TropicalSavannaYarellyBustos

EsmeraldaHernandez

RobertMartinez

TwodifferentnamesforTropicalSavanna

1.tropicalgrassland

2.rollinggrassland

Locationandclimate

LocatedbetweenTropicofCancerandtheTropicofCapricorn.CoverslargeareasofAustralia,SouthAmerica,andIndia.Temperature:78degreesto80degreesFahrenheit.Wetseason- summerwarmerintherainyseasonthanthedryseasonbecauseitishumid.AnnualRainfall:Between30- 50inches(4inchesamonth,duringdryseason)

Nutrientscycle

Characteristicsofplantsandanimals• Animals:WildebeestZebrasRhinosTermites

GiraffesJackalsHyenas

Characteristicsofplantsandanimals• Plants:ElephantgrassRhodesgrassBaobabtree

EnergyFlow

Thefoodpyramidshowshowenergyflowsthroughthefoodchainandthefeedingrelationshipsofgroupsoforganisms.

EnergyFlow

Totheleftisthebiomasspyramidandtotherightisthenumberpyramid.Bothrepresenttheenergyflowisthebiome.Itisdemonstratedhowtheenergyflowsfromproducerstosecondaryconsumersandlosesenergyintheprocessofthetransfers.

Thefoodchainrepresentshowonechainofanimalsreceivesitsenergyfromitsdiet.Thefoodwebshowshowdifferentchainscanworkinthebiome.Ahyenacaneatazebraoracheetahcaneatazebra.Bothsecondaryconsumersreceivethesameamountofenergyfromtheprimaryconsumer.

PrimaryProductivityv TropicalSavannashave

fairlyhighlevelsofnetprimaryproductivity.Itmakes3000NetPrimaryProductivity(Kilocalories/squaremeter/year).

v Thesavannagrossprimaryproductionisabout50billionkcal/year.

v Themostadvantageoustemperatureatwhichphotosynthesistakesplaceisfromnearfreezingto70to80° F.Theratesofphotosynthesisandrespirationincreasewithhighertemperatures.Anytemperaturesaboveorbelowtheselevelslimitplantgrowth.Theaveragetemperatureofatropicalsavannaisaround75-80° F.

SuccessionPrimarysuccession

Primarysuccessioniswhensomethinggrowsinplacewheretherewasnogrowthbefore.Anexampleofprimarysuccessionisifthereisavolcaniceruption,mossgrowsonthevolcanicrock,shortgrassstartstoformfromthesoilformedfromrock,thesoilgetsdeeperandthegrassstartstogettaller,eventuallywhenabigenoughlayerofsoilformstreesstartgrowing.

SecondarySuccessionSecondarysuccessionismostcommonoutofthetwo,especiallybecauseofhowcommonseasonalfiresareinthisbiome.Theseasonalfiresburndownmanytrees,grasses,andshrubs.Burntplantsclearsfromtheareaandleavestheareawithrichsoilformoretogrow.

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Humanimpact

MDC:• Nigeria:inthisregion,landdegradationismainlycausedbyagriculturalactivitiessuchastreefellingfuelwoodandtimberproduction,cropexpansion,andagriculturalintensification.Duetothis,thisregionsuffersfromlossofsoilfertility.What'sbeingdonetosolvethisisthatorganizations,suchasSHED- Africa,areworkingwithruralandurbanpoorcommunitiestoraiseawareness.AnotherwayisregulationsthattheFederalGovernmentofNigeriasetfourthtoregulateforestactivities.

• USA:IntheUS,longleafpinesavannashavebeenaffectedbylogging.Duetothis,itfaceslessbiodiversitysincemanyspecieslinein,onornearthetreesbeingtorndown;climatechangeanddeclineinsoilfertility.Thisisbeingsolvedbyorganizationsraisingawarenessandseparatetreefarmstoprovidetimber.

HumanimpactLDC:

• Somalia:thisregionsufferseconomicallyfromlossofbiodiversityduetothehuntingofanimalssosurroundingvillagesthatdon'thavemuchresourcescouldeattheseanimalsinordertolive.Thisareasissolvingbyhavingprotectedregionsandfindingotheralternativesforresourcestousebesidestimber

• Ethiopia:duetohowmuchthevillagesaroundthisareausefire,thespreadoffirehasdestroyedthesoilcausingittodryupandtheuseoffireforhuntingkillsoffmanyanimalsthatdestroysthebiodiversity.Thisisbeingsolvedbycontrollingintentionalfiresforhunting.

Differences.ThedifferencebetweenMDCandLDCishowitishandled.InanMDC,thereareeffortstolessenthedestructionofthebiosphereandtheseproblemscanbesolvedsimplybyresortingtootherwaystobothgettingresourcesandnotharmingecosystemsthatarevitaltoplantsandanimalsbut,withLDCnotmuchisbeingdoneduetotheneedtofirstsurviveratherthanprotectthesesavannassothisisn'tatoppriorityatthispoint.Waysthatpeoplearetryingtosolvetheseproblems:Nowmanycountriesthathavesavannasareregulatingfires,huntingandloggingthatdestroysthisenvironment.Newlawsarebeingpassedtoprohibitactivitiesthatarepotentialharmfultotheenvironment.