The Savanna biome could change to undesirable exotic forests in the coming years. This is all thanks to a changing climate, coupled with an increasing population, leading to a decline in natural lands.
Trees are scarce in Southern Africa’s largest biome, which spans across South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe.
South African ecologist, Professor William Bond, said as carbon dioxide (CO2) increases, causing seedlings to thicken, managing the savannah with fire, as is mandatory, will become even tougher.
He spoke at a session presented by the Oppenheimer Generations Research and Conservation, titled “managing African grassy biome.”
“As fires are suppressed, trees increase and take over grasslands.”
The tipping point is where there is insufficient grassy fuel to support the fire, leading to a regime shift from savannah to forest.
African savanna has vegetation rich enough to support mammals such as elephants, zebras, giraffes, lions and cheetahs.
Endemic plants include Rhodes grass, red oats grass, star grass, lemon grass, and some shrubs.
Bond said “several tipping elements in the climate system, now show greater changes than were recognized a decade ago.”
Greenland is fast losing ice. There is massive reduction of area as permafrost is thawing parts of the Arctic sea.
In North America, fire and pest regime is changing. In South America, what is described as unprecedented drought has been ongoing for the last 15 years or so.
So what can be done to ensure we do not lose the Savanna?
Bond says although Africa is a minor contributor to GHG emissions (4%), we must develop our own adaptation and own responses and rules.
Picture: Sciencing