Environmental Issues

The ecosystem of Subtropical Savannas is diverse. Though it may seem as just dry grasslands and scattered watering holes, mammals and flora flourish in this vast landscape where a variety of life thrive. Unfortunately harm comes to the savannas due to increase in human needs and wants. Continuous plowing of emergent villages decrease the grazing grounds of gazelles and wildebeests. People over graze their livestock and kill wild game that poses dangers to their domestic animals. Excessive burning by humans do not only destroy grass food for these wild herbivores but pose risks on biodiversity found on the top soil of the savannas which includes dessert loving insects, worms and other small reptiles. These activities alter natural communities unnaturally thereby killing diversity that is crucial in the ecosystems sustainability.

The world is lush in its savanna grasslands. Nepal for example has classified the  grass species that is calling out for conservation. In a study by Peet in 1999, A classification of the grasslands in four protected areas in Nepal is presented. Two hundred and forty six plant species were recorded and nine species assemblages, with eight phases, were identified. Royal Chitwan National Park contained the greatest diversity of assemblages, whilst Royal Bardia National Park and Royal Suklaphanta Wildlife Reserve, were of conservation significance for the occurrence of an Imperata cylindrica assemblage and its associated fauna.

More places in the world are threatened. With advanced technology, humans have the capacity of venturing into these subtropical savannas that to a unsuspecting economist, is just a vast wasteland waiting to be developed into a subdivision, a city or a luxurious dwelling area for humans, not knowing of the rich life taking place in the savanna night and day.