LAWRENCE CRUSOE Tropical Savanna/Grassland (Africa)

DESCRIPTION  The savanna is a type of grasslands biome. The savanna is sometimes called the tropical grasslands.  Characteristics of the Savanna  Grasses and trees - The savanna is a rolling grassland with scattered trees and shrubs.  Rainy and dry seasons- Savannas have two distinct seasons in regards to precipitation. There is a rainy season in the summer with around 15 to 25 inches of rain and a dry season in the winter when only a couple of inches of rain may fall.  Large herds of animals - There are often large herds of grazing animals on the savanna that thrive on the abundance of grass and trees.  Graze- to feed on growing grass and pasturage  Warm - The savanna stays pretty warm all year. It cools down some during the dry season, but stays warm and humid during the rainy season.  There are often grasslands in this biome  grasslands refers to a main biome grouping that includes temperate grasslands and tropical savannahs

LOCATIONS  The African Savanna biome is a tropical grassland in Africa between latitude 15° North and 30 degrees S and longitude 15 degrees W and 40° West. It covers Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Cote D'ivore, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Botswana, and South Africa.

CLIMATOGRAMS

PLANTS  On the East African savannas, the dominant grass consists of star grasses.  Acacia trees  Baobab. The baobab looks like this for a reason. In the wet months water is stored in its thick, corky, fire-resistant trunk for the nine dry months ahead.  Whistling Thorn. Because of the heat the tree must find ways to conserve moisture. Their leaves have evolved into many tiny leaflets (pinnae) which can turn to absorb sunlight, or avoid it and reduce transpiration.  Kangaroo Paws. The red and green kangaroo paw's adaptations are tiny wooly hairs on its flowers. The little hairs help by making it taste weird to predators, so they won't eat it.

ANIMALS/ADAPTATIONS  Producers- Trees, shrubs, and grass  Primary Consumers- Zebras and elephants  Secondary consumers- Cheetah and hyena  Scavengers- Termites and vultures  Decomposers- Insects and microorganisms  Although elephants do migrate, they have a physical adaptation that allows them to access water that is not available to other animals. Baobab trees store water in their large trunks.  Many of the animals have adapted to living with the fires. The ability to fly or to run fast enables most birds and large mammals to escape the flames.  When drought conditions exist for a long time and over a wide area, the animals may migrate to another biome until the rainy season begins again.

FOOD WEB

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT  African grasses are invasive plants. These grasses cover over 60% of the continent. Much of the grass is in the way of people. They are trying to add more herbivories to decrease the amounnt of grass.  Big Cats are an endangered species. As recently as 1900, more than 100,000 cheetahs roamed the African savanna. In 2011, only 9,000 to 12,000 remain. Lion populations are most threatened by habitat loss and diseases related to climate change.

HUMAN IMPACT  Poaching, overgrazing and clearing of the land for crops are the main threats.  About 16 percent of tropical grasslands have been converted for agriculture or urban development.  Desertification is also a significant threat.  Desertification- The process by which fertile land becomes desert, typically as a result of drought, deforestation, or inappropriate agriculture.  Don’t use up all the land for farming and let the land be natural  More recently slash burning after clear felling and prescribed burning under trees for fuel reduction purposes are now established management tools.  A way to solve this problem is to not have fires in the forest in the first place.  Prescribed Burn - Prescribed fire is the knowledgeable and controlled application of fire to a specific land area to accomplish planned resource management objectives.

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