan, includes west African Sudan, east Africa, and southern Africa north of the Tropic of Capricorn. 
  • South America: llanos of Orinoco Basin, campos of Brazilian Highlands. 
  • Australian Savanna: lies to the south of the monsoon region, which stretches across northern Australia from west to east, situated north of the Tropic of Capricorn.
  • Indian Sananna: Some areas display traits of both semi-arid and savanna climates. This region stands out from other savanna regions due to irrigation and agricultural cultivation.
    • Example: Northern Karnataka, Southern Maharashtra, and Telangana
• Climate
  • Temperature: Mean annual temperature is greater than 18°C; 
  • Extreme diurnal range of temperature.
  • Rainfall: Alternate hot, rainy season and cool, dry season; 
    • Rainfall is concentrated in summer; Floods and droughts are common. 
    • Mean annual rainfall – 80-160 cm.
  • Winds: Prevailing winds are the trade winds. \
    • Trade winds bring rains to the eastern coasts but become dry by the time they reach the interiors of the continents.
    • Local Wind: Harmattan meaning the doctor are the dry local winds which blow from interior Africa to the Atlantic coast in Guinea and  gives relief from hot & humid climate by increasing the rate of evaporation with resultant cooling effect.

Enroll now for UPSC Online Course

• Vegetation: Tall grass (elephant grass) and short trees; deciduous trees usually having broad trunks, with water-storing devices to survive (like acacia tree).
  • Grasslands are called bush-veld or parkland.
  • Trees decrease in height and density polewards.
  • As the rainfall diminishes towards the desert, the savanna merges into thorny scrub. In Australia, this scrubland is represented species: Mallee, Mulga, Spinifex grass etc;
  • Many trees are umbrella-shaped, exposing only a narrow edge to the strong winds.
  • Elephant Grass: Tall Savanna grasses have deep roots. It lays dormant during the cool, dry season.
• Wildlife: The savanna is known as the big game country as thousands of animals are trapped or killed each year ; 
  • Two main groups of animals-grass-eating herbivorous animals and the fleshing-eating carnivorous animals- found.
  • Reptiles like crocodiles and mammals such as rhinoceros and hippopotamus inhabit rivers and marshy lakes alongside giant lizards.
• Tribes: Numerous tribes inhabit the savanna region, such as the pastoralist Masai tribes (Kenya and Tanzania), and Hausa (Nigeria) settled cultivators. 
  • Masai: known for their cattle-keeping, primarily use their cattle for milk supply rather than meat. 
  • Hausa Tribe: Settled cultivators with a more advanced civilization, refraining from shifting cultivation and instead clearing and utilizing land for several years.
• Economic Activity
• Agriculture: Central Africa, northern Australia, and eastern Brazil have demonstrated the significant agricultural potential of savannas, 
  • Plantation Crops: Cotton, sugar cane, coffee, oil palm, groundnuts, and tropical fruits. 
    • Cotton: Countries like Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Malawi have embraced large-scale cotton production, 
    • West Africa focuses on groundnuts, oil palm, and cocoa cultivation in the savanna. 
• Cattle Rearing: Though savannas are natural cattle areas, but low grass quality often limits large-scale ranching, 
  • Cattle varieties yield little meat or milk, reducing the importance of beef or milk exports from tropical grasslands. 
  • Queensland: Embraced science and technology to become significant cattle producers, exporting both meat and milk.

Conclusion

The Savanna Climate, with its distinct temperature ranges and seasonal rainfall patterns, fosters a rich ecosystem of tall grasses, deciduous trees, and diverse wildlife. From the iconic elephant grass to umbrella-shaped trees, and from the Masai tribes of Kenya to the grass-eating herbivores and flesh-eating carnivores, the savanna exemplifies nature’s resilience and biodiversity in the face of environmental challenges.

DOWNLOAD PDF