Tropical Grassland
Emily Sullivan
Common Names
• Savanna
– Examples
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•
•
•
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East African Savannas
Serengeti Plains of Tanzania
Brazil’s Cerrado (more diverse, due to location)
Northern Australian Savanna
Ilanos of Venezuela
Typical Food Web
Where are Tropical
Grasslands Found?
Continental Level:
• Near the equator, between the Tropic of
Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn
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–
–
–
–
Africa (general association)
Americas (mainly South)
India
Australia
Nepal
Where are Tropical
Grasslands Found? (ct’d)
Regional Level
• Between tropical rainforests and desert biome
regions
– Because there is not enough rain to support a
forest, yet are too moist to support a desert
Climate of Tropical
Grasslands
• Characterized by wet and dry seasons (rather
than summer vs. winter)
• Relatively constant, warm temperatures yearround (around 20°)
• High levels of precipitation (~125 cm) from
September to March (wet season)
• Low levels of precipitation (~0-10cm) from April
to August
**these can vary per region; some regions experience longer dry
periods than wet, and vice versa. Also, statistics depend on the
location of the region, in association with the low-sun period.
What can you expect to find
here?
• Animals:
– Most animals on tropical savannas have long legs, or are capable
of long migrations.
– Many burrow underground to avoid heat
– Mammals:
• Small mammals (i.e. meerkat, hedgehog, shrew, mice, etc.), bats, anteaters, big cats
(cheetah, tiger, lion, puma, jaguar, leopard, etc.), hyena, jackals, buffalo, giraffes, gazelle,
antelope, hippopotamus, warthog, wallaby, kangaroo, rhino, monkeys, chimps, elephant,
etc.
– Birds (mostly of prey)
• Vultures, cranes, eagles, falcons, ostrich, owl, small birds,
– Insects
• Gossamer winged butterflies, hummingbird hawk-mouth,
• painted lady, desert locust, beetles, termites
– Reptiles
•
lizards, snakes, turtles, crocodiles
Animals of the Savanna
What can you expect to find
here? (ct’d)
• Plants
– Acacia trees
– Baobab trees
– Eucalyptus trees
– Grasses and sedges
– Hat thrower fungus
– Orchids
– Shrubs
Animal Adaptations
• Animals
– Some hooved animals (like capybara) have adapted to
semi aquatic life (wet season)
– Browsers and grazers (herbivores)must coexist so have
developed distinct niches
• Food preferences, grazing heights, time of use, different locations
during dry season, etc.
• Up to 16 different types of herbivores can coexist in one area
– Wide range of herbivores provide carnivores a healthy
array of options  yielding more variety.
– Due to the extreme heat, animals must develop different
ways to cool themselves
• Ex: Elephants’ large ears to cool off
Plant Adaptations
• Plants
– Have adapted to growing for long periods in standing water (due
to wet season), must grow quickly when water is available
– Must be able to store water and nutrients in roots for dry
season
•
•
•
•
Some turn brown to limit water loss
Small leaves
Trees store water in large trunks
Long roots
– Some have developed drought resistance, fire resistance,
browse resistance
– Some develop thorns to discourage animals from eating its
leaves
– Some develop chemical warning signs for other trees (acacia)
Human Impacts
• In parts of Africa, humans have used the Savanna to
graze their cattle and goats
– Overgrazing occurs and the grassland is no longer
sustainable and turns into a desert.
– Desertification
• While wild-fires are part of life in savannas, human
activity can lead to excess wild-fires
– This may destroy habitats, resources, and vegetation
• Poaching
– Limits biodiversity
• Agriculture/Urban Development
– Clearing of land
Fun Facts!
• ~16% of tropical grasslands have been
destroyed for agriculture or urban
development
• The word savanna comes from an Amerind
term for “plains” which became Hispanicized
after the Spanish Conquest.
• Tropical grasslands vary in diversity, with the
Brazilian Cerrado being the most diverse
– Some species here do not exist anywhere else
Sources
Miller, G. Tyler, and Scott E. Spoolman. Living in the Environment. 17. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole, Cenage Learning, 2012.
Print.
"Nature Wildlife: Tropical Grassland." BBC. BBC, n.d. Web. 12 Feb 2014.
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/habitats/Tropical_and_subtropical_grasslands,_savannas,_and_shrublands>.
Schaffner, Brynn. "Savanna." Blue Planet Biomes. Brynn Schaffner, 23 09 2010. Web. 10 Feb 2014.
<http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/savanna.htm>.
"Terrestrial Biomes." Bio UTexas . The McGraw-Hill Companies. Web. 12 Feb 2014.
<http://www.zo.utexas.edu/faculty/sjasper/images/food_web_savanna.jpg>.
Woodward, Susan. "Tropical Savannas." Biomes of the World. Radford University , n.d. Web. 12 Feb 2014.
<https://php.radford.edu/~swoodwar/biomes/?page_id=105>.
"Grasslands: Terrain of Many." National Geographic: Environment. National Geographic, n.d. Web. 18 Feb 2014.
<http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/habitats/grassland-profile/>.
"Fact Sheet: Grasslands." Defenders.org. Defenders of Wildlife, n.d. Web. 10 Feb 2014.
<http://www.defenders.org/grasslands/tropical-grasslands>.
"Biomes." Cotf.edu. Wheeling Jesuit University , 8 Apr 2005. Web. 18 Feb 2014.
<http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/msese/earthsysflr/savannahP.html>.