African elephants (Loxodonta africana), Manoro-Gounda-St. Floris, Central African Republic Photograph by Richard W. Carroll   Central Africa Tropical and Subtropical Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands   354,300 square miles (917,600 square kilometers) -- about twice the size of California Critical/Endangered

· Footprints in the Savanna
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
More Photos

Footprints in the Savanna

This is a land where the heavy footfalls of black and white rhinoceroses could once be heard. Today, both have disappeared from this hot, dry savanna. The ecoregionās other large resident, the elephant, may disappear as well if adequate conservation measures are not enacted in time.

Special Features

The most notable plant species of the savanna ecoregion is named for its largest mammal÷"elephant" grass. The long grass is found growing alongside shrubs and herbs, which form an understory for stands of trees. More than 1,000 endemic species of plants can be found here in all. The ecoregion is mainly flat, with a climate that is tropical and highly seasonal. Average high temperatures range from 86 to 91¼F (30 ö 33¼C) and lows fall in the mid- to high 60s (18 ö 21¼C). Annual rainfall is as high as 40 inches (1,000 mm) in the south. During the rainy season, which lasts from April to October, large areas of southern Chad and northern Central African Republic become totally flooded and inaccessible. During the dry season, however, most of the trees lose their leaves, and the grasses dry up and often burn.

	The white rhinoceros is actually gray. Its name derives from the Dutch word "weit," which means "wide," a reference to the rhinoās wide, square snout especially adapted for grazing.

Wild Side

Although the herds of elephants seen in Chad and Central African Republic are large, the mammal is one of this ecoregionās most threatened species. Wild dogs, cheetahs, and lions can be seen prowling across the dry landscape as well÷but they too are threatened. Lucky observers might also spot a herd of eastern giant elands and roan antelopes. Both the black rhinoceros and the white rhinoceros have been extirpated throughout the ecoregion, although some occasional sightings of the black species have been reported. Only one strictly endemic bird can be found here÷the Reichenowās firefinch÷alongside a single endemic mammal species, a mouse, and one endemic reptile. Another rare species is Homo sapiens÷only a handful of people per square mile inhabit this sparsely populated ecoregion.

Cause for Concern

The Eastern Sudanian Savanna is primarily threatened by the agricultural and herding activities of the local populations. Pressures include seasonal cultivation, overgrazing by livestock, felling of trees and bushes for wood, burning wood for charcoal, and uncontrolled wildfires. Poaching of wildlife is a particular problem in politically unstable areas such as southern Sudan. For this ecoregionās species to survive, stronger conservation measures need to be put in place, and large mammals such as the black rhinoceros need to be reintroduced to their former range.

For more information on this ecoregion, go to the World Wildlife Fund Scientific Report.