A biome is a climatically and geographically

defined area of ecologically similar climatic

conditions such as communities of plants,
animals, and soil organisms,
 Characteristics
• Savannas are globally important ecosystems of
great significance to human economies. In these
biomes, which are characterized by the co-
dominance of trees and grasses, woody cover is
a chief determinant of ecosystem properties.
The availability of resources (water, nutrients)
and disturbance regimes (fire, herbivore) are
thought to be important in regulating woody
cover but perceptions differ on which of these
are the primary drivers of savanna structure.
• A savanna is a rolling grassland scattered with
shrubs and isolated trees, which can be found
between a tropical rainforest and desert biome. Not
enough rain falls on a savanna to support forests.
Savannas are also known as tropical grasslands.
They are found in a wide band on either side of the
equator on the edges of tropical rainforests.
 CLIMATE
• Savannas have warm temperature year round.
There are actually two very different seasons in
a savanna; a very long dry season (winter), and
a very wet season (summer). In the dry season
only an average of about 4 inches of rain falls.
Between December and February no rain will fall
at all. Oddly enough, it is actually a little cooler
during this dry season. But don't expect sweater
weather; it is still around 70° F.
ANIMALS
• African elephants, also known as the
savanna elephants, are the largest land
mammal in the world. They weigh up to
10,000 pounds and grow to 12 feet tall.

• The African wild dog lives in

grasslands, savannas, and open
woodlands of eastern and southern
Africa. They are mostly found in the
African plains; they do not live in jungle
areas.

• The largest bird that inhabits the lush,

grassy fields of Australia is the emus.
them. They can live to be 28 years
Adults are about 5.7 ft. tall and weigh
about 110-120 lbs. It has medium size
wings, but it can't fly!
 Challenges in the savanna
• Fire and the grassland biome , especally those started by lightning, are a natural occurence of
the grassland biome. Fire destroys invasive species that compete with grasses. Fire suppression and
farmland conversion have severely disrupted grassland ecosystems. Resource mangers now use
prescribed burning to restore the health of prairie grasslands

• Dry Desert -The dry deserts are typically found in subtropical latitudes and are produced by
subsidence associated with the eastern sides of the subtropical high. These are extremely dry
regions, some places hardly receiving any measurable precipitation during the year. Plant cover is
non-existent over much of the dry desert.

Cause of Desertification
Desertification comes about by a complex interaction between the natural environment and human
activities. The cause may vary from region to region on account of economic conditions,
population pressure, agricultural practices, and politics. Human activities that destroys surface
vegetation, degrades soil structure and fertility, impedes water infiltration, and causes soil drying
promotes desertification. This is especially true for the fragile transition zone between arid and
semiarid land where human activity has stretched the ecosystem to its limit causing expansion of
deserts.

Population growth and its demand on agricultural resources has promoted the desertification process.
Over cultivation, for example, causes declining soil fertility leading to falling crop yields. Over use
leads to crusting of exposed topsoil by rain and sun that increases runoff, water erosion and
gullying. Soil drying promotes wind erosion and encroachment of sand dunes on arable land.

 Overgrazing has several effects. It:

 Causes a decline in pasture vegetation and palatable grass species.
 Replaces perennials with short-lived annual species that do not hold soil against erosion.
 Compacts soil under trampling hoofs.
 Destabilizes dunes when crest vegetation is eaten.
 Forest cutting for fuel wood has deforested large tracks of land in Africa and Asia encouraging
desertification.
The Savanna Biome is the largest Biome
in southern Africa, occupying 46% of its
area, and over one-third the area of South
Africa. It is well developed over the
lowveld and Kalahari region of South
Africa and is also the dominant vegetation
in Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe.
 References
• Google
• http://carrier.pbwiki.com/Population%20Ecolog
• http://www.plantzafrica.com/vegetation/savann
• Environmental book of science