| West Sudanian savanna | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Map of the West Sudanian savanna ecoregion | |
| Ecology | |
| Realm | Afrotropical |
| Biome | tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands |
| Borders | |
| Geography | |
| Area | 1,632,821 km2 (630,436 mi2) |
| Countries | |
| Conservation | |
| Conservation status | Critical/endangered |
| Protected | 233,942 km2 (14%)[1] |
TheWest Sudanian savanna is atropical savannaecoregion that extends acrossWest Africa.
The ecoregion stretches east and west across West Africa, from theAtlantic coast of Senegal to theMandara Mountains on Nigeria's eastern border.
The drierSahelian Acacia savanna lies to the north, and the more humidGuinean forest-savanna mosaic lies to the south.
The climate is atropical savanna climate and a hotsemi-arid climate (Köppen climate classificationAw andBSh) with a dry season and a wet season and the temperature being warm and hot year-round. Annual rainfall ranges from 1000 mm in the south to 600 mm in the north on the edge of the Sahel. Rainfall and temperature vary seasonally, with a hot rainy season from May to September, and a cooler dry season from October to April. Temperatures range from 30 °C to 33 °C during the hottest month, and 18 °C to 21 °C during the coolest month.[2]
| Climate data for Dakar, Senegal (1981–2010) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 39.6 (103.3) | 38.7 (101.7) | 40.4 (104.7) | 38.4 (101.1) | 36.2 (97.2) | 36.6 (97.9) | 36.9 (98.4) | 35.0 (95.0) | 36.2 (97.2) | 39.3 (102.7) | 40.3 (104.5) | 39.5 (103.1) | 40.4 (104.7) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 25.3 (77.5) | 25.2 (77.4) | 25.4 (77.7) | 25.0 (77.0) | 26.0 (78.8) | 28.6 (83.5) | 30.0 (86.0) | 30.3 (86.5) | 30.7 (87.3) | 31.0 (87.8) | 29.8 (85.6) | 27.4 (81.3) | 27.9 (82.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 18.3 (64.9) | 18.0 (64.4) | 18.5 (65.3) | 19.2 (66.6) | 20.7 (69.3) | 23.5 (74.3) | 25.1 (77.2) | 25.3 (77.5) | 25.2 (77.4) | 25.3 (77.5) | 23.3 (73.9) | 21.0 (69.8) | 22.0 (71.6) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 11.0 (51.8) | 10.7 (51.3) | 10.9 (51.6) | 14.0 (57.2) | 15.4 (59.7) | 17.0 (62.6) | 17.2 (63.0) | 20.0 (68.0) | 20.0 (68.0) | 17.2 (63.0) | 17.0 (62.6) | 12.4 (54.3) | 10.7 (51.3) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 1.0 (0.04) | 2.0 (0.08) | 0.3 (0.01) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.1 (0.00) | 14.0 (0.55) | 51.0 (2.01) | 154.0 (6.06) | 133.0 (5.24) | 26.0 (1.02) | 9.2 (0.36) | 1.0 (0.04) | 391.6 (15.41) |
| Average rainy days | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 3.0 | 8.0 | 15.0 | 12.0 | 4.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 47.6 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 68 | 74 | 77 | 81 | 81 | 80 | 78 | 81 | 83 | 80 | 72 | 68 | 77 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 244.9 | 245.8 | 276.0 | 288.0 | 291.4 | 252.0 | 232.5 | 223.2 | 219.0 | 257.3 | 249.0 | 238.7 | 3,017.8 |
| Percentagepossible sunshine | 70 | 74 | 74 | 74 | 73 | 65 | 58 | 57 | 60 | 70 | 73 | 69 | 68 |
| Source 1: Pogoda.ru.net[3] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2:Spiegel Online Wetter[4] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Bamako (1950–2000, extremes 1949–2015) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 38.9 (102.0) | 42.8 (109.0) | 43.9 (111.0) | 43.5 (110.3) | 45.0 (113.0) | 42.0 (107.6) | 40.0 (104.0) | 37.8 (100.0) | 38.4 (101.1) | 38.9 (102.0) | 42.0 (107.6) | 40.0 (104.0) | 45.0 (113.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 33.4 (92.1) | 36.4 (97.5) | 38.5 (101.3) | 39.6 (103.3) | 38.5 (101.3) | 35.3 (95.5) | 32.1 (89.8) | 31.1 (88.0) | 32.2 (90.0) | 34.6 (94.3) | 35.3 (95.5) | 33.4 (92.1) | 35.0 (95.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 17.0 (62.6) | 19.9 (67.8) | 22.9 (73.2) | 25.2 (77.4) | 25.4 (77.7) | 23.6 (74.5) | 22.2 (72.0) | 21.8 (71.2) | 21.6 (70.9) | 21.3 (70.3) | 18.4 (65.1) | 16.8 (62.2) | 21.3 (70.3) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 8.7 (47.7) | 9.0 (48.2) | 12.0 (53.6) | 15.8 (60.4) | 17.8 (64.0) | 16.1 (61.0) | 17.5 (63.5) | 17.2 (63.0) | 18.0 (64.4) | 14.7 (58.5) | 10.8 (51.4) | 6.0 (42.8) | 6.0 (42.8) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 0.6 (0.02) | 0.7 (0.03) | 2.1 (0.08) | 19.7 (0.78) | 54.1 (2.13) | 132.1 (5.20) | 224.1 (8.82) | 290.2 (11.43) | 195.9 (7.71) | 66.1 (2.60) | 5.2 (0.20) | 0.5 (0.02) | 991.3 (39.03) |
| Average rainy days(≥ 0.1 mm) | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 3.3 | 6.3 | 7.7 | 16.7 | 17.9 | 14.7 | 5.7 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 73.7 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 24 | 20 | 22 | 33 | 50 | 67 | 77 | 81 | 78 | 65 | 38 | 27 | 49 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 277.4 | 253.0 | 268.1 | 230.4 | 242.6 | 233.6 | 216.6 | 218.3 | 221.7 | 253.7 | 270.7 | 268.6 | 2,954.7 |
| Source 1:World Meteorological Organization[5] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: NOAA (sun 1961–1990),[6]Deutscher Wetterdienst (extremes and humidity)[7] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Ouagadougou (1971-2000, extremes 1902-present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 39.8 (103.6) | 42.3 (108.1) | 43.8 (110.8) | 46.1 (115.0) | 44.5 (112.1) | 41.3 (106.3) | 38.8 (101.8) | 36.6 (97.9) | 38.6 (101.5) | 41.0 (105.8) | 40.5 (104.9) | 40.1 (104.2) | 46.1 (115.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 32.9 (91.2) | 35.8 (96.4) | 38.3 (100.9) | 39.3 (102.7) | 37.7 (99.9) | 34.7 (94.5) | 32.1 (89.8) | 31.1 (88.0) | 32.5 (90.5) | 35.6 (96.1) | 35.9 (96.6) | 33.4 (92.1) | 34.9 (94.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 16.5 (61.7) | 19.1 (66.4) | 23.5 (74.3) | 26.4 (79.5) | 26.1 (79.0) | 24.1 (75.4) | 22.8 (73.0) | 22.2 (72.0) | 22.4 (72.3) | 23.0 (73.4) | 19.6 (67.3) | 16.9 (62.4) | 21.9 (71.4) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 8.5 (47.3) | 10.4 (50.7) | 14.8 (58.6) | 16.2 (61.2) | 17.0 (62.6) | 17.0 (62.6) | 15.0 (59.0) | 17.9 (64.2) | 17.6 (63.7) | 17.6 (63.7) | 13.0 (55.4) | 9.5 (49.1) | 8.5 (47.3) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 0.1 (0.00) | 0.5 (0.02) | 5.9 (0.23) | 26.5 (1.04) | 66.8 (2.63) | 97.5 (3.84) | 176.2 (6.94) | 214.2 (8.43) | 121.2 (4.77) | 33.5 (1.32) | 1.2 (0.05) | 0.2 (0.01) | 743.8 (29.28) |
| Average rainy days(≥ 0.1 mm) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 10 | 14 | 16 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 68 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 24 | 21 | 22 | 36 | 50 | 64 | 72 | 80 | 77 | 60 | 38 | 29 | 48 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 287 | 263 | 264 | 256 | 277 | 264 | 240 | 223 | 217 | 273 | 288 | 284 | 3,136 |
| Source 1:World Meteorological Organization,[8] Meteo Climat (record highs and lows)[9] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2:Deutscher Wetterdienst (humidity, 1961–1967, and sun, 1961–1990)[10][11][a] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Niamey, Niger (1961–1990, extremes: 1961–2015) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 38.2 (100.8) | 44.0 (111.2) | 45.0 (113.0) | 45.6 (114.1) | 45.1 (113.2) | 43.5 (110.3) | 41.0 (105.8) | 39.6 (103.3) | 41.8 (107.2) | 41.2 (106.2) | 40.7 (105.3) | 40.0 (104.0) | 45.6 (114.1) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 32.5 (90.5) | 35.7 (96.3) | 39.1 (102.4) | 40.9 (105.6) | 40.2 (104.4) | 37.2 (99.0) | 34.0 (93.2) | 33.0 (91.4) | 34.4 (93.9) | 37.8 (100.0) | 36.2 (97.2) | 33.3 (91.9) | 36.2 (97.2) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 24.3 (75.7) | 27.3 (81.1) | 30.9 (87.6) | 33.8 (92.8) | 34.0 (93.2) | 31.5 (88.7) | 29.0 (84.2) | 27.9 (82.2) | 29.0 (84.2) | 30.8 (87.4) | 27.9 (82.2) | 25.0 (77.0) | 29.3 (84.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 16.1 (61.0) | 19.0 (66.2) | 22.9 (73.2) | 26.5 (79.7) | 27.7 (81.9) | 25.7 (78.3) | 24.1 (75.4) | 23.2 (73.8) | 23.6 (74.5) | 24.2 (75.6) | 19.5 (67.1) | 16.7 (62.1) | 22.4 (72.3) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 12.6 (54.7) | 14.3 (57.7) | 18.0 (64.4) | 21.6 (70.9) | 22.6 (72.7) | 20.5 (68.9) | 20.0 (68.0) | 20.2 (68.4) | 20.3 (68.5) | 15.8 (60.4) | 13.0 (55.4) | 12.6 (54.7) | 12.6 (54.7) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 3.9 (0.15) | 5.7 (0.22) | 34.7 (1.37) | 68.8 (2.71) | 154.3 (6.07) | 170.8 (6.72) | 92.2 (3.63) | 9.7 (0.38) | 0.7 (0.03) | 0.0 (0.0) | 540.8 (21.28) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 2.9 | 5.9 | 9.9 | 12.2 | 7.4 | 1.6 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 41 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 22 | 17 | 18 | 27 | 42 | 55 | 67 | 74 | 73 | 53 | 34 | 27 | 42 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 280 | 264 | 264 | 251 | 257 | 251 | 238 | 203 | 228 | 285 | 285 | 276 | 3,082 |
| Source 1:Deutscher Wetterdienst[12] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2:Danish Meteorological Institute[13] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Maiduguri | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 40 (104) | 42 (108) | 44 (111) | 46 (115) | 47 (117) | 42 (108) | 43 (109) | 36 (97) | 38 (100) | 39 (102) | 39 (102) | 38 (100) | 47 (117) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 31.9 (89.4) | 34.6 (94.3) | 37.8 (100.0) | 40.1 (104.2) | 39.4 (102.9) | 36.4 (97.5) | 33.2 (91.8) | 32.0 (89.6) | 33.7 (92.7) | 36.4 (97.5) | 34.2 (93.6) | 32.3 (90.1) | 35.2 (95.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 21.8 (71.2) | 24.8 (76.6) | 29.3 (84.7) | 32.6 (90.7) | 32.5 (90.5) | 30.2 (86.4) | 27.5 (81.5) | 26.6 (79.9) | 27.2 (81.0) | 27.9 (82.2) | 24.9 (76.8) | 23.2 (73.8) | 27.4 (81.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 12.6 (54.7) | 15.3 (59.5) | 19.7 (67.5) | 21.9 (71.4) | 25.5 (77.9) | 24.5 (76.1) | 22.9 (73.2) | 22.3 (72.1) | 22.4 (72.3) | 20.7 (69.3) | 16.0 (60.8) | 13.1 (55.6) | 19.9 (67.8) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 8 (46) | 10 (50) | 15 (59) | 12 (54) | 18 (64) | 19 (66) | 20 (68) | 19 (66) | 20 (68) | 15 (59) | 10 (50) | 5 (41) | 5 (41) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.3 (0.01) | 13.0 (0.51) | 30.5 (1.20) | 73.8 (2.91) | 147.1 (5.79) | 193.2 (7.61) | 83.0 (3.27) | 11.1 (0.44) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.1 (0.00) | 552.1 (21.74) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 1.6 | 4.0 | 7.0 | 10.7 | 10.7 | 6.8 | 1.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 42.7 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%)(at 15:00LST) | 15.4 | 11.2 | 12.0 | 17.5 | 28.4 | 38.4 | 55.5 | 63.4 | 54.8 | 30.2 | 19.0 | 19.6 | 30.2 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 266.6 | 249.2 | 257.3 | 237.0 | 263.5 | 249.0 | 217.0 | 204.6 | 225.0 | 285.2 | 282.0 | 275.9 | 3,012.3 |
| Mean dailysunshine hours | 8.6 | 8.9 | 8.3 | 7.9 | 8.5 | 8.3 | 7.0 | 6.6 | 7.5 | 9.2 | 9.4 | 8.9 | 8.3 |
| Source 1: NOAA,[14]Climate Charts (latitude: 11°51'N; longitude: 013°05'E; elevation:354m, 1161')[15] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2:Voodoo Skies for record temperatures[16] | |||||||||||||
Savanna and open woodland are the characteristic vegetation types. Species ofCombretum andTerminalia are the typical savanna trees, and the ground is covered with long grasses, herbs, and shrubs. Species ofHyparrhenia, or elephant grass, is the predominant grass, and often grows 1 meter or more in height. Trees in the drier woodlands generally less than 10 meters high, and includeAnogeissus spp. withAcacia spp.,Balanites aegyptiaca,Combretum glutinosum,Commiphora africana,Prosopis africana,Tamarindus indica, andZiziphus mucronata. Many trees lose their leaves during the height of the dry season, and the grasses often dry out.[2]
Acacia is less common in the wetter woodlands in higher-rainfall areas and along watercourses, whereAfzelia africana,Burkea africana,Combretum spp. andTerminalia spp. are predominant. Smaller areas ofIsoberlinia woodland occur in more humid portions of the southern ecoregion.[2]
The ecoregion is home to many large mammals, includingAfrican bush elephant (Loxodonta africana),West African giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis peralta),giant eland (Taurotragus derbianus derbianus),roan antelope (Hippotragus equinus),African buffalo (Syncerus caffer brachyceros),lion (Panthera leo),leopard (Panthera pardus)cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), andAfrican wild dog (Lycaon pictus). Most large mammals are now very limited in range and numbers.[2]
A 2017 assessment found that 233,942 km2, or 14%, of the ecoregion is in protected areas.[1]
Media related toWest Sudanian savanna at Wikimedia Commons