Savanna (Tropical grassland)Zeina Fahim Science 6A

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Male_lion_on_savanna.jpg

Contents

What is savanna?

Location

Abiotic factors of savannas

Savannas and Plants

Plants

Animals and savannas

Food web in savanna

Minerals, Oils, & Medicinal plants

Human activities and economics

Human activities and environment

What is savanna?

A Savanna is a grassland but with shrubs everywhere. Savanna areas have seasons: hot dry weather, cold dry, and warm and wet. All savanna have a wet and dry seasons.

http://www.geography.learnontheinternet.co.uk/topics/savanna.html

http://bonczewskis-biomes.wikispaces.com/Savannas

Location

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/media/46/Worldwide-distribution-of-savannas

Abiotic factors of savannas

The aboitic factors of the savanna grasslands are the non living features that the living creature depend on, this includes: climate, soil and natural disturbances. Precipitation is the most important for the grasslands of the savannas, as it controls the amount of plants and trees that grow. 20-60 inches of precipitation falls each year. The natural disturbances of the savannas include flooding of the rivers that are near the savanna, and fires caused by lightning storms. http://www.ehow.com/info_1002991

3_biotic-abiotic-factors-savanna-grassland.html

Savannas and Plants

Savannas are controlled by plants like, “Rhodes grass, red oats grass, star grass, lemon grass, and some shrubs.” In most savannas you would not see a lot of trees you would see mostly shrubs, and that is due to little rain fall. Sometimes you would find trees that are standing alone and they would normally be living next to pond and streams of water. Acacia trees are the most common trees on savannas. Giraffes and bobcats benefit from this

tree because the bobcats get a place to live and the giraffes eat it’s leaves.

http://kids.nceas.ucsb.edu/biomes/savanna.html

Plants

http://kids.nceas.ucsb.edu/biomes/savanna.html

http://kids.britannica.com/comptons/art-138328/Acacia-trees-grow-on-the-savanna-of-Serengeti-National-Park

http://pgtnaturegarden.org/2011/04/yellow-star-grass/

Animals and savannas

The majority of animals that live on the savanna ground are hoofed mammals. Such as gazelles, zebras, and giraffes.

Gazelles: eat short leaves and shrubs that grow in savannas.

Zebras: Teeth built for grinding and chopping grass.

Giraffes: Long necks for reaching food, long and fast legs.

http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/AfricanSavanna/afsavfact.cfm

Animals

http://www.123rf.com/photo_4621695_giraffes-can-inhabit-savannas-grasslands-or-open-woodlands-they-prefer-areas-enriched-with-acacia-gr.html

http://taylorlifescience.pbworks.com/w/page/19601024/Zebras

http://wallpapers.free-review.net/15__Grant's_Gazelle_antelope_(deserts,_grasslands,_savannas_of_Africa).htm

Minerals, Oils, Medicinal plants

Savannas are usually low in organic materials, but they are mostly high in minerals. These minerals are often high in salts sodium chloride (NaCl) and calcium carbonate (CaCO,)

Baobab is a tree that grows up to 18 meter high, drinking a mixture of baobab pulp and water will cure diarrhea.

A solotion of the Azadiraltha Indica tree can help cure malaria fever. http://www.ehow.com/list_6853370_me

dicinal-uses-savanna-forest-plants.html

Food web in savanna

http://www.exploringnature.org/db/detail.php?dbID=2&detID=1224

Human impact and economics

Out of all savannas only 8.5% are protected.

Some of the worlds largest area of grasslands are in the African savanna, and these are kept by wild herbivores, and also sheep and goats. There are people that live in savannas and use it’s facilities, they take what the wild animals are supposed to be eating and drinking

http://library.thinkquest.org/11353/text/savannah.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grassland

Human activities & environment

Humans have used many animals of the savannas for either, sports, fur, or illegal hunting. Rhinos and elephants are now endangered species of the savanna due to the illegal trading of their “horns and tusks.” Frequent and continues fires help making the lands weather more hot and dry. Although this is more frequent in areas populated by humans.

http://www.worldbiomes.com/biomes_grassland.htm