Location and Classification

On a general scale, the African savannah forms a semicircle around the western central rainforest areas of Africa and is bordered by desert areas to the north and south.  Some major locations of African savanna on the continent are Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Congo, Orinoco River, Niger River

Present day Savannah regions in Africa

Classification

The African savannah ecosystem is composed of a number of different micro-savannah environments, which fall into a variety of classifications ranging from broadleaved savannas to woodland savannahs. 

Broadleaved savannas are found in the subhumid interior plateau region.  These savannahs are typically found on old, infertile soils that tend to be highly-weathered.

Fineleaved savannahs exist in semi-arid, low-lying regions, bordering the broadleaved savannah regions.  Fineleaved savannahs are nutrient-rich.

Sudan-type savannahs are found in northern Africa.  The grasses in these savannahs are xerophytic, meaning that they have adapted to an environment that lacks water.  Scattered with deciduous trees, Sudan-type savannahs form a transition with Saharan desert vegetation.

Guinea-type savannahs are savannah woodlands.  These are found primarily in eastern Africa and form a transition with evergreen moist forests.  Dominated by herbaceous plants, Guinea-type savannahs are also characterized by scattered trees and shrubs.

The final classification of African savannah is the “Miombo” woodland savannah, which occurs in southern Africa.  This micro-savannah environment is dotted by a number of distinctive tree species, including the Miombo trees, which fall into the Brachystegia genus.  These trees are endemic to the Miombo woodland savannah.

The various different types of savannah that coexist to make up the extremely diverse African savannah