Rainfall and Organisms

• The African savannah experiences two rainy seasons separated by a dry spell. The rainfall amount ranges between 30 and 60 inches depending on the season. These rainy and dry seasons support the ecosystem present in the savannah. The vegetation thrives during the rainy season; fires caused by lightning clear off the plant life in the dry season. The fires destroy the tree life, thus maintaining the grass vegetation that characterizes the savannah.
  
  

Plant Life

• The African savannah mainly consists of grass species, which have unique characteristics to adapt to the dry environment. This includes narrow leaves to avoid excessive loss of water through transpiration, and deep roots to enable them to find water in the depths of the soil. Examples of these grass species include maize, wheat and millet. During the dry seasons, these grasses shade their seeds on the soil; the seeds lie there until the wet season when they germinate.
  
  

Tree Life

• The tree species present in the African savannah are sparsely scattered throughout the grassland. The main tree species include the acacia tree, with its small leaves covered in a wax-like substance to avoid excessive loss of water. Additionally, it has a long root to enable it to get moisture deep in the soil. The baobab tree is another tree species in the savannah, which has a large trunk with a thick bark to store water; its branches barely have any leaves to avoid excess transpiration.
  
  

Herbivores

• The herbivorous animals present in the African savannah include zebras, wilder beasts, giraffes and elephants. These animals usually graze in groups to protect themselves from carnivores in the grasslands, and adapt to the savannah ecosystem in different ways. For example, giraffes with their long necks feed on the tree leaves and plant life on high places, while the zebras and gazelles feed on the grass on the ground. These animals usually migrate from one place to another, thus allowing the vegetation to grow back.
  
  

Carnivores and Other Animals

• The carnivorous animals who dominate the savanna include the lion, wild dogs, cheetahs and leopards; they feed on the herbivores to survive in the savannah. There are scavengers present in the savannah like vultures that feed on carcasses. Other animals, such as rodents, are usually found in underground burrows; insects, such as termites, make their own molds and survive on the savannah vegetation.