Savanna

By: Cody & Celeste

• Angola

• Botswana

• Kenya

• Nambia

• South Africa

• Tanzania

• Zimbabwe

• Africa • Mada

gascar

• India• South

America.

• And some parts of Australia

Location

Tropical or subtropical grasslands ranging from dry scrubland to wet, open woodland. They are found in a wideband

on either side of the equator often bordering a rainforest.

• Appearance - –Large open area of rolling grasslands with

scattered and isolated trees.–Also known as the tropical grasslands

because they are usually found between tropical rain forests and deserts.

Geography

Geography

Baobab Trees – • Found in African savanna.• Survive in hot-dry conditions.• Longest living species with

some dating back 6,000 years.

• They store water in hollow parts of the trunk.

• Can grow 75 ft. tall with a 60 ft. girth.

• The leaves and fruits are highly nutritious, sometimes called monkey fruit.

• Monkey Fruit can contain more vitamin C than an orange and more calcium than milk.

Vegetation - Trees

Acacia Trees – • They have small

leaves, vicious thorns, and exude nectar to feed dangerous rodents that live on the tree.

• When animals eat the leaves, it pumps chemicals into the leaves to give them a bad taste.

• It releases a gas that signals other tree to fill their leaves with the chemical.

Vegetation - Trees

Kangaroo Paws –• Tiny wooly hairs on its

flowers.• The hairs make it taste

weird to predators.• The hairs also hold on

to water.• Has a sturdy stem for

its pollinators to perch on.

Vegetation - Flower

Bermuda Grass – • Grows in areas with lots

of frequent disturbances.

• Called Bermuda because it originated from the Bermuda Islands.

• Uses rhizomes, runners, and seeds.

• During droughts the upper part of the plant dies off, while the plant continues to grow through the rhizomes.

Vegetation - Grasses

Red Oat Grass – • Can grow as large as 3 ft.

tall.• Blades are a blue-green

color during its most productive season.

• Once dormant, it fades into a yellow color and its seed pods are flattened.

• Extremely tough but has little nutritional value for the animals that eat it.

Vegetation - Grasses

Prickly Pears – • Thick, waxy like skin.• Flexible stem - moves,

processes and stores water, nutrient solutions, and energizing photosynthetic products.

• Shallow roots to reach water quicker.

• Spikey leaves to protect itself from predators.

Vegetation - Crop

Przewalski’s Horse – • Endangered - were once hunted

for their meat and lost much of their natural habitat to grazing domestic animals.

• Good all round senses of sight, hearing and smell, essential in detecting predators.

• Wide row of incisor teeth to enable the largest possible mouthfuls of grass, which is essential as grass has little nutritional value so horses must spend a lot of the time eating.

• The ability to attain speeds of up to 40mph and to sustain this for long periods makes them difficult for predators to catch.

Animals - Mammals

Short, muscular body. Smaller than most

domesticated horses. Redish-brown body, white-beige stomach

and muzzle.

Spotted Hyena – • Endangered - due to

habitat loss, killings by farmers and entrapment.

• Communicates with others using a series of calls, some of which are too high for humans to hear.

• Very powerful jaws that can crunch large bones, tusks, and horns. This ability is key for hyenas that scavenge from the kills of lions and other big cats.

Animals - Mammals

Dog-like with short spotted fur. Females

are larger and stronger, therefore

dominant.

Vulturine Guinea Fowl– • Currently Not Endangered.• Able to live for a long time

without water, obtaining all the necessary fluid from its food.

• Very strong fliers.• Roost in trees at night to

protect themselves from predators on the ground.

Animals - Birds

Large Bird with a round body and

small head.

Congo African Grey Parrot –

• Endangered - Poaching and habitat destruction.

• Very strong.• Can bite with their strong

pointed beak and scratch with their claws.

• Highly intelligent.• Produce a powder on

there feathers to clean and protect them , this powder also makes them waterproof.

Animals - Birds

About 13 in. long, with light grey

feathers, cherry red tails, and an all black

beak.

African Bullfrog – • Currently Not

Endangered.• Carnivorous.• Quite aggressive and has

sharp teeth so its bite can be quite serious.

• The male bullfrog will also aggressively defend his eggs if an animal or a human should approach.

Animals - Amphibians

Very large, dull green in color. Can weight up to 4.4 pounds. Male is

larger than female unlike many other frog

species.

African Reed Frogs–• Endangered – habitat destruction.• These frogs are tree-hugging

frogs, this helps protect them from predators on the ground.

• Small suction cups located at the end of each toe are what enables these frogs to climb.

• Brightly colored but not toxic.• Commonly confused with the

poison arrow frog.• They survive the savanna by

adjusting their water economy and metabolism.

• Can change color dramatically depending on the environmental conditions.

Animals - Amphibians

There are over 150 species, they vary in

pattern and color. They grow to be about 1 inch long

Boomslang – • Currently Not

Endangered.• Well camouflaged and

strikes without warning.• Delivers potent

hemotoxic venom to its victim through large, deeply grooved folded fangs.

• Prefers aerial positioning in tree top and shrub cover.

• Lays eggs in the hollow of trees, protecting them from most predators.

Animals - Reptiles

Can grow up to 6 feet in length. Colors range to green brown and blue. Large eyes with egg

shaped head.

Gharial – • Endangered. – habitat

destruction.• 106 to 110 very sharp

teeth for catching fish.• Well-developed tail for

swimming in water.• Rear feet have extensive

webbing, also for swimming.

• They leave the water only to bask and nest on sandbanks.

Animals - Reptiles

Short legs and long, thin snout with razor

sharp teeth.

Dung Beetle– • Currently Not Endanger.• Very important to the

ecosystem.• Survive on feces.• Has good sense of smell

used to find food.• Considered sacred to

the ancient Egyptians.• They navigate by using

the moon.

Animals - Insects

Small, egg shaped, hard, black bodies..

Termites – • Currently Not Endangered.• Colonies appear as grassy

mounds that can reach 32-1/2 feet in diameter.

• Mounds have a positive influence on local animal and plant activity.

• During natural fires in the savanna, termites fly until it has passed.

• All members of the colony have certain jobs to do and are specially design to do that job.

Animals - Insects

Tiny, blind creatures less than 1/10th of

an inch in size.

Animals - FishWe could not

find any information

about specific fish

in the savanna biome.

Negative Human ImpactsLarge areas of the

savanna are cleared out for crops and farming. Removing the trees also removes competition between the grasses for water, this increases the pasture production and food quality.

–To correct the damage, National Parks have been established to preserve the

savanna lands (ex. Kruger

National Park, Kalahari Gemsbok National Park, and

many others.

Many of the animals of the savanna were killed for their meat (Przewalski's horse), fur (leopards), or for their tusks (elephants). This caused many animals to become endangered or extinct.

-To correct the damage, laws have been created to help protect these animals

from endangerment and extinction. They are also

raised and bred in captivity to give them a better

chance of repopulation.

Negative Human Impacts

Human induced climate changes (global warming) greatly effects all biomes. It causes un-natural changes in the environments and effects the animals and organisms way of life in a negative way. It changes their climates.

-To fix the damages, many humans are trying

to “go green” .

Negative Human Impacts

•Biodiversity – The savanna is home to many different animals and organisms. Without this biome, their survival might be impossible. The climate and environment they need is specific to their adaptations.•Crops – Many people live off of the savanna lands. It provides food and other necessities to humans.

•Migration –Tanzania is where one of the biggest migrations ever occurs; The Serengeti. And it all happens on the savanna. Its here that the animals graze and rest before finishing their journey’s.

Importance

http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/savanna_plant_page.htm

http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/savanna.htm

http://www.globalanimal.org/2011/06/20/endangered-przewalski-horses-reintroduced-to-wild/42808

/

http://library.thinkquest.org/26634/text/grass/impact.htm

http://www.plantzafrica.com/vegetation/savanna.htm

Reference Page

Mrs. Nichols

Dillon Wipert misses you …p.s. I made this slide just to tell you this I hope her power point is good …..love you.