Essay about Ap Bio Savanna

Submitted By CaityTrzaski1
Words: 872
Pages: 4

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

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.

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.
In the summer there is lots of rain. In Africa the monsoon rains begin in May. An average of 15 to 25 inches of rain falls during this time. It gets hot and very humid during the rainy season. Every day the hot, humid air rises off the ground and collides with cooler air above and turns into rain. In the afternoons on the summer savanna the rains pour down for hours.

http://www2.newcanaan.k12.ct.us/education/components/scrapbook/default.php?sectiondetailid=11272

Fire is the most important abiotic factor to the savanna. without the constant fires a tropical savanna could turn into a tropical forest!
Another abiotic factor is soil. There really isn't much to say about the soil except that it is real important to plants and the animals that eat the plants
Air and water are the two last abiotic factors in the savanna. Everybody knows the importance of air to any biome. Without it survival would be impossible. Water is just as important.During the summer or dry season there really isn't a lot of water.Trees store water during the wet season so they have water during the dry season. Just like air, without waterthe chances of living are very slim.

https://sites.google.com/site/africansavannahapbiology/home/biotic-and-abiotic-factors

Grasses and Plants
In the savannah, grasses are tall and are often of a tan or brown color. The height and color allows animals to easily hide or camouflage themselves from predators.
Many of the savannah's herbivores are grazers, so the shrubs and tall grasses are used as food.

Animals Herbivores, such as gazelles and zebras, act as food for carnivores such as lions and cheetahs. Hyenas tend to steal captured prey from other animals, but hunt when necessary.

https://sites.google.com/site/africansavannahapbiology/home/limiting-factors
Density-Dependent Factors
Water Supply and Competition
In the dry season, many rivers and streams dry up, resulting in less drinking water for the savannah's inhabitants.
Less water for the same number of inhabitants results in competition within the population.

Density-Independent Factors
Forest Fires
During the dry season, forest fires become more prevalent due to the heat and dry conditions, though most are caused by hunters.
These fires, along with a few other factors, facilitate the migration of inhabitants to other areas during the dry season.

http://www.exploringnature.org/db/detail.php?dbID=2&detID=1224 http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/afric_savanna_plant_page.htm The Producers - the trees(Jackal berry trees), shrubs and grass.Rhodes grass and red oat grass dominate the savannas of the Serengeti plains and the