We are 2 years into managing and restoring an Oak/Short Leaf Pine Savanna in north central Alabama that historically would have been kept open (free of woody growth) by frequent fire. A Savanna is a Prairie, with widely scattered, fire-adapted trees.

The Bama Savanna is considered a Savana remnant- all the Savanna components are still here, in varying amounts. Over time, and with a lack of fire, native invasives, such as hickory, maple and sweet gum, have grown out of their historic (wetter) territory and climbed up the slopes and are now literally choking out the Savanna species by sucking up the water, the sunlight and the nutrients.

The Bama Savanna also has large sandstone outcroppings and sandstone glades. Glades are areas where the bedrock is is just below the surface and is largely exposed, with thin, poor soil here and there. Winters are very wet and cold and summers are very dry and hot. The Bama Savanna is also the home to a fairly large, upland vernal or ephemeral pool.