East African
Acacia Savannas
By: Kendell Landers, Brycen
Kreie,Liam Berry
Acacia Savannah characteristics
●Contains tropical and desert spots
●Not enough rain to support forests
●Located on either side of equator
●On edges of tropical rainforests
●It is important because of it’s abundance of
life
Ecoregions
Distinct grasslands
There are large mountains ranges
shrub lands
thickets
Food Web
h
Hiena
African hawk
eagle
African
lion
Horned
lizard
Gazelle
Harvester
ant
Grass
Red oat
grass
Ecological Issue
Description
•It is found in eastern africa
•Distinct grasslands and savannah large
drought
• Great numbers of migrating animals
•Is the only region where the grey chested
spurfowl lives
•Large no hunting areas
Desertification
•Causing livestock and humans to relocate
•Trees shrubs etc. are vanishing from this
biome.
•Due to other organisms disappearing they to
must leave
Desertification factors
some underlying factors are that
drought
lack of forest
and the planting of inappropriate agricultural
Combating desertification
•Plant proper crops
•Plant trees and other life
•In windy regions use tree fences to help
plants survive and row
•use water efficiently
Other issues
•Lack of biodiversity plant wise
•Drought
•Poaching
Endangered Keystone Species
Black Rhinoceros
Common name
Black
rhinoceros
Scientific
name Diceros
bicornis
The Black Rhinoceros
About 1.6m tall
Two horns only
Smaller than white rhinos
Have hooked lips for eating
No color difference than the white rhino
Its Role
The Black rhino helps shape the landscape
The Black rhino eats lots of grass and bushes
a day
Sadly it gets eaten by large wild cats
It places as a primary consumer
The Savannas wouldn’t look the way they do
now
Endangered status
Mainly poaching is making this animal go
extinct
Population
The size of the population: about 5,000
(1993)
Life span is from 40-50 years
reproduction rate:1 calve every 2.5-3.5 years
how this affects the population
What is being done
WWF is expanding existing protected areas
and improving their management
Establishing new protected areas
Improving security
Invasive Species
Bigheaded Ant
Introduction to Bigheaded Ant
Scientific name- Pheidole megacephala
(Fabricius)
Red and brown
Larger sized head
Mainly nest in rotting stumps.
2 antennas
6 legs
Food Web Positioning
Primary consumer
Eats sugary substances (Both habitats)
Also eats smaller insects (African Savannah)
Spiders eat the ant (Both habitats)
Anteaters (Native habitats)
Flies (Both habitats
Problem
The big headed ant can cause damage by
destroying structures and causing debris.
Plant mutualism with the Big-headed ant,
increases elephant damage to savannah
trees.
The ant hides in the tree while the elephant
breaks down the tree to get them.
Transportation of the ant
bibliography
Website Title: Bigheaded ant - Pheidole megacephala (Fabricius)
Article Title: Bigheaded ant - Pheidole megacephala (Fabricius)
Date Accessed: September 16, 2015
http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/urban/ants/bigheaded_ant.htm
bibliography
Website Title: WorldWildlife.org
Article Title: Sahelian Acacia savanna
Publisher: World Wildlife Fund
Date Accessed: August 25, 2015
http://www.worldwildlife.org/ecoregions/at0
713
Website Title: Biome: Savanna
Article Title: Importance of Preservation
Date Accessed: August 25, 2015
http://thebiomesavanna.weebly.com/importa
nce-of-preservation.html
bibliography
http://environmental-issues-articles.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-african-savannah-biome.html
• title.environmental issues
•date accesed 9-9-15
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/savanna.htm
Website Title: Savanna Biomes Article Title: Savanna Biomes
Date Accessed: September 16, 2015
Website Title: WWF - Article Title: East African Acacia Savannas
Date Accessed: September 16, 2015
Website Title: WWF - Article Title: Horn of Africa Acacia Savannas
Date Accessed: September 16, 2015