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Global Warming & Its Effects on Savannas

Global warming has the potential to change the climate conditions that contribute to the savanna's unique landscape. A savanna is a grassland that relies on dry and wet seasons to maintain its vegetation. Savannas usually consist of large areas of grass, with a few tall trees. Some receive more annual rain than others, but several animal species live off its vegetation. A rise in global temperatures directly affects the amount of rainfall that occurs in savannas. Drastic increases or decreases in the amount of rainfall could destroy the vegetation and cause several species to become extinct.

  1. Rainfall Increases

    • Global warming could change the amount of rainfall that savannas receive each year. The dry season might be eliminated, causing the amount of trees and shrubs to overtake the grassland. Stable savannas receive less rain per year, which limits tree growth and allows the grass to grow. Unstable savannas receive more annual rain, but the dry seasons helps balance the amount of tree growth. During dry seasons, lightning strikes often occur in tropical savannas, resulting in the natural destruction of taller trees. Animal grazing in the grasslands also helps control the amount of new trees.

    Tropical Rain Forest

    • If rainfall increases significantly and trees begin to overtake the vegetation of savannas, it is believed that they will become tropical rain forests. Without the balance between grassland and trees, the food supply of several animal species might be affected. Some of these species include elephants, giraffes and lions. These animals might be forced to find new habitats to survive. There is the chance that they won't all be able to locate an adequate food supply and would face potential extinction.

    Plant Extinction

    • Besides the potential extinction of animal species, several plant species that are unique to savannas could be threatened by global warming. A disturbance in the amount of rainfall might cause plants and trees that exist only in certain regions of the world to disappear. According to Paul Brown's article titled "An Unnatural Disaster: Global Warming to Kill off 1 Million Species," which ran in the UK's Guardian newspaper in 2004, up to 70 species of plants that grow only in the Brazilian Savanna would die off. It is thought that these extinctions would have a direct impact on the atmosphere's water and carbon cycle.

    Drought

    • Some models predict that global warming could cause increased periods of drought in some savannas. Severe droughts could lead to some of the same problems that increased rainfall would. A decrease in vegetation might lead to famine and the loss of a suitable habitat for the animals that reside in the savannas.

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