Dave Taylor's African Safari: Abiotic Factors of the Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem - Altitude

Abiotic Factors of the Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem
Altitude
Page 9

Summary

The higher in altitude a region is, the cooler it will be. The Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem lies between 1 500 and 2 000 meters (4,900 and 6,500 feet) above sea level. This means that its daily temperatures are cooler than nearby places located at lower altitudes. It is hotter in Mombasa and Zanzibar than it is here.

Climate Rules

There is a rule of climate which states that the higher the altitude, the colder the climate. Early explorers returned from East Africa in the 1800s with stories of seeing snow on the Equator. They were not believed. Everyone knew that it was too hot on the Equator for snow to fall. Today, we know that not only is there snowfall on the tops of Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya, there are also glaciers.

Cool air at high altitudes also cools moisture-laden air causing it to condense and fall as rain.

The Serengeti-Mara ecosystem is part of the high interior plateau of East Africa. At its highest, it is 1 850 meters (6,069 feet) on the eastern plains near the Gol Mountains. From there, it slopes gently to the western boundary near Lake Victoria where the altitude is 920 meters (3,000 feet).

Surrounding the area on three sides are higher hills, volcanic highlands or walls. These areas get more rainfall than the lower plains because they force the air masses blowing in from the Indian Ocean to cool and drop their moisture. They are the source of the year-round rivers that flow through the area, notably the Mara River. These also feed the seasonal rivers extending their lives before drought finally dries them up.

Since the Mara region is higher to begin with, it receives more rain than do the other parts of the ecosystem. It also experiences slightly cooler nights. While the Mara has more treed areas, there certainly are parts of the Serengeti that are high enough to support tree growth too.

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