Tropical+Grassland+Savanna+period+3

[] **Facts/characteristics of the Biome:**

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. 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.

**Location of the Biome**: They are found in a wide band on either side of the equator on the edges of tropical rainforests. There are several different types of savannas around the world. The savannas we are most familiar with are the East African savannas covered with acacia trees. The Serengeti Plains of Tanzania are some of the most well known. Here animals like lions, zebras, elephants, and giraffes and many types of ungulates(animals with hooves) graze and hunt. Many large grass-eating mammals (herbivores) can survive here because they can move around and eat the plentiful grasses. There are also lots of carnivores (meat eaters) who eat them in turn.

**Consumers/Animals living in the biome** :

__African Elephant__ __African Wild Dog__ __Black Mamba__ __Caracal__ __Chacma Baboon__ __Egyptian Mongoose__ __Emu__ __Grant's Zebra__ __Koala Bear__ __Lion__ __Nigriceps Ants__ __Nile Crocodile__

**Producers/Plants living in the biome:**

Acacia Senegal Baobab Bermuda Grass Candelabra Tree Elephant Grass Gum Tree Eucalyptus Jackalberry Tree Jarrah tree Kangaroo Paw Manketti Tree River Bushwillow Umbrella Thorn Acacia Whistling Thorn

** Dominant (keystone) species in the biome ** ** Elephants are the main keystone species of the tropical grassland because the elephants main diet is the grass, shrubs and other trees. Without the elephants the area would be heavily populate with trees making a forest and not a grassland **

**Average Temperature Range for the biome:**

The savanna climate has a temperature range of 68° to 86° F (20° - 30° C). In the winter, it is usually about 68° to 78° F (20° - 25° C). In the summer the temperature ranges from 78° to 86° F (25° - 30° C).

** Annual Precipiation for the biome: ** ** Annual precipiation does not exceed 100 cm and gets no less than 27 cm. **

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