Shrubs in Africa grow differently from trees because they focus on taking in water efficiently rather than growing tall. By studying this trade-off, researchers found that shrubs are widespread in African savannas due to their unique growth strategy. Factors like fire and dry conditions help shrubs thrive at the expense of trees and grass. The presence of shrubs also affects how grasses and woody plants compete with each other. This study improves our understanding of how shrubs are distributed in ecosystems and shows that considering growth trade-offs can make vegetation models more accurate.