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Savanna Biome
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The savanna Biome
By Cameron Snyder
Climate in the Savanna
The savanna has a wet/dry climate.
The dry season takes place during the winter months, while the wet season takes place during the summer.
During the dry season, plants die and rivers dry up so animals in the savanna must migrate to find food
During the wet season of the summer months, plants are lush and animals migrate back.
In West Africa the wet season starts in May.
The temperature in the Savanna ranges from 68 degrees- 78 degrees F in the winter. In the summer, the temperature ranges from 78 degrees- 86 degrees F.
The Savanna's temperature does not change very much, and any change in temperature is usually minimal.
The annual percipitation ranges from 10-3o inches of rain, while during the dry season, (December-February), hardly any rain falls.
Vegetation and Wildlife
There are an abundance of plants in the savanna, who like the animals rely on the wet summers to store for the harsh winter.
Some of the noteable plants in the savanna are: The umbrella thorn acacia, river bushwillow, jackal berry tree, elephant grass, and the candelabra tree.
The savanna like many other ecosystems contains large amounts of animals, food chains, and a vast food web.
There are consumers on the bottom of the food chain like the acacia tree.On this level are also insects that are fed upon.
Next, the grazzing animals such as zebras and gazelles make up the first level consumers.
Then, the third level contains carnivores, as well as omnivores, like lions, the african wild dog, chacma baboon, and the nile crocodile.
Here is an example of a Savanna Food Web!
This complex food web contains a large energy flow. The many plants give off a lot of energy and as the energy passes up the food web it is lost slowly. There are many more plants and grazzing animals then there are carnivores. (Evidence of Energy being given off)
Case Study
A famous case study that was done in the savanna was The Landuse in Dry Tropical Savannas Report.
The key issues being investigated were sustainable development, land resources in the savanna, and fragile ecosystems.
The study took place in Limpopo Valley, Zimbabwe.
The main objective of this famous study was to develop an integrated approach to sustainable natural resource management in a dry savanna ecosystem. They wanted to enable people in the area to achieve sustainable resource management.
The study stayed focus on the fragile ecosystem and allowed for safe resource management between the people of this region while not effecting the animal and plant life.
Keystone Species in the Savanna: The African Elephant
The African elephants of the savanna have a very important role in their ecosystem.
They feed on trees, break them up, and deroot them. This clearing is essential and without it the savanna grassland would be taken over by tree growth.
Species like gazelles, zebras, ostrich, and rhinoceros are not adaptable for woodland life and these species all depend of the elephants clearing to adeqautely find grazzing grounds.
Animals at the top of the food chain depend on this clearing to find prey. Lions, cheetahs, hyenas and jackals need the clear space to chase and kill animals.
Environmental Threats
Like many other ecosystems human usage effects the soil resources found in the savanna such as the shifts in water balance.
African peoples over farm the land and their cattle are wiping out large amounts of grass.
The many foreign pest as weeds that have been brought to the savanna, such as the wetland weed Mimosa.
As stated before water resurces are overextended and over used by humans. The hunting of animals, such as elephants, effects the food chain too.
A major occurence in the Savanna is Wildfires which take with them much plant and animal life. Most often started by humans, these wild fires destroy necessary nutrients and soil.
The Maasai People of Kenya
Background on the Maasai:
The Maasai people live in southern Kenya and Northern Tanzania along the Great Rift Valley.
It is said that the Maasai have a population of about 500,000 people but this number is not concrete because accurate census has not been made of the Maasai.
The Maasai society is composed of sixteen different sections: IIotai, IIdamat, IIpurko, IIkeekonyokie, IIputiei, IIkankere, Isiria, IImoitanik, Iloodokilani, Iloitokitoki, Ilarusa, Ilmatatapato, Ilwuasinkishu, Kore, Parakuyu, and Ilkisonko.
Homes and Responsibilities:
The Maasai laf-shaped homes made of mud, sticks, grass, cow-dung, and cows urine. They also build fenced structures around their cattle to prevent predators from killing their cattle.
Women are responsible for making the house, collecting firewood, milking cattle, and cooking for the family. The men are warriors, who protect the community, while the boys attend to the cattle. The men are also in charge of building the gates for their live stock.
Economy and Livlihood:
The Maasai are semi-nomadic peoples who live under a communal land management system, which simply allows them to utilize resources in a sustainable manner.
The Maasai's source of income comes from their livestock (goats, cattle, and sheep). Trading is done with other peoples for various goods.
Various Facts about the Maasai:
The Maasai do have formal schooling and the boys of their culture attend to the cattle on weekends after school has let out.
Maasai people rely heavily on relief foods because of the severe droughts their region encounters.
Maasai tribal leadership is loosing its power as time goes on becausee of emerging western forms of leadership being spread to their culture.
The Maasai and Religion:
The Maasai practice many formal rituals along with their highly spirtual cultural background.
The Maasai perform ceremonies for senior boys, circumcsion, marriage, warrior shaving, milk-drinking, junior elders,
It is imperative that a Maasai citizen go through these ceremonies as they progress through their lives.
The Maasai Diet:
The Maasai's diet consists of products like milk, meat, and blood from cattle. The also eat maize meal, rice, potatoes, cabbage, e.t.c.
The Maasai farm the land which is one of the environmental issues mentioned earlier. The farm crops like potatoes and cabbage to trade or to eat.
Humans
Wildlife