Locations And Geography of The Savanna
The Savanna is made up of scattered grasslands, shrubs, and isolated trees. The savanna is found on either side of the equators and on the edge of tropical rainforests. The Savanna Region is grassy in some areas, mostly flat with a small altitude at places.
It has a climate of Hot Summers and Warm Winters. There are only two seasons, the wet season and the dry
season. It receives little rain except in the wet season, the vegetation has adapted itself to only need some rain.
The savanna is located in these areas of the world.
• Africa - Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Botswana, South Africa, and Namibia
• Australia
• Central America - Belize and Honduras
• South America - Venezuela and Columbia
• Southern Asia
Products & Exports
Cough Medicine, Antibiotics, and other medicines From Plants
Cola Syrup
Clothing From Tree Bark of Stringy Trees
Decorations From Flowers
Goods
Fruit From Trees, Bushes, Vegetation
Services
Provides much lumber for surrounding areas
Trees for Animals to feed off of and live in
Animals in the Savanna Savanna animals have to be on a constant search for water, especially during the dry season.
African Wild Dog
The African wild dog lives in grassland, savannas and open woodlands
of southern and eastern Africa. The wild dog is found in the African plains
Black Mamba
The Black Mamba is the most deadly snake in the world. The Black Mamba
can travel at speeds up to 12mph. This snake is not actually black it is
brownish-grey and its belly is light colored. They live in open habitats like the
savanna. They are active during the day and sleep at night. The Black Mamba
sleeps in hollow trees, burrows, or rocky places and every night they come back
to the same place to sleep. This snake paralyzes their victims. No animal can
actually kill them because how strong their venom is. Their only threat is habitat destruction.
African Elephant
This elephant is also known as the savanna elephant. They are the largest land mammal in the world. These elephants mostly die when their molars wear down which then means they can not eat so they starve. Elephants play a special part in the savanna. They keep the savanna's clear which helps the grass grow.
Emu
The Emu is the largest bird that inhabits in the savanna of Australia. The Emu is not
currently not an endangered species. Most of the emu's are killed by farmers. The
farmers clam that the giant bird destroys their crop.
Nigriceps Ant
These ants are found on the savannas of Kenya, Africa. There is a specific tree where these ants are found. If they feel any type of movement the ants all swarm out and leave a painful sting. To defend their tree against invasion the colonies prune their tree. To prune their tree they chew off all axillary shoots. This then causes the tree to grow tall and skinny.
The Egyptian mongoose is the largest of all mongooses in Africa. The Egyptian mongoose lives in Africa on the savanna.Egyptian mongooses live in shrub thickets, rocky areas, and small woodlands and forested areas within the savanna. All mongooses are known for being talented snake killers.
There are many other animals found in the savanna
Caracal
Chacma Baboon
Grant's Zebra, Grevy's Zebra
Koala Bear
Lion
Nile Crocodile
Rhinoceros
Giraffes
Cape Buffalo
Meerkats
Dwarf Mongoose
Plants
• Acacia Senegal- Africa- Small to average sized thorn tree. Can grow to 20 meters tall. “Umbrella shaped”. Provides shade and shelter for animals. Animals also use this tree for food by eating its leaves. Can survive long periods without rain. The sap from the tree is used to make medicine.
• Baobab- Africa and India- Can grow up to 25 meters tall. Can live up to several thousand years. Bark can be used for clothing and rope. All parts of the tree could be eaten.
• Candelabra Tree- East Indies- Found near the equator. Can grow up to 30 to 40 feet tall. Beautiful but poisonous. Not edible because its sap is poisonous.
• Elephant Grass- Africa- Can reach up to 10 feet tall. Grows along lake beds and rivers. Leaves are razor sharp. (See Below)
• Gum Tree Eucalyptus- Australia- can grow up to 30 feet tall. Grows in sunny dry climates because it dies in cold weather. Primary food for koala bear. Can be used for many medicines.
• Jackalberry Tree- Africa- Commonly grows on termite mounds so it has aerated soil. Found along riverbeds and swamps. Can reach 80 feet tall. Its fruit is a favorite for most animals living in the Savanna.
• Kangaroo Paw- West Australia- Grows between 40 and 50 feet tall. Mostly used for timber, when cut down the wood is very durable. Very good source of honey.
- Elephant Grass
Major Human Impacts
Fires
• Sometimes, humans start fires and they spread quickly through grasses and damage the soils. People that use the land for grazing, that would soon kill the grass and cause many fires to start. Which would kill lots of vegetation and animals in that area.
Grazing
• Large amounts of grassland have been turned into farmlands and also for rearing cattle.
• Grazing cattle kills the land an turns the savanna into desert, which is a huge impact in the savanna right now.
Tree Clearing
• Large areas of the savanna have been destroyed do to tree clearing.
• The reason why tree clearing is use is to increase the quality and quantity of feed available for stock and to improve the management of livestock. The removal of trees from savanna land removes the competition for water from the grasses present, and can lead to a two to four-fold increase in pasture production, as well as improving the quality of the feed available.
Mining
• The largest money generator in the savannas region is mining.
Mining which happen to take or destroy lots of the savannas resources and vegetation
Climate Change
• There as been a theory or a possibility that humans induced climate change.
• A recent case described involved a savanna increasing its range at the expense of forest in response to climate variation, and potential exists for similar rapid, dramatic shifts in vegetation distribution as a result of global climate change.
Savanna
Locations And Geography of The Savanna
The Savanna is made up of scattered grasslands, shrubs, and isolated trees. The savanna is found on either side of the equators and on the edge of tropical rainforests. The Savanna Region is grassy in some areas, mostly flat with a small altitude at places.
It has a climate of Hot Summers and Warm Winters. There are only two seasons, the wet season and the dry
season. It receives little rain except in the wet season, the vegetation has adapted itself to only need some rain.
The savanna is located in these areas of the world.
• Africa - Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Botswana, South Africa, and Namibia
• Australia
• Central America - Belize and Honduras
• South America - Venezuela and Columbia
• Southern Asia
Products & Exports
Cough Medicine, Antibiotics, and other medicines From Plants
Cola Syrup
Clothing From Tree Bark of Stringy Trees
Decorations From Flowers
Goods
Fruit From Trees, Bushes, Vegetation
Services
Provides much lumber for surrounding areas
Trees for Animals to feed off of and live in
Animals in the Savanna
Savanna animals have to be on a constant search for water, especially during the dry season.
The African wild dog lives in grassland, savannas and open woodlands
of southern and eastern Africa. The wild dog is found in the African plains
The Black Mamba is the most deadly snake in the world. The Black Mamba
can travel at speeds up to 12mph. This snake is not actually black it is
brownish-grey and its belly is light colored. They live in open habitats like the
savanna. They are active during the day and sleep at night. The Black Mamba
sleeps in hollow trees, burrows, or rocky places and every night they come back
to the same place to sleep. This snake paralyzes their victims. No animal can
actually kill them because how strong their venom is. Their only threat is habitat destruction.
This elephant is also known as the savanna elephant. They are the largest land mammal in the world. These elephants mostly die when their molars wear down which then means they can not eat so they starve. Elephants play a special part in the savanna. They keep the savanna's clear which helps the grass grow.
The Emu is the largest bird that inhabits in the savanna of Australia. The Emu is not
currently not an endangered species. Most of the emu's are killed by farmers. The
farmers clam that the giant bird destroys their crop.
These ants are found on the savannas of Kenya, Africa. There is a specific tree where these ants are found. If they feel any type of movement the ants all swarm out and leave a painful sting. To defend their tree against invasion the colonies prune their tree. To prune their tree they chew off all axillary shoots. This then causes the tree to grow tall and skinny.
The Egyptian mongoose is the largest of all mongooses in Africa. The Egyptian mongoose lives in Africa on the savanna.Egyptian mongooses live in shrub thickets, rocky areas, and small woodlands and forested areas within the savanna. All mongooses are known for being talented snake killers.
There are many other animals found in the savanna
Plants
• Acacia Senegal- Africa- Small to average sized thorn tree. Can grow to 20 meters tall. “Umbrella shaped”. Provides shade and shelter for animals. Animals also use this tree for food by eating its leaves. Can survive long periods without rain. The sap from the tree is used to make medicine.
• Baobab- Africa and India- Can grow up to 25 meters tall. Can live up to several thousand years. Bark can be used for clothing and rope. All parts of the tree could be eaten.
• Candelabra Tree- East Indies- Found near the equator. Can grow up to 30 to 40 feet tall. Beautiful but poisonous. Not edible because its sap is poisonous.
• Elephant Grass- Africa- Can reach up to 10 feet tall. Grows along lake beds and rivers. Leaves are razor sharp. (See Below)
• Gum Tree Eucalyptus- Australia- can grow up to 30 feet tall. Grows in sunny dry climates because it dies in cold weather. Primary food for koala bear. Can be used for many medicines.
• Jackalberry Tree- Africa- Commonly grows on termite mounds so it has aerated soil. Found along riverbeds and swamps. Can reach 80 feet tall. Its fruit is a favorite for most animals living in the Savanna.
• Kangaroo Paw- West Australia- Grows between 40 and 50 feet tall. Mostly used for timber, when cut down the wood is very durable. Very good source of honey.
Major Human Impacts
Fires
• Sometimes, humans start fires and they spread quickly through grasses and damage the soils. People that use the land for grazing, that would soon kill the grass and cause many fires to start. Which would kill lots of vegetation and animals in that area.
Grazing
• Large amounts of grassland have been turned into farmlands and also for rearing cattle.
• Grazing cattle kills the land an turns the savanna into desert, which is a huge impact in the savanna right now.
Tree Clearing
• Large areas of the savanna have been destroyed do to tree clearing.
• The reason why tree clearing is use is to increase the quality and quantity of feed available for stock and to improve the management of livestock. The removal of trees from savanna land removes the competition for water from the grasses present, and can lead to a two to four-fold increase in pasture production, as well as improving the quality of the feed available.
Mining
• The largest money generator in the savannas region is mining.
Mining which happen to take or destroy lots of the savannas resources and vegetation
Climate Change
• There as been a theory or a possibility that humans induced climate change.
• A recent case described involved a savanna increasing its range at the expense of forest in response to climate variation, and potential exists for similar rapid, dramatic shifts in vegetation distribution as a result of global climate change.
Images Obtained Through Google Images - http://images.google.com/imghp?tab=wi
Information Obtained From Blue Planet Biomes - http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/savanna.htm
Information Also Contributed By Reference.com - http://www.reference.com/search?q=savanna
Information obtained from- http://www.ahsd25.k12.il.us/Curriculum%20Info/africa/svanimals.htm