Grasslands (savanna)

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Grasslands (savanna)

Interesting Facts

The savanna biome in Africa is known as the world's largest savanna and it is known to be two million years old. The savannas are expanding every year at a commanding rate. he main reason why summers are hot in the savanna biome is as the heat causes moisture near the earth to evaporate, it rises further and then collides with cooler moisture present in the air.

Other enviornmental factors

Soil- The savannah soil is not very fertile because of dry seasons and hot temperatures. Alfisols and Ultisols are both types of soils found in this biome and both are old and low in fertility. The soil is porus due to its make up of plant and animal decay it allows water drain easily. These soils thrive during dry season because their nutrients can stay in place for long periods of time.

World location/map

The majority of the savanna grasslands are located on the equator. The largest savana is in Africa with nearly half of the continent covered in savanna biomes. The African Savanna biome is a tropical grassland in Africa between latitude 15 degrees North and 30 degrees S and longitude 15 degrees W and 40 degrees West.

climate specifics

In Bimbo, Central African Rebublic the average temperature is 33.45 degrees celsius. The warmest month is February (37.6°C). The month with the lowest average high temperature is August (29.3°C). The average precipitation per month is 87.5 mm. This number drastically changes throughout the year with the wettest month being August receiving 173mm of rainfall. While the driest months are January and December with 2mm worth of rainfall.

Fauna

The animals in the savanna biome are mostly grazing herbivores that fluctuate throughout the region. Most prey rely on herd numbers and speed in the vast openness of the savanna. The savanna is home to many predators, including crocodiles, rhinoceroses, lions, leopards, and cheetahs. Other animals include baboons, zebra, buffalo, elephants, antelopes, meerkats, ants, termites, kangaroos, ostriches, and snakes. Many of these animals rely on camouflage when they are hunting or being hunted it is a very useful tool for the animals.

The Northwestern African cheetah is a rare species that can be found in desert environments in the biome of savannah. Cheetahs also travel in small packs and love to eat small antelope, springbok, steenbok, duikers, and impala.

The African Lions of savahnna like to travell and hunt in packs preying on animals such as gazelles, buffalo, zebras and many other small to medium sized mammals. The lions like to stay in the beige colored grass of and where water is scarce in the summer season.

Black rhinos are the smaller rhino species out of the 2 in the savanna biome. Grasslands with access to water are important for black rhinos as they help maintain the health of these grasslands.

The African savanna elephants are the larges elephant species and the biggest terrestrial animal on earth. These elephants are found in 23 countries and can life anywhere from open wooded savannas to deserts or forests.

Flora

The savanna grassland is a biome of dispersed trees and grasses. The lack of water prevails as a challenging problem for the vegetation to grow. Grasses grow green and abundant during the wet season, however the dry season tends to change them to brown grasses to conserve water. Most trees that thrive in this biome store water in there roots and only make leaves in the wet season. Examples of vegetation in the savanna include wild grasses, shrubs, baobab trees, and acacia trees.

Acacia trees similar to the baobab trees store water, however they store their water in their leaves rather than their base/trunk. The leaves are oval shaped and are sharp on the end just in case a predator comes to eat a leaf and take the plants water.

Baobab trees can be referred to as the “tree of life” due to it ability to store water in its immense trunk which leads to a fruit establishment in the dry season. These trees tend to actually grow wider than they grow in height to hold more water in the base of the tree.

Bayberries are a type of shrub that are able to withstand the dry environment of the grassland, for they have long roots that reach below groundlevel to reach water. They are also able to survive a fire because the roots would remain untouched and can regrow the shrub.

Rhodes grass is a very drought tolerant grass that is able to thrive in harsh conditions that the savanna withold. They are also helpful when it comes to erosion due to its ability to spread so quickly.