Savanna
A grassland Biome
By: Alexa O'Leary
Overview
A Savanna is a grassland biome that has multiple trees across its land. Many Savanna's are located in Africa and cover almost half of of Africa's land. They are always found in warm or hot climates that have heavy rainfall each year. The rainfall is between 20-60 inches per year in a Savanna. It is essential that rainfall is concentrated around 6 to 8 months out of the year followed by a large drought. This allows fires to occur which help the land remove and harmful waste that is present. If Savanna’s have steady rainfall throughout the year it would turn into a tropical rainforest. Certain animals like Elephants help maintain the land by eating leaves and knocking down dead trees for their bark. The soil found in Savanna’s is very porous which helps drain water very fast. It doesn’t contain much nutrients except a thin layer of decomposition called humus.
Climatic Savanna
Edaphic Savanna
An Edaphic Savanna are caused by soil conditions that are not maintained by wildfires. They typically occur on hills or ridges where the soil is shallow. They can also occur in valleys of clay where there is water logged ground. Edaphic Savannas are known as the “tropical” Savannas because they have more vegetation across their land.
Derived Savanna
Climate
Climate change over time and the affect on trees in a savanna
Weather
Climate
Soil
Water
Vegitation & Animals
vegitation
Much of the vegetation present on a savanna is large thick clumps of grass and bare ground. There are many types of grasses that grow on a savanna like elephant grass, which can grow to be 10ft tall. Since rainfall only happens for half of the year only a few trees can survive on a savanna. Trees like the baobab tree and the acada tree grow and provide animals with food. The acada tree looks like an umbrella with small flowers on it’s branches. This type of tree is very popular among giraffes because it supplies them with food that they can reach.
Adaptation
Defenses
Depending on the climate that a grassland is located, there are different animals that roam its area. In a temperate grassland there is less diversity of wildlife, but more of certain species. They include bison, gophers, prairie dogs, and coyotes just to name a few.
In many of the Great Plains and the African Savanna’s there are many large mammals that can weigh from 6 tons and measure as long as 24 feet. These mammals are as diverse as elephants and rhinos to gazelles and zebras. They help graze the land and keep plants and trees under control.
Predators come in high numbers in a grassland environment. Many lions and cheetahs use their fast speed to catch prey and ultimately dominate the land. Coyotes and wolves feed on roaming prey that inhabits their land. However many populations of predators have declined because of illegal hunting.
Birds such as hawks, vultures and owls feed off of the remaining prey from other animals. The world’s biggest ostrich called the Struthio camelus inhabits the african grasslands. These birds are incredibly fast runners and are very strong. Insects like the bumble bee, butterfly, and grasshoppers find warmth and shelter in the tall grasses in the savannas.
Adaptations
- Animals like bison have flat teeth that help them eat and digest grass better
- Prairie animals have front legs and paws the help them burrow holes for shelter
- Many animals are nocturnal and have adapted to see prey much easier at night
- Smaller animals have fur that blends in with their surrounding areas
About the Author
Sources
Websites and Journals
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ABIOTIC FACTORS. (2010). Retrieved May 16, 2016, from https://tropicalgrassland.wordpress.com/abiotic-factors/
School of Life Sciences | Ask A Biologist. (n.d.). Retrieved May 16, 2016, from https://askabiologist.asu.edu/plants-savanna
Animals in Grassland Areas. (n.d.). Retrieved May 16, 2016, from http://animals.mom.me/animals-grassland-areas-5280.html
Prairie:Ecosystems:Animals:Adaptations. (n.d.). Retrieved May 16, 2016, from http://www.museum.state.il.us/muslink/prairie/htmls/eco_an_adapt.html
Videos and Pictures
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http://www.enn.com/image_for_articles/44604-1.jpg/medium
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Trend Map 2. (n.d.). Retrieved from
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Savanna grazing. (n.d.). Retrieved from
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What rhymes with methanogen? (n.d.). Retrieved May 16, 2016, from http://expertmy.biz/2016/04/28/what-rhymes-with-methanogen.html