SAVANNAHS GRASSLANDS
Distinct Characteristics: Distinct Characteristics:
Savanna is an ecosystem with a huge grassland area Grassland ecosystem is characterized by a dry climate that
spread in acres. It is mostly a dry region, but it is wet at the allows little vegetation, dominated by different species of
same time. Well, the savanna is a natural landform with grasses. The grasses reproduce in grasslands through
grasses all around providing a perfect environment, pollination or sometimes through producing plants from
especially for grazing animals. their roots.
Low Precipitation Low Precipitation
High Temperature Extreme Temperature
High Insolation Medium Insolation
Low Humidity Medium Humidity
Net Productivity: Net Productivity:
900 g/(sq m x yr) 600 g/(sq m x yr)
Endangered Species: Endangered Species:
Black Rhinos Prairie Dogs
African Elephant Black Footed Ferret
African Wild Dog Burrowing Owl
Cheetah Whooping Crane
Grevy's Zebra Asiatic Wild Ass
Chimpanzee Marsupials
Biodiversity: Biodiversity:
Varied Biodiversity. Varied Biodiversity.
The savanna biome is able to sustain vast amounts of living While short grasslands attract birds and invertebrates of
species. The topography of the area causes animal grassland and open habitation, tall grasslands will also tend
speciation to be very diverse. Many large herbivores can to include nectar-rich plants, in turn attracting hoverflies,
survive here because they can move around and eat the butterflies, moths and bees. The habitat will also be more
plentiful grasses. Then the carnivores can eat them in turn. likely to support small mammals and even reptiles.
Human Impacts: Human Impacts:
Humans haven caused a lot of changes to the landscape The biggest impact that humans have on grasslands is by
of and the animals in grasslands since a long time ago. developing open areas for farming or urban development.
Large areas of grassland have been turned into farmlands Land development drives animals away from populated
for growing crops and for rearing cattle. Sometimes, fires areas and changes the conditions of the environment.
are started by human and they spread quickly through Grasslands covered to cropland or farms reduces the
grasses and damage the soils. Moreover, a large number food source for many wild animals. In this case, the
of animals have been hunted for their valuable body parts. animals are considered pests by the farmers when they
For example, elephants were shot for their tusks, lions feed on the crops, or attack domestic herds. In addition,
were killed for their fur and bison were hunted for their poachers kill rhinoceroses for their tusks, and elephants
meats. Also humans being in the grasslands increase the for their ivory on Africa savannas without any regard to
chance of fires. protection of the species.
Climate Change: Climate Change:
Climate change is expected to increase rainfall intensity As the Earth’s climate changes in response to human
across Africa. These results suggest that this increase in involvement, the grasslands become vulnerable. Climate
intensity will have contrasting effects. Grass coverage change causes ecological succession, in which the
will decrease in dry savannas, increasing coverage of ecosystem of an area develops into another. Changing
shrubs and trees in previously open grasslands and temperatures, weather patterns and water availability
rangelands - enhancing a phenomena increasingly can throw an area out of balance and change it forever.
observed today.
