Which term refers to a tropical grassland with shrubs and few trees typical of the Sahel?

Which term refers to a tropical grassland with shrubs and few trees typical of the Sahel?

• A. Savanna
• B. Desert
• C. Rainforest
• D. Taiga

Answer: (A)

Recognizing different ecosystem types by climate and vegetation helps explain why the Sahel fits a savanna. A savanna is a tropical grassland with grasses as the dominant vegetation and only scattered shrubs and trees, kept open by seasonal rainfall and sometimes fire. The Sahel, a semi-arid belt just south of the Sahara, has warm temperatures year-round with a pronounced dry season and a wet season, which supports grasses with a few drought-tolerant trees rather than a continuous forest. This contrasts with a desert, where rainfall is extremely scarce; a rainforest, with dense, continuous tree cover and high rainfall; and a taiga, which is a cold, coniferous forest. So the tropical grassland with shrubs and few trees typical of the Sahel is best described as a savanna.

Recognizing different ecosystem types by climate and vegetation helps explain why the Sahel fits a savanna. A savanna is a tropical grassland with grasses as the dominant vegetation and only scattered shrubs and trees, kept open by seasonal rainfall and sometimes fire. The Sahel, a semi-arid belt just south of the Sahara, has warm temperatures year-round with a pronounced dry season and a wet season, which supports grasses with a few drought-tolerant trees rather than a continuous forest. This contrasts with a desert, where rainfall is extremely scarce; a rainforest, with dense, continuous tree cover and high rainfall; and a taiga, which is a cold, coniferous forest. So the tropical grassland with shrubs and few trees typical of the Sahel is best described as a savanna.