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Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands are a grassland biome located in semi-arid to semi-humid climate regions of subtropical and tropical latitudes. Grasslands are dominated by grass and other herbaceous plants. Savannas are grasslands with scattered trees. Shrublands are dominated by woody or herbaceous shrubs.
Rainfall in tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands is between 50 and 150 centimeters (20 to 60 inches) a year[citation needed] , and can be highly seasonal, with the entire year's rainfall sometimes occurring within a couple of weeks. Much of the plant life on savannas is adapted to seasonal aridity. Adaptations to the dry climate include herbaceous annuals, which die in the dry season and re-grow from seed each year, and perennial plants which grow long tap roots to reach groundwater, or bulbs to store water.
Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands occur on all continents but Antarctica. They are widespread on Africa, and are also found in India, the northern parts of South America and Australia, and the southern United States.
African Savannas occur between forest or woodland regions and grassland regions. The climate varies, with an average temperature of 27°C with peaks of 30°C in April and October, and between 50 and 150 centimetres of rain per year. Flora includes:
- Acacia (Tree)
- Loses leaves in dry season to conserve moisture
- Leafy canopy in rainy season (flattened by winds)
- Baobab (Tree)
- Stores water in trunk
- Thick bark to protect it from fires in dry season
- Long Tap roots to reach underground moisture
- Few leaves to reduce water loss through transpiration
- Grass
- Grow Quickly to 3 or 4 meters in clumps
- Shoots die in dry season leaving only roots
- Low Shrubs
- Drought resistant
- Small
- Thorns not leaves
[edit] Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands ecoregions
| Afrotropic Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands edit |
| Angolan Miombo woodlands |
Angola |
| Angolan Mopane woodlands |
Angola, Namibia |
| Ascension scrub and grasslands |
Ascension Island |
| Central Zambezian Miombo woodlands |
Angola, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia |
| East Sudanian savanna |
Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia Sudan, Uganda |
| Eastern Miombo woodlands |
Mozambique, Tanzania |
| Guinean forest-savanna mosaic |
Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Côte d'Ivoire, |-
Nigeria, Senegal, Togo
|
| Itigi-Sumbu thicket |
Tanzania, Zambia |
| Kalahari Acacia-Baikiaea woodlands |
Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe |
| Mandara Plateau mosaic |
Cameroon, Nigeria |
| Northern Acacia-Commiphora bushlands and thickets |
Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, Uganda |
| Northern Congolian forest-savanna mosaic |
Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, Uganda |
| Sahelian Acacia savanna |
Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan |
| Serengeti volcanic grasslands |
Tanzania |
| Somali Acacia-Commiphora bushlands and thickets |
Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan |
| Southern Acacia-Commiphora bushlands and thickets |
Kenya, Tanzania |
| Southern Africa bushveld |
Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe |
| Southern Congolian forest-savanna mosaic |
Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Southern Miombo woodlands |
Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe |
| Saint Helena scrub and woodlands |
Saint Helena |
| Victoria Basin forest-savanna mosaic |
Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda |
| West Sudanian savanna |
Benin, Burkina Faso, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal |
| Western Congolian forest-savanna mosaic |
Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo |
| Western Zambezian grasslands |
Angola, Zambia |
| Zambezian and Mopane woodlands |
Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe |
| Zambezian Baikiaea woodlands |
Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe |
| Neotropic Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands edit |
| Arid Chaco |
Argentina |
| Beni savanna |
Bolivia |
| Campos Rupestres montane savanna |
Brazil |
| Cerrado |
Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay |
| Clipperton Island shrub and grasslands |
Clipperton Island is an overseas territory of France |
| Córdoba montane savanna |
Argentina |
| Guyanan savanna |
Brazil, Guyana, Venezuela |
| Humid Chaco |
Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay |
| Llanos |
Colombia, Venezuela |
| Uruguayan savanna |
Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay |
| Oceania Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands edit |
| Hawaii tropical high shrublands |
Hawaii |
| Hawaii tropical low shrublands |
Hawaii |
| Northwestern Hawaii scrub |
Hawaii |
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