How to Make a Savanna Biome

Find a degraded oak savanna for restoration. Search for open-grown oak trees on the ground, or research archived air photographs from the Depression-era or earlier. Start by looking near prairie sites. Open-grown trees differ from forest trees in very apparent ways. The lower branches of open-grown oak trees grow large and thick, while forest trees lose their lower branches while they grow and compete for sunlight with surrounding trees. Old air photographs reveal thin tree canopy coverage typical of savannas over areas once regularly burned by farmers and ranchers. Farmers no longer conduct annual burns and these once open areas grew thick and closed.

Clear nonnative trees and vegetation through manual or chemical means. If native understory plants survive in the area, cut, burn or smother unwanted plants and preserve the native plants. If the understory plant community is completely degraded, use a broad-spectrum herbicide to kill the weeds. Obtain necessary spray permits and licenses before herbiciding the area. Several rounds of weed removal, over the course of one or two years, provide the best starting conditions for native seedlings.

Introduce savanna understory plants native to the region. Collecting seed from nearby plant communities or purchasing seed or live plants from suppliers both provide good starting plant stock. Seeding or planting a savanna restoration involves clearing the ground, broadcasting the seed -- or planting the seedlings -- and watering the site throughout the first growing season.

Remove weeds during the first growing season while native plants establish their roots. Even with excellent site preparation, weed seeds drift in on wind currents or drop from visiting animals. Removing weeds promptly and thoroughly provides the best chance for a successful savanna restoration.

Conduct prescribed burns yearly for at least the first five years. Burn during early spring or late fall, while the plants remain dormant, to remove thatch and kill any weed species. Native savanna plants, including oak trees, evolved to resist fire and thrive in its aftermath, while nonnative trees, grasses and forbs recover poorly after prescribed burns. Obtain burn permits or contract the work to an appropriate land management company before commencing a burn.