Difference between revisions of "Savanna (range)"

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'''Savanna''' is a mixed woodland-grassland environment characterized by trees spread sufficiently wide apart so that the canopy does not close.  The tree density may be high and regularly spaced, or trees may be widely scattered.  The prevalence of large herbivorous creatures and seasonal periods of fire ensure that there is little ground scrub, but fast-growing grasses may reach to six feet.  These areas are found in the central parts of continents, away from the coasts, between 5° and 15° from either side of the equator.
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[[File:Savanna.2.jpg|right|490px]]
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'''Savanna''' is a mixed woodland-grassland environment characterized by trees spread sufficiently wide apart so that the canopy does not close.  The tree density may be high and regularly spaced, or trees may be widely scattered.  The prevalence of large herbivorous creatures and seasonal periods of fire ensure that there is little ground shrubs, but fast-growing grasses commonly grow to six feet (elephant grass may reach ten feet).  These areas are found in the central parts of continents, away from the coasts, between 5° and 15° from either side of the equator.
  
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The savanna climate has a distinctive wet season from May to October, with rainfall equalling that of the Equatorial rainforest; the dry season is desert-like, lasting from November to April.  This cycle is determined by the location of the Trade Winds, which delineates a '''parkland savanna''', with many trees, from a '''dry savanna''', with scattered trees, or a '''parched savanna''' where trees occur hardly at all upon a sandy, scrub-covered soil.  These degrees of savanna form as belts along the south edge of the Sahara desert in Africa, from south to north:
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The savanna climate has a distinctive wet season from May to October, with rainfall equalling that of the Equatorial rainforest; the dry season is desert-like, lasting from November to April.  This cycle is determined by the location of the Trade Winds, which delineates a '''parkland savanna''', with many trees, from a '''dry savanna''', with scattered trees, or a '''parched savanna''' where trees occur hardly at all upon a sandy, scrub-covered soil.  Most water entering the ground goes to replacing soil moisture instead of adding to groundwater; in the dry season, this water evaporates away, so that wells and water holes will run dry, forcing persons to rely on large water sources or stored water for months at a time.
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== Conditions ==
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At night, as the air cools, the savanna grass grows damp, so that the surface must be covered in order to bed down for the night; tents are far safer than laying in the open air.  Natives will lay dry leaves down against the damp.  Wood for fires must be obtained directly from the trees, using machetes, which are better than axes because of the hardness of the wood.  Cargos and supplies must be raised above the ground, to keep from rotting; burdens are supported on matted branches or hammocks tied between trees.  Stinging insects are everywhere and must be fended off with gauze curtains; this reduces the effects of insect-borne diseases, such as sleeping sickness or malaria, as well.
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== Savanna Belts ==
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Savanna depends much upon the amount of ground water available; bands of different types occur along the south edge of [[the Sahara Desert]] in Africa, from south to north:
  
 
[[File:Savanna.1.png|center|760px]]
 
[[File:Savanna.1.png|center|760px]]
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The land enables a culture that is a mixture of pastoralists and agriculturalists, whose identity is affected by the sprawling plains that encourage nomadism.  The presence or absence of water exerts a strong influence over local culture, with the former creating cities, lush environments and irrigated cultivation, and the latter demanding trials in managing flocks that are herded over fast-denuded sparse grazing lands.  Herders will burn large tracts to improve grazing quality and enlarge the grasslands at the expense of woodlands.
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== Major Savannas ==
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A list of the most extensive savannas in the world:
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<div style="column-count:3;-moz-column-count:3;-webkit-column-count:3">
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* [[Arnhem & Cape York]] - undiscovered Australia
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* [[Caatinga]] - dry savanna, interior northeastern Brazil
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* [[Cerrado]] - central Brazilian plateau
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* [[Chapparal]] - California and Baja Peninsula
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* [[Gran Chaco]] - lowland natural region of the Rio de la Plata
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* [[Horn of Africa]] - dry savanna in far east Africa
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* [[Llanos Orinoco]] - sedimentary basin in Venezuela
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* [[Mexican Altiplano]] - dry savanna, north and central Mexico
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* [[Middle Salween Basin]] - central Burma
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* [[Puna]] - highland plateau in Peru
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* [[Riverina & Darling River Basin]] - undiscovered Australia
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* [[Sahel]] - progressive savannas from Senegal to Sudan
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* [[Serengeti]] - east Africa along the Great Rift Valley
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* [[South Congo Basin]] - dense savanna between the Congo and Angola
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* [[Southwest Australian Savanna]]
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</div>
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== Common Features ==
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A list of elements and features that may be found in savanna ranges:
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<div style="column-count:4;-moz-column-count:4;-webkit-column-count:4">
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* [[Border Post]]
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* [[Camp]]
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* [[Caravansary]]
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* [[Cultivation]]
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* [[Dry Riverbed]]
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* [[Fort]]
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* [[Gulley]]
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* [[Hummock Meadow]]
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* [[Lake]]
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* [[Locust Swarm]]
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* [[Mine]]
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* [[Natural Orchard]]
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* [[Pond]]
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* [[Quarry]]
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* [[Rocky Knoll]]
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* [[Ruin]]
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* [[Sandpit]]
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* [[Termite Mound]]
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* [[Thorn Forest]]
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* [[Trading Post]]
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* [[Village]]
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* [[Watering Hole]]
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* [[Wildlife Garden]]
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</div>
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<br>
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== Savanna Creatures ==
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A list of monsters that may be found in savanna ranges:
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<div style="column-count:4;-moz-column-count:4;-webkit-column-count:4">
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* [[Ankheg]]
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* [[Asiatic Elephant]]
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* [[Axe Beak]]
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* [[Bat (giant)]]
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* [[Black Ant (giant)]]
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* [[Boa Constrictor (giant)]]
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* [[Boar (wild)]]
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* [[Bonesnapper]]
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* [[Bulette]]
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* [[Bull Ant (giant)]]
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* [[Carnivorous Ape]]
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* [[Cheetah]]
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* [[Couatl]]
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* [[Cougar]]
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* [[Crocodile]]
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* [[Dog (wild)]]
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* [[Dragonne]]
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* [[Emu]]
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* [[Frog (huge)]]
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* [[Golden Jackal]]
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* [[Griffon]]
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* [[Hill Giant]]
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* [[Hippogriff]]
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* [[Hippopotamus]]
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* [[Hyena]]
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* [[Hylochloerus]]
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* [[Jackalwere]]
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* [[Jaguar]]
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* [[Lamassu]]
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* [[Leopard]]
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* [[Lion]]
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* [[Lizardfolk]]
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* [[Mandrill]]
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* [[Megalania Lizard]]
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* [[Spotted Lion]]
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* [[Violet Fungus]]
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* [[Warthog]]
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</div>
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See [[List of Ranges]]

Latest revision as of 19:53, 23 November 2023

Savanna.2.jpg

Savanna is a mixed woodland-grassland environment characterized by trees spread sufficiently wide apart so that the canopy does not close. The tree density may be high and regularly spaced, or trees may be widely scattered. The prevalence of large herbivorous creatures and seasonal periods of fire ensure that there is little ground shrubs, but fast-growing grasses commonly grow to six feet (elephant grass may reach ten feet). These areas are found in the central parts of continents, away from the coasts, between 5° and 15° from either side of the equator.

The savanna climate has a distinctive wet season from May to October, with rainfall equalling that of the Equatorial rainforest; the dry season is desert-like, lasting from November to April. This cycle is determined by the location of the Trade Winds, which delineates a parkland savanna, with many trees, from a dry savanna, with scattered trees, or a parched savanna where trees occur hardly at all upon a sandy, scrub-covered soil. Most water entering the ground goes to replacing soil moisture instead of adding to groundwater; in the dry season, this water evaporates away, so that wells and water holes will run dry, forcing persons to rely on large water sources or stored water for months at a time.

Conditions

At night, as the air cools, the savanna grass grows damp, so that the surface must be covered in order to bed down for the night; tents are far safer than laying in the open air. Natives will lay dry leaves down against the damp. Wood for fires must be obtained directly from the trees, using machetes, which are better than axes because of the hardness of the wood. Cargos and supplies must be raised above the ground, to keep from rotting; burdens are supported on matted branches or hammocks tied between trees. Stinging insects are everywhere and must be fended off with gauze curtains; this reduces the effects of insect-borne diseases, such as sleeping sickness or malaria, as well.

Savanna Belts

Savanna depends much upon the amount of ground water available; bands of different types occur along the south edge of the Sahara Desert in Africa, from south to north:

Savanna.1.png

The land enables a culture that is a mixture of pastoralists and agriculturalists, whose identity is affected by the sprawling plains that encourage nomadism. The presence or absence of water exerts a strong influence over local culture, with the former creating cities, lush environments and irrigated cultivation, and the latter demanding trials in managing flocks that are herded over fast-denuded sparse grazing lands. Herders will burn large tracts to improve grazing quality and enlarge the grasslands at the expense of woodlands.


Major Savannas

A list of the most extensive savannas in the world:


Common Features

A list of elements and features that may be found in savanna ranges:


Savanna Creatures

A list of monsters that may be found in savanna ranges:


See List of Ranges

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