122 



TROPICAL SAVANAS 



owing to the great power of the sun, bush fires are 

 frequent, and often have devastating effects. 



The type of vegetation naturally varies in the 

 different regions in which savanas occur. In Africa 

 the mighty baobab {Adansonia digitata) is conspicuous 

 among the trees. It stores water in its thick trunk, 



-^ 



L 



•~^, .-^ViT^'' 



Fia. 34. Savana, with scattered acacias, on the margin of the desert 

 in Kordofan. {Photo hy Capt. Lloyd.) 



and becomes leafless in the dry season. Other important 

 trees are thorny acacias, whose foUage is reUshed by the 

 giraffe, various species of cactus-hke Euphorbia, palms, 

 and so forth. Various kinds of grasses occur, and often 

 grow to a great height, forming dense thickets, which 

 offer much shelter, while thorny and xerophilous plants 

 are of course frequent. In the savanas of the other 



