Tropical Savannah Per. 6 bio Ellen Watson, Julie Rencher, Jim Dexter

Questions Describe the climate of the tropical savannah. Name three different types of animals in the tropical savannah. What human interventions have altered the biome? Describe how fire affects succession in the savannah. Name two differences between the African savannah and the Australian savannah.

Location Africa Australia Brazil India

Africa Mid-Africa Kenya Zambia Tanzania Zimbabwe Mozambique Botswana Burkina Faso Mali

Abiotic Factors Warm Climate, 25-30c Seasonal rainfall Lightning/Fires Compact soil Mostly sunny

Biotic Factors Drought resistant plants Long roots Trunks store water Fire resistance Thick bark Animals can burrow Long legs/wings for migration

Plants Tall perennial grasses Fire-resistant trees and shrubs Baobab tree! Acacia tree Spartan tree cover

Baobab Tree 25 meters tall Lifespan = thousands of years Arabian “devil” Legend One of first trees on earth Circumference = 46.8 meters

Animals Giraffe Elephant Rhinoceros Lions Crocodile Wildebeest Hippopotamus Hyena Cheetah Lilac Breasted Roller

Giraffes Up to 18 ft. tall Tallest mammal in the world Eat acacia trees Drink every few days

Endangered Animals Elephant Cuvier Gazelle Rhinoceros

Australian Savannah Eucalyptus tree Kangaroos Dingoes Lack of diversity Keeps many features such as grass cover, lack of trees

Human Interventions Poachers kill animals Elephant and rhino populations dropping (ivory)

Human Intervention Overgrazing Farming Herding Interrupting natural succession

Successions Fires destroy old grasses/shrubs Tree species disrupting natural succession in Ghana

Savannah Facts Covers 46% of South Africa Altitude = sea level – 2,000 meters Almost all plant species have adapted to survive fires