Abiotic Factors in the Savanna
Seasons:
In the Savanna there is a rainy season and a dry season. The rainy season lasts from September to March in the Northern Hemisphere, and May to November in the Southern Hemisphere. There is usually around 47 inches (almost 120cm) of rainfall in the rainy season which can result in floods.
The dry season lasts from April to September in the Northern Hemisphere, and October to March in the Southern Hemisphere. During the dry season there is only around 3 inches (7.5cm) of rainfall, resulting in a time of drought. Because it is so dry, fires sometimes appear unexpectedly.
The Savanna is one of the few ecosystems which have floods and wildfires. Although these natural events may seem dangerous, they help some biotic factors such as plants, by killing all the older plants so new ones can grow.
Soil:
The soil found in the savanna is called Laterite.Because of the alternate wet and dry seasons, the surface of the soil has a hard crust. When the hard crust is broken up, it is very hard and compact. When the soils are drained during the rainy season, the red colour in the soil comes from the iron oxide that remains. These soils contain few nutrients and are usually acidic. The hard layers in the soil stop drainage and make it difficult for the roots of plants to break through if the pH in the soil fails, the rate of decomposition will change because of the affect of the bacteria living in there.
Light:
Sunlight is a very important factor for all ecosystems, because of a very obvious reason. Every food chain begins with photosynthesis, and for photosynthesis to occur in green plants, the solar energy (which comes from the sun) is needed.
*See also Biotic and Abiotic Factors and Biotic Factors in the Savanna*
In the Savanna there is a rainy season and a dry season. The rainy season lasts from September to March in the Northern Hemisphere, and May to November in the Southern Hemisphere. There is usually around 47 inches (almost 120cm) of rainfall in the rainy season which can result in floods.
The dry season lasts from April to September in the Northern Hemisphere, and October to March in the Southern Hemisphere. During the dry season there is only around 3 inches (7.5cm) of rainfall, resulting in a time of drought. Because it is so dry, fires sometimes appear unexpectedly.
The Savanna is one of the few ecosystems which have floods and wildfires. Although these natural events may seem dangerous, they help some biotic factors such as plants, by killing all the older plants so new ones can grow.
Soil:
The soil found in the savanna is called Laterite.Because of the alternate wet and dry seasons, the surface of the soil has a hard crust. When the hard crust is broken up, it is very hard and compact. When the soils are drained during the rainy season, the red colour in the soil comes from the iron oxide that remains. These soils contain few nutrients and are usually acidic. The hard layers in the soil stop drainage and make it difficult for the roots of plants to break through if the pH in the soil fails, the rate of decomposition will change because of the affect of the bacteria living in there.
Light:
Sunlight is a very important factor for all ecosystems, because of a very obvious reason. Every food chain begins with photosynthesis, and for photosynthesis to occur in green plants, the solar energy (which comes from the sun) is needed.
*See also Biotic and Abiotic Factors and Biotic Factors in the Savanna*